An Islamic school is poisoning the minds of pupils with lessons in hate, a former teacher claims. Colin Cook, 57, says textbooks used by children as young as five at the King Fahd Academy in Acton describe Jews as "repugnant" and "apes" and Christians as "pigs". Pupils have allegedly been heard saying they want to "kill Americans", praising 9/11 and idolising Osama bin Laden as their "hero". There are fears that it could become a breeding ground for terrorists with Mr Cook warning: "The school could produce a dangerous harvest." Its sister school of the same name in Bonn has been singled out by the German intelligence services as a meeting place for activists linked to terrorism. Mr Cook, a Muslim convert, taught English at the school for 19 years until he was sacked in December last year. He claims he was fired after blowing the whistle on the school for covering up cheating by children in GCSE exams and is bringing a tribunal claim for unfair dismissal, race discrimination and victimisation. He also alleges that when he complained to school management about the content of the curriculum and questioned whether it complied with British laws, he was told: "This is not England. It is Saudi Arabia".
He said that the school was "very good" until the majority of British teachers left in 2005. He said: "Since then, there has been a move towards a pro-Saudi agenda. It is clearly racist and very divisive. I understand now why the pupils express anti-Western views at school. It is deeply immoral to put such ideas into the heads of young children."
Mr Cook's solicitor Lawrence Davies said: "Faith schools are legitimate but they must not be used to propagate a racist agenda. Every faith school must be properly inspected. And those that promote the terrorist mindset must be called to account."