A Muslim father whose three children have been fostered by a Christian family has been told he must not discuss Islam with the youngsters during visits.
The unnamed 53-year-old man has two sons and a daughter – all aged under 16 – who have been looked after by a Christian family since 2011. The three young children have been attending church and Sunday school.
Their biological father, who is a devout Muslim, has only seen them twice in the last six years during which he has been to court 13 times in a bid to get them back.
The father told the Manchester Evening News (MEN) that he was made to sign a court document in 2015 in which he agreed not to talk about Islam with his offspring. He said he felt forced to sign the document because he was desperate to see his children.
But he now says it is important that his estranged children “develop a sense of identity,” and that he is the victim of prejudice.
“What’s happening is xenophobia and bigotry,” he told the Manchester Evening News. “It’s Stockholm Syndrome. It’s parental estrangement. They are obviously feeding all kinds of ridiculous propaganda to my children and this is the end result.”
The man’s children were taken into care in 2011 after the death of their mother. The children’s parents were estranged and had a “volatile relationship,” according to court documents.
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Since the mother’s death, the man has been trying to get custody of the three children. He has been accused of domestic violence and assaulting a social worker, claims he vehemently denies.
