The head of a Mirfield school at the centre of a dispute over not having an indoor prayer room for Muslim youngsters sent a letter on the issue to Kirklees MP Jo Cox referring to counter-terrorism measures.
The letter from Lorraine Barker, executive principal of Mirfield Free Grammar School , to the Batley and Spen MP included references to the Prevent counter-terrorism strategy.
It has been seen by Yunus Lunat, the solicitor acting for the parents of the youngsters, who are being forced to pray outdoors in the cold and rain for the second winter in a row.
He said: “I have put the contents of the letter to the principal who hasn’t replied.
“As far as I am concerned this has nothing to do with Prevent. This is simply to do with students wanting five minutes to pray.
“Why Prevent was referred to in that letter we can only speculate.
“Why all these emotive subjects and terms had to be referred to I don’t know.”
The prayer room dispute first began in October 2014, when pupils were told they would have to pray outside.
There have been a number of pleas for the school to change its mind, including a written request to the principal asking her to reconsider the decision, which was countersigned by more than 70 students.
Mr Lunat said: “The students have had a lot of support from pupils at the school who cannot understand what the problem is. One English boy says he went to the school until two years ago and his friends used to pray indoors without any problems, and he wonders what is behind this change.”
Many schools have indoor rooms for students to perform their obligatory prayers but it is not compulsory, and is left to the school to decide.
Ms Cox said: “I understand completely the upset my constituent feels but I also accept that the school is responsible for making its own decisions, so long as they are within the law and guidelines.
“I do think the school has been defensive over this issue but it is not for MPs to tell any headteacher how to do their job.
“I would encourage both sides to come together and talk and work to find a solution. I hope they will do this calmly and sensibly in the interests of the children involved.”
Prevent is part of the government’s broader strategy to counter the threats posed by extremism and terrorism.
Lorraine Barker said: “Sixth Form students are welcome to leave the site to attend their own mosque or, if it is more convenient, they can attend one of the local mosques which have offered their facilities to them.
“Before students join the Sixth Form we make it clear that we do not have a prayer room.”
One of the school’s sixth form students, Talha Asmal, 17, fled to Syria to join ISIS and died in a suicide attack in June when he drove a vehicle packed with explosives into an oil refinery in northern Iraq.
