A 5-year-old girl in the U.K., a native English speaker, was placed in the foster care of Muslim families, where women wear "niqabs" and "burqas" to cover their faces, according to a report. The girl was also encouraged to learn Arabic and her cross necklace was removed.
The unidentified girl has been under the care of two Muslim households for the past six months in London, against the wishes of the girl's family, according to The Sunday Times, which adds that one of the foster carers removed her necklace that had a Christian cross and asked her to learn Arabic.
While talking to a supervisor, the girl reportedly cried and begged not to be sent back to the foster home because "they don't speak English."
The child's mother was shocked by the decision of the borough of Tower Hamlets. The girl reportedly told her mother during a meeting that "Christmas and Easter are stupid" and that "European women are stupid and alcoholic."
A spokesman for Tower Hamlets Council told the Telegraph that its fostering service "provides a loving and stable home for hundreds of children every year, and in every case, we give absolute consideration to our children's background and to their cultural identity.
"All our foster carers receive training and support from the council to ensure they are fully qualified to meet the needs of the children in their care."
It would not comment specifically on the 5-year-old girl's case.
At the girl's current home, her carer wears a burqa when she goes out with the child.
Not all Muslim women wear a burqa or a niqab, but mostly those from the Salafi sect, which is considered to be conservative and anti-West.
According to 2011 census data that was published in 2015, Tower Hamlets has the highest percentage of Muslim residents in England and Wales (38 percent compared with a national average of 5 percent). "Conversely, the borough has the lowest proportion of Christian residents nationally" (30 percent compared with a national average of 59 percent).
