Slow news day: Muslim kids and music

Posted on 1st July, 2010 by

I was just listening to the BBC London station (94.9FM) and the top story in their news bulletins at the moment seems to be the fact that some Muslim parents are withdrawing their children from music lessons because playing instruments is against Islam. The story isn’t on the BBC News website but is on the Evening Standard’s This is London site; it appears that the report will be on BBC1 at 6:30pm this evening. This is a perfectly valid, indeed mainstream, opinion in Islam and this has been going on for years. Why is this news now?

It sounds like a story sourced from one of the think tanks who produced reports on what was available in mosque libraries, based on sending spies into various mosques of one denomination or another, but it seems that they carried out their own investigation for whatever reason. One school in east London reported that 20 pupils were withdrawn from rehearsals for the Christmas play (so it’s not just about musical instruments: it’s about taking part in celebrations of other religions), and that one girl remains withdrawn from music lessons.

On closer examination, other aspects of this story fall down. “Hundreds of pupils are thought to have been …” means that there isn’t concrete evidence that anywhere close to that number of pupils actually have been withdrawn. They also say that, according to Dr Diana Harris of the Open University, around half of some pupils are withdrawn from music lessons in some schools during Ramadan. Well, that’s Ramadan, and Muslims abstain from these kinds of pleasures, not just food, during daytime in Ramadan; while not essential to fasting, it is a way of devoting more of their time in that period to worship rather than to pleasure.

Of course, many (perhaps most) Muslims do listen to music, but the stricter religious ones don’t, and this has been the case throughout history. There are exceptions, such as therapy for those with brain damage and even, according to some, for children (I found CDs of Zain Bhikha’s songs for children, accompanied by a keyboard, on sale in Deobandi-run bookshops in the late 1990s, for example, and they would never sell recordings for adults which contained instrumental music). That doesn’t mean they don’t sing or listen to singing; what is excluded is the instruments. Surely there are ways of accommodating this without without making it necessary to withdraw children from lessons entirely.

The role of the Muslim Council of Britain in all this is troubling. The BBC interviewed some guy called Matthew Wilkinson who claimed that this stricture affected about 10% of Muslims in London and that he (and therefore the MCB) thought that children should be benefiting from the full curriculum, or some such thing. Surely the MCB should actually be sticking up for Muslims by defending all of us, rather than by playing the “we’re the moderate majority, so listen to us and not that lunatic minority over there”, rather as some do with regard to the niqaab and other strict observations of Islam. In any case, surely schools should be about preparing young people for life in the wider world, and while some may consider the ability to play an instrument and appreciate music to be part of being a well-rounded person, the fact is that most kids, whether they can play the cello or not, won’t be looking for a job in an orchestra when they leave school.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Possibly Related Posts:


FacebookTwitterIdenti.caDeliciousDiggStumbleUponWordPressShare
Education, MediaPermalink
  • http://born-confuzed.blogspot.com Jasmine

    While I don’t agree that it’s beneficial for a child to be pulled out of classes for a number of reasons (the balance in school helps them enjoy their day and concentrate in more academic classes, social reasons etc) I don’t believe it’s a big deal or society’s problem. It’s an individual choice and there’s much more going on in the news to talk about. I also don’t think it’s only the most strict and religious muslims who don’t listen to music. I’m sure there are many music listeners among the most pious of muslims.

  • Anon

    Salam alaikum,

    I don’t know that Matthew Wilkinson is a spokesman for the MCB. He is a PhD student at King’s College London completing research on whether National Curriculum History can help Muslim boys succeed educationally.

    The National Curriculum is his area of expertise, which presumably is why he was asked to comment on the matter.

    He doesn’t really refer to a lunatic fringe - he just answers a few directed questions and then says the MCB encourages Muslims to take benefit of the full range of educational possibilities in UK schools.

    As an aside, he is your brother, not just “some guy”.

  • H

    Salams, I just saw the local London news on BBC1, including the comments at the end. It seems to me as being another Muslim-bashing story but this time used to split Muslims since they know full well that a lot of Muslims don’t see music as haram. That’s what saddened me at the end, when you had some comments from Muslims attacking other Muslims over this topic. I’m now waiting for the next irrelevant piece of news they will find about us.

  • Pingback: Muslim, Kids & Islam: Response to BBC London News | iMuslim.tv

  • M Risbrook

    Tell me more about this area of conflict between Islam and music. I can understand serious issues with pop music and rap because of low moral standards but is there anything wrong with a Muslim listening to classical music or playing the tubular bells?

    One school in east London reported that 20 pupils were withdrawn from rehearsals for the Christmas play

    I hazard a guess that this is a Nativity play. These only exist in state schools because of historical tradition or popular demand and are not part of the National Curriculum.

    The role of the Muslim Council of Britain in all this is troubling. The BBC interviewed some guy called Matthew Wilkinson who claimed that this stricture affected about 10% of Muslims in London and that he (and therefore the MCB) thought that children should be benefiting from the full curriculum, or some such thing.

    I have been verbally informed that the MCB is generally a strong believer in state schools and the National Curriculum, and is wary of alternative education for Muslim children. One cynical explanation is because of the backgrounds of many of their senior members.

  • zay

    M Risbrook,

    Here is a link to a relatively short answer made by Shaykh Nuh Keller wih regards to tradtional Islam and Music.

  • http://www.bayyinat.org.uk/terror.htm Yakoub

    I don’t know where the law stands now, but in the 1990s, when a primary school in Batley Yorkshire tried to make all music lessons voice and drum only, and banned dancing in PE (thanks to an all Deobandi board of governors), Ofsted told them they were breaching the law and the Head reversed his decision and restored all the above to standard. This provoked some parents to open their own school, which indeed may be the answer, providing educational standards are maintained.

  • http://www.salaamability.co.uk Aliya Cooper

    I am a revert to Islam. Music lessons are allowed! however certain instrument lessons are NOT allowed. there is a difference between learning about music and learning an instrument EG. violin or guitar or piano. yes parents should have the choice! drum or percussion lessons are fine, violin lessons etc are a no! people need to do some more research. I used to to be a qualified Music teacher and then i reverted to Islam, i only teach drumming workshops now and vocals no other instruments, every muslim child can still learn about the science and history behind music eg. music lessons! however just not the instruments that were stated that were haraam. Listening to secular music is a no, however nasheeds glorifying Allah is fine - these nasheeds are still classed as music - i think the use of correct vocab needs to be looked at!

  • M Risbrook

    So exactly which instruments are Muslims allowed and not allowed to play?

  • http://www.facebook.com/ismaeel.desilva Ismaeel

    Salaam,

    @M Risbrook, with due respect to the other posters, there is not a blanket ban on musical instruments in Islamic Law. Some jurists were very strict and banned everything except for drums but other notable figures regarded any and all musical instruments to be permissible and pointed out that there was serious weakness in the transmission of the scriptures that purportadly banned them whilst at the same time many of the early Muslims living in the Prophets (peace and blessings be upon him) city openly played instruments and sang songs without any censure. This being the case some strictly religious Muslims may accept Music and some will not. The most famous Muslim artists in recent times who have had huge international success are Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Youssou N’Dour.

    The main issue for the latter group was whether the lyrical content was conducive of the good or not.

    Hope this helps.

  • http://mezba.blogspot.com Mezba

    I am surprised it’s even a news. If the 10 percent do not want their kids being educated in music why should the teacher complain? Not that I agree with that 10 percent, but still. Mezba´s last [type] ..Multiculturalism and Salim Mansur

  • Umm Abdullah

    Is this is the same MCB that evolved from ISB (Islamic Society of Britain)? If so they certainly changed their tune on the issue of music; if you’d pardon the pun. I remember as a new Muslim they used to produce their own anasheed that were devoid of any instrumention; and they were very keen to point out in the publication of their youth wing and at their camps; how haraam musical instruments are.

    I’m a convert to Islam and growing up and attending state schools in the UK I remember that if you wanted to learn how to play an instrument back in those days; you had to get your parents to pay for it in your own time. The most exotic instrument you’d get to play in school was the recorder, and again this was an extracurricular activity. Similar applied in secondary school. So if the powers that be now think learning an instrument is so essential to kids’ development, to the extent it should be done in school time and as part of a national curriculum, this is a very new idea.

    I hate the national curriculum as it is now; I attended primary school pre national curriculum and my primary school made up their own which was great. The national curriculum only became compulsory in my first year of secondary school but the result for me was everything I studied in my first three years of secondary school was a repeat of what I had already learned in primary school and sometimes in a more dumbed-down version. Now it seems subjects like Geography and History are barely covered at primary school at all and they are skirted over in an incredibly dry way at secondary level. A well-rounded education? I think not…

  • Yusuf Campbell

    Over the last twenty six years I have, on occasions, researched this particular subject and the conclusion that I have arrived at is that a shocking number of Muslims, particularly of the “holier than thou” variety have an appalling disrespect for the opinions of others. They never seem to consider that someone could have agonised over a decision, they just assume that as is not the same as theirs, it must be a consequence of following base desires. Seems to attract followers.

    This reality hit particularly hard after having just read one of Yusuf Al Qaradawi’s books. I found a “The Mistakes of Yusuf Al Qaradawi” pamphlet - which was as distorted as anything I’d ever read in a tabloid. At least the tabloids don’t pretend to be offering divine guidance.

    Is this the only entertainment we have left? Having found endless reasons to extend prohibitions over side issues with alarming alacrity, in order to amuse themselves we indulge in e n d l e s s character assassination. Yes we should be proud. * We * have filled the web with self righteous bitchery. Don’t ask me to name names - I’m keeping it in the abstract, if you don’t mind. When you want to warn people that is what you do. The pages I have just visited do not hesitate to name names and claim claims. All dressed up as essential divine guidance, of course. But the low vowels and low voices are betrayed by the smug little snickers that emerge. Oh, there is a lot of smug.

    But I forgot - we have our other enjoyments - love of wealth and overeating. Who needs music when you can, by any means, live on the * best * side of town, grab dunia with your teeth and have a heart attack at 43. It is quite an achievement that have managed to collectively negate the beneficial effects of no alcohol and are just about the unhealthiest group in the country. We do set an example. If health care had to be paid for they’d soon get off their larded backsides.

    I can’t help suspecting that if more masjid donations started coming from artists, musical and otherwise, and less from overweight businessmen and mortgage brokers we’d see a change of tune. We also might be seen as having made a cultural contribution instead of just been here as ravenous consumers.

    Well good luck to them. If they want to divide the Ummah over seemingly unprovable (and therefore endless) side issues, let them earn their reward with their back biting. At least the rest of use can them for what they are.

  • http://www.ilahimerkezi.com ilahiler

    Musics without instruments is legal in Islam. ilahiler´s last [type] ..Rules on Islamic Clothes