Training on Islamophobia claims Virgin Mary once wore a hijab
A publicly funded anti-terrorism briefing for North Yorkshire council staff asserted that the Virgin Mary “wore a hijab,” linking Islamic customs to Western values.
North Yorkshire council staff received a Project Unity lecture aimed at combating Islamophobia, in which the presenter claimed the Virgin Mary “wore a hijab” and that Jesus grew a beard, presenting these as compatible with Western norms. The session further asserted that the hijab was prevalent in the UK only 100 years ago, illustrating the point with images of early-20th-century British shawls that have no Islamic connection.
Abbas Najib, a former police officer now heading Better Communities Bradford, delivered the material, which also portrayed Sharia as a moral tradition comparable to other religions and noted that children cannot be struck on the face under Islamic practice. The programme, funded with £490,000 from the National Lottery Communities Fund, has been used with police, civil servants and students, and has drawn criticism after a similar talk appeared at a North Yorkshire Police hate-crime conference. Najib defended the content, arguing that unequal legal protection fuels anti-Muslim hostility and that the training encourages reflection on such disparities.
