Muslim dad told: Don’t pressure your fostered kids about Islam

A MUSLIM man whose three children have been fostered by Christians has been told he must not ‘pressure’ the youngsters about Islam when he visits.

The 53-year-old has two sons and a daughter aged under 16. Since 2011 they have been looked after by a Christian family and have been going to church and Sunday school.

The children’s biological father is a devout Muslim and has only seen them twice in the last six years. The second visit was in June 2015 and came after he signed a document – seen by the M.E.N. – in which he agreed not to talk about Islam.

The ban has since been softened – but only on condition the man talks of his religion in a ‘non-pressurising way.’

The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, says he is the victim of bigotry. But social services say the children’s wellbeing is their ‘prime concern.’

The youngsters were taken into care after the death of their mother. Before her death the father had been estranged from her for several years, after a ‘volatile’ relationship in which both had made allegations about each other and sought custody.

During that period the children spent some time in care and the mother is said to have told the council the children were ‘not Muslim.’

Eventually the woman won the custody battle. But she died shortly afterwards following drug and alcohol abuse.

Since the mother’s death the father has been trying to get custody of the three children – although they say they would prefer to stay with their foster parents and have said in the past that they don’t wish to see him. In 2015 the man was finally allowed to see his children – but only after he agreed to strict conditions.

The M.E.N. has seen a document from Salford Children’s Services which stipulates that the man ‘agrees not to discuss the Muslim religion’ with his children during any supervised contact.

It goes on to say the children ‘do not have any knowledge or consider themselves as a member of the religion.’ The document also states that he must be accompanied by staff at all times on visits, must not ask the name or location of their school, or the location of their placement.

The father has told the M.E.N. he felt forced to sign the document because he was desperate to see his children.

After signing the agreement he met with his children and stuck to the condition preventing him from discussing his faith, but he has not seen them since.

The man works in the education sector and is a graduate.

He has been accused of domestic violence and assault – allegations he strenuously denies and has no convictions for.

The man is black, the children are of mixed black and white heritage.

He says it is important that his estranged children ‘develop a sense of identity’ – and that he is the victim of prejudice.

“What’s happening is xenophobia and bigotry”, he said. “It’s Stockholm syndrome. It’s parental