Controversial: Tahir Alam, the chairman of Park View School in Birmingham, said there should be sensitivity during swimming classes because pupils could accidentally 'swallow water.'
A governor who is said to have orchestrated a plot by Muslim extremists to take over a group of schools believes children should not be allowed to swim during Ramadan because it may 'break their fast'.
Tahir Alam, the chairman of Park View School in Birmingham, said there should be sensitivity during the Islamic holy month because pupils could accidentally ‘swallow water.’
The suspected ringleader of the 'Trojan Horse' operation also said Muslim women and girls have an 'obligation' to cover their bodies after denying claims he made schoolchildren wear headscarves.
He describes himself as a 'conservative Muslim', but says allegations of Islamification and extremist teachings at the schools in Birmingham are false.
Mr Alam drafted a document in 2007 suggesting songs with ant-Islamic lyrics should be banned from schools and dancing 'discouraged'.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Alam said no one had praised al-Qaeda in assemblies and refuted rumours that classrooms had been segregated.
He added that schools' policies on areas such as collective prayer, headscarves and halal meat were 'within the legal parameters.'
‘No child has to wear a headscarf, nobody has to go to prayer in a compulsory manner ... only 5-10 per cent of our children pray during lunchtime,' he said.
Despite having a 99 per cent Muslim uptake, Mr Alam said Park View has no 'religious designation', which means they cannot force any faith practices on students.
‘The whole thing has been blown out of all proportion. It's based on an anonymous document, unsigned, undated.
‘I wonder how many other unsigned and undated documents would generate 12 weeks of media hysteria and political storm.’
Claims: The school has been accused of segregating pupils, using anti-American propaganda in assemblies and forcing some students to cover their hair
RAMADAN: THE NINTH MONTH OF THE ISLAMIC CALENDER
The Islamic festival of Ramadan will fall between June 29 and July 29 this year.
During this period, Muslims worldwide will observe between 29 and 30 days of fasting.
Between sunrise and sunset, they cannot eat food, drink, smoke, involve themselves in sexual relations or swear.
It is obligatory for all Muslims, except those who are ill, pregnant, breastfeeding or diabetic.
In countries such as Kuwait, Algeria and U.A.E, it is illegal to eat or drink anything during the period.
In Egypt, alcohol sales are banned throughout the month.
The word Ramadan comes from the Arabic root ramiḍa or ar-ramaḍ, which means scorching heat or dryness.
‘So any accommodation that we may do in relation to catering for the children - for example, if it relates to the prayer maybe, or halal meals or collective worship - all these practices are well within the regulations and the law.’
Whistleblowing teachers have claimed the school is in the hands of a group of extremists who infiltrated the governing body, forcing non-Muslims out and replacing them with hardliners.
Six non-Muslim headteachers at schools in the city are said to have left their posts in the last six months.
But Mr Alam said he did not know the circumstances of their departures and assured listeners he had taken on non-Muslim staff during is tenure.
After the allegations surfaced, Ofsted commissioned an emergency report to investigate practices at the schools.
Mr Alam said he had received the draft report, but could not comment on the details.
Asked if its contents would result in him leaving his post he said: 'I can't answer that question and you don't expect me to.
'We have run Park View as a highly successful school. Our results are amongst the highest in the area.
‘It's something that needs to be replicated not removed.’
Birmingham City Council has received 200 complaints about Muslim practices across a number of schools in the city.
The Department for Education has commissioned an investigation into the claims, headed by former counter-terror chief, Peter Clarke.
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