LONDON, March 27 (IslamOnline.net) - British Muslims Saturday, March 27, launched a new innovative initiative aimed at giving free high-quality resources on Islam to the country’s mainstream schools.

“Books 4 Schools” includes placing books, materials, CDs, DVs, videos and accompanying teaching aids into school classes - in an effort to provide children with an internal understanding of Islam and curtail stereotypical portrayal of its followers.

The project was inspired by the success of similar ventures in other countries where Muslims are a minority community, such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Washington.

It was launched by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) in Manchester, with the help of local education authorities and the funding of Commonwealth Office, a government department supporting ethnic minorities.

“We received a very positive response from local education authorities and British Muslims,” Shabana Khan of MCB told IslamOnline.net Saturday.

Khan admitted that there is also a void in the national curriculum in the teaching of Islam itself.

The majority of schools in Britain teach Islam as one of the major world religions, as part of the National Curriculum. But mainstream schools were critical to the development of Muslim school-aged children and in shaping views on Islam of school children in general.

Khan said that resources found in schools to facilitate this teaching are often scarce, patchy and even when present either inappropriate or outdated.

“The teachers also gave a superficial knowledge on Islam, with no internal understanding or personal sight into the faith,” Khan opined.

The new project was pushed by realisation that this early age of education is a child’s first serious encounter with Islam and has the potential to mould the views that will be carried through into adult life.

Khan hoped that by providing children with an authentic understanding of Islam, “we hope to sow seeds that will flourish into tolerance and harmony amongst Britain’s diverse communities.

“It is with young children that we can build understanding and develop a vibrant and diverse community,” she said, hoping the project would set example for other faiths, including Hinduism and Judaism, to be more engaged into the national education.

The council appeals to Muslims in general and particularly parents of school children to sponsor a Books 4 Schools Resource Pack for their nominated school.

Or they can club together towards a pack of approved materials or simply sending money for getting and dispatching it directly to schools.

The MCB will soon be organising a series of fundraising evenings in a number of major cities in Britain to introduce the initiative.

Khans said that giving a deep knowledge about their religion comes as innovative and exciting development in the history of their community - facing negative stereotypical images and claims of being dependent and non-socially cooperative.

Khan highlighted that the empowerment of the mass of British Muslims through engagement in a self-help educational project is really a valuable step.

“Placing materials into schools will help reverse negative publicity and consequent stereotypes now prevalent into the reaction of ordinary Britons.”

There are some two million Muslims in Britain, being the second largest religion in the European Monarchy.

There is an increasing number of British-born Muslims as well as British reverts to the religion.