From This is London, with thanks to Susan, who asks: “And did UK prosecutors who dealt with IRA cases have to take a 5-day course in Catholicism and Irish Catholic history?”
Prosecution lawyers are to be sent on courses to learn about Islam.
The training will be aimed at Crown Prosecution Service lawyers who handle “significant cases” involving Muslim defendants, such as terrorism trials.
Lawyers who handle racist or religiously-motivated crimes will also be invited on the five-day, classroom-based programme.
Staff in up to six areas of the country with the largest Muslim populations will be asked to take part in the intensive courses, which will be run by consultants hired by the CPS….
“The aim of the training is to help these staff have a better appreciation and understanding of the Muslim community and Muslim faith to help them have a better appreciation of the context of the cases and policies they deal with,” she said.
“It will cover a range of issues such as the structure of the Muslim faith in the UK, the basic tenets and practices of the Muslim faith and issues such as discrimination and disadvantage which affect the community.”
If they learn about what the Qur’an and Hadith really say about jihad, and how modern radicals use these verses to gain recruits, this might be worthwhile. But I doubt that’s what will happen in these classes.