A teacher involved in the alleged Trojan Horse affair is the first to be told he can return to the classroom.
Wakass Haruf, a maths teacher at Park View School in Birmingham, was found by the National College of Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) to have made anti-Semitic comments.
The NCTL found it proven that while he was leading prayers at Golden Hillock School, during a secondment there, he told pupils: “We have the true religion not like those ignorant Christians and ignorant Jews.”
But the panel said this was an “isolated incident” and he had shown “insight” since the incident.
The NCTL said: “While the panel is satisfied these words were used by Mr Haruf, the panel recognises the possibility, at least, that this was an unintended consequence arising from his choice of language.”
The panel said he was a “truthful witness” and that they could rely on his evidence.
It added: “The panel did not find that he was an active participant in any agreement with others to influence the religious education of pupils at the schools where he taught or that he did anything else which may have contributed to that objective. The case which has been proved against him is very much less serious than the overarching allegation that he initially faced.”
A number of other allegations against Mr Haruf, described as an “outstanding teacher of maths”, were found not to be proven.
The NCTL concluded: “The panel is satisfied Mr Haruf has learned a salutary lesson from being linked into the wider enquiry related to Park View Trust and the panel is persuaded that the risk of repetition is negligible.”
Mr Haruf’s case is the fourth linked to the alleged Trojan Horse plot, in which hardline Muslims were said to be attempting to take over schools in Birmingham, that the NCTL has made a decision about, so far. There are still nine more teachers awaiting the outcome of their hearings.
Last week, Park View teachers Akeel Ahmed and Inamulhaq Anwar were banned from the classroom. Mr Anwar has announced he will appeal the decision. And Jahangir Akbar, the acting principal at Oldknow Academy, was also given a ban by the NCTL.
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