Yossarian
Test Debutant
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2007
- Runs
- 13,897
- Post of the Week
- 1
Last week the The Times, that most respected of all newspapers, created an uproar by publishing a story of a “Christian child forced into Muslim foster care”.
The Daily Mail then entered the scene with the headline:
The child’s mother told the court they were of Christian heritage. This proved to not be the case. It turned out that the child's mother came from a 'non-practicing Muslim family', that she was an alcoholic, a drug addict, and had been previously arrested for prostitution. The child's biological father was unknown.
Furthermore, when the true facts started to emerge, it transpired that :
* The child was in fact being fostered by an English-speaking family of mixed race, undermining the central issue in the initial media reports.
* The order revealed that a court-appointed guardian visited the child at the foster carers’ home and spoke to the child alone. “The guardian has no concerns as to the child’s welfare and she reports that the child is settled and well cared for by the foster carer,” the document states.
* The court papers showed that Tower Hamlets council had wanted the girl to be placed with her maternal grandmother who is a “non-practising Muslim”. Strict vetting rules meant this was not immediately possible and she had to be placed in temporary care. The grandparents underwent a full assessment and the judge was able to approve the request.
This massive uproar was due to a 'Christian child being placed with Muslim parents'. Those ranting against such instances have similar attititudes when it comes to children being placed with foster parents from a different ethnic background, including white children being placed with black foster parents.
And yet:
It would appear that it's perfectly acceptable for non-white children to be placed with white foster parents, but not vice versa. Similarly, it's perfectly acceptable to place non-Christian children with Christian foster parents, but not vice-versa.
And last but not least, whilst some of the mainstream media, including The Times, is of the view that placing children from a white/Christian background with non-white/non-Christian foster parents is unacceptable as it's detrimental to the child, they are the first ones to demand that two gay men should be allowed to adopt a child even if the child comes from a Muslim/Christian background that regards homosexuality as a sin.
Discuss.
The Daily Mail then entered the scene with the headline:
The child’s mother told the court they were of Christian heritage. This proved to not be the case. It turned out that the child's mother came from a 'non-practicing Muslim family', that she was an alcoholic, a drug addict, and had been previously arrested for prostitution. The child's biological father was unknown.
Furthermore, when the true facts started to emerge, it transpired that :
* The child was in fact being fostered by an English-speaking family of mixed race, undermining the central issue in the initial media reports.
* The order revealed that a court-appointed guardian visited the child at the foster carers’ home and spoke to the child alone. “The guardian has no concerns as to the child’s welfare and she reports that the child is settled and well cared for by the foster carer,” the document states.
* The court papers showed that Tower Hamlets council had wanted the girl to be placed with her maternal grandmother who is a “non-practising Muslim”. Strict vetting rules meant this was not immediately possible and she had to be placed in temporary care. The grandparents underwent a full assessment and the judge was able to approve the request.
This massive uproar was due to a 'Christian child being placed with Muslim parents'. Those ranting against such instances have similar attititudes when it comes to children being placed with foster parents from a different ethnic background, including white children being placed with black foster parents.
And yet:
It would appear that it's perfectly acceptable for non-white children to be placed with white foster parents, but not vice versa. Similarly, it's perfectly acceptable to place non-Christian children with Christian foster parents, but not vice-versa.
And last but not least, whilst some of the mainstream media, including The Times, is of the view that placing children from a white/Christian background with non-white/non-Christian foster parents is unacceptable as it's detrimental to the child, they are the first ones to demand that two gay men should be allowed to adopt a child even if the child comes from a Muslim/Christian background that regards homosexuality as a sin.
Discuss.
