MCBDirect invites you to support the launch of Books For Schools – an innovative and exciting development in the history of Britain's Muslim community.

The majority, if not all, schools in Britain teach Islam as one of the major world religions, as part of the National Curriculum. This is often a child's first serious encounter with Islam and has the potential to mould the views that will be carried through into adult life. But many of us, parents and teachers alike, are all too aware that the resources found in schools to facilitate this teaching are often scarce and even when present either inappropriate or outdated. There is also a void in the national curriculum in the teaching of Islam itself.

With this in mind we feel that it is time for us as British Muslims to act to make the most of this immense opportunity and to turn the tide of negative stereotypical portrayals of Islam by ensuring that every school child in Britain has access to high-quality Islamic resources within their school.

Placing high-quality Islamic resources (to include books, materials, CDs, DVDs, videos and accompanying teaching aids) into school classrooms is clearly desirable and the value of such a project has already been demonstrated by other similar ventures of this kind in other countries where Muslims are a minority community. e.g. CAIR in Washington, USA. We believe that placing materials into schools will, God Willing, help to reverse negative publicity and stereotypes prevalent today in Britain.

By providing children with an authentic understanding of Islam, we hope to sow seeds that will facilitate harmony and tolerance amongst Britain's diverse communities. We also aim to develop relationships and dialogue with mainstream schools – institutions that are critical to the development of Muslim school-aged children and in shaping views on Islam of school children in general.

A very exciting element of Books For Schools is the empowerment of the mass of British Muslims through engagement in a self-help educational project that is of real value.

Our strategy involves asking Muslims in general and particularly parents of school children to Sponsor a Books For Schools Resource Pack for their nominated school. People can club together towards a pack or you can simply send in money towards a pack. Send this in with the relevant payment to us and we will do the rest. This will include:

· Contacting the school formally to notify them the offer of a gift and their acceptance of it

· The donor of the gift will be identified

· Books For Schools will then arrange for a pack of approved materials to be despatched directly to the school with no further effort on your part.

· Confirmation to you on delivery of your gift.

MCBDirect will soon be organising a series of fundraising evenings in a number of major cities in Britain to introduce the Books For Schools initiative to your area and facilitate your direct participation. You can have a fun evening and sponsor a pack for your local school.

As the Books For Schools develops and evaluation and feedback occurs we hope to commission and produce original materials and resources that are targeted to teachers' specific needs and requests.

We hope, God Willing, that one of the practical outcomes of this project is the establishment of a network of faith advisors throughout the country so that each school will have a personal contact to whom they can direct themselves for help and assistance in any aspect of the teaching and practice of Islam.

The Muslim community is often perceived stereotypically to be a largely dependent, non-productive sector of the community. Here is an opportunity for Muslims to contribute in a positive, practical and useful way to the well being of all British school children and the country as a whole.

We urge you to whole-heartedly support the Books For Schools project and help us to make it a success. With your help we can together, God willing, make a difference.