First Steps to Faith and a Future

In January we launched Faith and a Future, a campaign to ensure no child is denied a fair education because of their faith. So many of the injustices we see in our world today are rooted in hatred that’s learned in a child’s early years.

At school in Cuba, Stephanie (above) was targeted by teachers as a way to get to her father, a church leader. This tactic can be very effective – even the courageous people will say, “They can do anything to me, but the moment you touch my family, that I cannot take.”

My name is Farzana Khan.* I am a 15-year-old Ahmadi Muslim. A few of the children in my school told the other students, “She is Ahmadi, don’t play with her or eat with her, and stop treating her normally.’’ They punished me, they used to strike me with sticks, and tell me not to sit with the other kids. I haven’t told anyone in my new school that I am Ahmadi.

On 27 February we launched our report on this issue at Parliament, and were delighted to see so many people pledge their support to the campaign. Around 30 parliamentarians joined us, along with journalists and representatives from NGOs working on children’s issues, to find out how they could work with us to tackle religious discrimination in education.

Be part of the solution

• Act: join the 1,500 people who have already signed our petition at faithandafuture.com.
• Share: Print off more petitions and get others in your church or small group to sign (please return by 18 May)
• Give: pledge your support by making a donation using the form enclosed to help further the work of our campaign.

*Name changed for security reasons.