Hundreds of Muslim parents along with children dressed as superheroes demonstrated outside a primary school today to protest against lessons on LGBT lifestyles.
More than 200 people turned up waving placards and shouting through loudspeakers outside the gates of Parkfield Community School in Birmmingham.
They have accused gay assistant head Andrew Moffatt of promoting homosexuality and LGBT issues without their consent.
He has backed a reading programme called ‘No Outsiders’ featuring stories about same-sex relationships and marriages.
The 470-pupils will be introduced to books including ‘Mommy, Mama and Me’ and ‘King & King’ after Easter.
But parents at the school, where 99 per cent of pupils are Muslim, want the lessons scrapped because homosexuality is banned in Islam.
Today children and parents protested outside the gates waving banners saying “Exploiting Children’s Innocence”.
Bizarrely, many of the children were dressed as fictional characters such as Captain America, Mary Poppins, and the Incredible Hulk, for World Book Day.
Placards being waved by the youngsters read: “Say no to sexualising children” and “Respect and be respected.”
Parents also created a podium in which they voiced their concerns from a microphone and speaker mounted on the back of a truck.
Seven police officers also attended the 45-minute protest which passed off peacefully.
Father-of-three Abdul Muhammad, 46, who has a two-year-old at the school said: “We are here today to protest for our children’s rights.
“The school is denying our right as a parent, the equality act of 1994 states it’s the parents right, when it comes to education you cannot teach anything that the parents are not ok with.
“This school has made some kind of experiment thinking, they can do this behind the parents.
“The school has not provided us with any consultation.
“We are against this programme, we are not homophobic, we are not against anybody.
“We are saying this is not age appropriate for the children.”
Mariam Ahmed, 30, full-time mum-of-two, was one of the first mothers to protest ‘No Outsiders’ said: “When I first saw it I had a few concerns.
“As I started speaking to other parents about it, they started coming forward saying that their children are coming out with saying ‘it’s ok to be gay.’
“Mr Moffat was telling them it was ok to gay and Muslim, you can be whatever you want to be.
“It just gradually got worse, it has been taught in lessons continuously, they are saying it’s only five times a term but it’s not.
“They’re doing weekly assemblies and role plays.
“Mr Moffat even tells the children about his own personal life, I’m sorry but you shouldn’t be doing that.
“My child is coming home to me saying ‘I can swap clothes with opposite gender and change my name too.’
“Why is my four-year-old coming home and saying things like this?
“She should be concentrating on things like Maths and English and not homosexuality.
“It’s way too young for children of this age.”
Selma Khalil, 35, full-time mum of three, said: “The main issue I have with ‘No Outsiders’ programme is that it is not age appropriate.
“Every parent here lives with different sexualities and we’ve got no problem with that but teaching our children it’s not appropriate.
“As far as I remember I was never taught at school about homosexuality, living in society you just come to know of it.
“That’s the best way in my opinion, our children will be able to see for themselves.
“Just let the children be children and go out and play.
“We will continue with our protest and hopefully get a good outcome.”
In January school bosses started a consultation process with parents about the LGBT section of the course with some taster lessons taught in school.
Earlier this week the school denied making a U-turn after reports the classes had been shelved following pressure from parents.
Hazel Pulley, Chief Executive of Excelsior Multi Academy Trust which runs the school, said: “The lessons are there for after Easter.
“Equalities education will continue.”
Parents say they will continue to hold protests outside the school every week until the ‘No Outsiders’ programme is scrapped.
ENDS