A white atheist girl has defended her Muslim foster parents after her school friends asked if she lives with “terrorists” because of their religion.
Rebecca Brown is keen to make people know that her Muslim parents are like any other family.
Her statements came only weeks after a case involving a five-year-old Christian girl, who was reportedly left distressed after being placed with Muslim foster carers hit the national headlines.
She has lived with the Muslim family since the age of 12, and now aged 18 she has chosen to continue living with them.
Speaking to BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme, Rebecca said without Shanaz and Muhammad she “wouldn’t have anyone else to call family.”
One school friend told her that she was “living with terrorists” while others have talked about her family having “explosives”.
Rebecca remembers being perplexed. “I live in a family as anyone else would,” she said.
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Her mother Shanaz says she has also been hurt by these comments.
She said: “People think the girl will lose her identity. People question, ‘Is she going to become one of you? Is she going to have an arranged marriage?’
“We are trying to give this child the best care in the world.”
