"Good morning class'"
"Good morning Mr Hill," the class responds somewhat out of sync and with the enthusiasm you'd expect from a group of teenage students on a Monday morning.
"Brilliant, cheerful as ever. Just to pre warn you all, today's lesson is going to require some level of participation on all of your parts."
The class responds with audible groans from all corners.
"Perfect, just the reaction I was after. This won't be painful for us at all then. Right, who can tell me what a self fulfilling prophecy is?" Mr Hill looked around the room. No raised hands. "Anyone at all before I start picking on people? Yes Michelle?"
"Is it something to do with predictions Sir?"
"Well done Michelle it is indeed. Anyone want to tell me what the self-fulfilling part means? Yes Marie?"
"Well the self is about me Mr Hill."
"Well done Marie, anyone know the McFly song, It's all about you? No? Oh come on you must know it? It's all about you, it's all about you baby…No? Nobody? Right well there's your homework for tonight class. Can anyone fill in the last part of the equation and tell me what the fulfilling part means? Yes Ajay?"
"Is it like the doing part Mr Hill?"
"Exactly like that Ajay, very good. A self-fulfilling prophecy is defined as a prediction that comes true at least partly because of the expectation that it would come true. Who can tell me what radicalisation is? Oh, well done, lots of hands up. Don't be offended if I don't pick you. Alice?"
"It's when you take someone who's normal like and you tell them all this stuff like and make them think about things in a different way?"
"Yesss very good. Does everyone understand that principle? Remember this is my class. You can ask 100 times if you don't understand but what happens if you don't ask when you don't understand?"
"Benji?"
"You go skitz Sir."
"I go… oh well I wouldn't go that far Benji."
The class laughs.
"Right secret blinks, nods and twitches at the ready if you want that explaining and 3,2,1 go…yes some of you do. Thank you for being honest. Radicalisation is defined as the action or process of causing someone to adopt radical positions on political or social issues. Let's take the planet and global warming. We all know that's a bad thing. But starting from tomorrow I'm going to keep you all behind after school every day and I'm going to convince you that the only way the government will listen and take action is by guerilla tactics that break the law. Before you ask, I'm not going to you to stay behind after school or break the law, so don't panic. Peter, your hands up, what's your question?"
"Is that like trying to make someone believe that Mayo tastes great on chips?"
The class laughs in unison.
"Yes Peter exactly like that, see someone has been paying attention in my class. What do we tell anyone trying to put mayo on our chips class?"
"Nooooooooo!" They all cry together in mock horror far more successfully than they did with saying Good morning at the start of the lesson. Mr Hill stands looking very pleased with them all.
"I think we'll make fine adults out of you all."
"Sir?"
"Sorry I missed who did that came from?"
"Me Sir."
"Ahhh Rishi I apologise I was clearly too busy basking in my own glory."
"Sir. Isn't that a form of radicalisation Sir?"
"Whatttt? Me? Trying to radicalise you all into never putting mayo on chips and calling out anyone who does as being insane and asking what on earth is wrong with them? Do you think I'd spend two months of my time trying to get you over to my point of view on mayo on chips? Would I risk my career, my livelihood trying to do that to you? What do you think Rishi?"
With zero hesitation and all eyes trained on him he replies "yeah."
"Damn it. Rumbled. Superb work Rishi."
"Sir, does that mean you've been lying to us?"
"No William it doesn't. Mayo on chips should be outlawed, absolutely ghastly combination and don't get me started on mushy peas either. But Rishi is right. I have at every opportunity brought you round to think that mayo on chips is a bad thing. Some of you might truly believe that now. Some of you might actually like mayo on chips but don't want to admit it and most of you in between will just prefer my class to say that of Mr Price because I let you all go Noooooooo together very loudly in the middle of lessons. What do you say when you've all been played for months?"
"Noooooooo!"
"Perfect. Well if you've been actually radicalised you might be saying something very different like yes officer, no officer that is if you're even still alive to tell the tale. OK everyone pay attention, lets start the participation round. Right one of you shout out the name of an obscure band or pop star for me please."
"Taylor Swift Sir."
"I said obscure not who's the biggest female selling artist in the world. Oh never mind. Right, Taylor Swift it is and she is going to play a concert in a town or city. Someone tell me where in the UK she is going to play this imaginary concert?"
"Macclesfield."
"Brilliant. Of course Taylor Swift has scheduled a leg of her world tour in Macclesfield. Sounds obvious now you say it. Right, the bad news is none of you can go on the night because Mr Price set you homework to do."
"Booooooo!"
"I know, I know but Woahhhh what's this? News just in. Hold your horses because it turns out Mr Price just saved all your lives because a bomb went off at the concert. An entire class of kids lost their lives. Probably Miss Van Poppals, don't tell them that though, and there were loads of injuries. It was utter carnage. Now we are about to do an experiment and before we start it is imperative that you all understand what I'm about to say is only to get you all to think. Every single thing you do or say in life has a possible consequence. Do you all understand that? 3..2..1… go." Mr Hill looks around the room for secret signs that one or more of his pupils needs that explaining but sees none.
"Excellent but just in case let's give an example. Say Rishi stands up and tells me I'm a doughnut. I'd say fair enough Rishi you're probably right. But if Rishi says the same thing to Mr Price, he'll most likely give him after school detention. So we have the action and the consequence of the action. In what follows I am going to give a very specific example. Some of you are going to be very uncomfortable with this but that's good. That means you've got a conscience and can be part of the solutions rather than the problems. All of your parents are aware of what is going to be discussed and have signed a waiver so don't panic and don't think you're going to rush home and drop me in it because they'll all do what you do and roll their eyes, scoff and go yeah we know."
"Sir?"
"Yes Chris."
"Is this about Muslims Sir?"
"Remind me not to commit a murder when Chris and Rishi are about. Yes young master Wellings this is about the radicalisation of a Muslim. For the purposes of class we're going to call the bomber Samir. Who wants to give Samir an age?"
"21 Mr Hill."
"Good. Good age. Samir will have done his schooling by then. Probably been to University as well. Show of hands who think Samir is to blame for the death of everyone at the concert after he blew up the bomb? No one's got their hand up yet. Brilliant, because as we all know in this class it's better to ask what rather than commit straight away?"
"Questions!"
"I can't wait to take you all to Panto. Right, who wants to ask the first question? Ahmed?"
"Did he make the bomb?"
"Yes he did. Arthur?"
"Did he plant the bomb at the concert? Like he didn't ask anyone to sneak it in or anything for him?"
"Yes he did. He made it, snuck it in all by himself, hid it and blew it up."
"Did he have any help at all Sir in making it?"
"Chloe. Hi. No he didn't. Just really good WiFi and somehow managed to get all the ingredients you'd need. Don't ask me where he got them from or what you need to make one and do not Google that question either. Right, anymore questions? No one? Ok. Right show of hands, the question remember is who thinks Samir is responsible for the bombing? OK looking around the room that's most of your hand in the air. OK Well that's a fair assumption to make based on the answers you were given. We've not however ascertained why Samir did it? Does anyone think that's important? Good, good lots of nodding heads. That's what we like. So actions have consequences and there's usually a reason behind the action. Sometimes that might be a really good reason and other times it's really flimsy but all told there will be a reason. Usually with a bombing it's an ideological reason. We are not talking here about Rishi giving Chris a dry slap because he ate his last Quaver when his back was turned. These acts are statement acts. These are the acts that stem from beliefs that some people are willing to die for. Did we establish whether Samir was willing to die for what he believed in? You don't remember do you? Did I even tell you? Does it make a difference or not?"
"Depends Sir,"
"Depends on what Arthur?"
"Well if he's alive it would I guess depend on whether he thought he'd done the right thing after or maybe not like, if he felt guilty or summat."
"Very good Arthur. See you're all learning to think, ask questions, dig deeper and not just believe the first thing you are told. Arthur is right. Samir could still be alive or he might have detonated a vest. He might have gone on the run, he might have handed himself in. He might have released a video explaining his actions. Or summat as Arthur put it so delicately or some might even say poetically, covers an awful lot of ground. Let's say hypothetically we are told why he did it, does anyone sat here think it's important that we learn why he did it? Show of hands people's. Excellent. Sammy why do you think it's important?"
"Erm… to stop it happening again?" Sammy replies with hope more than conviction.
"Fantastic answer Sammy, well done. So we can learn why Samir took the course of action he did and try to take steps to prevent it from happening again. So let's throw some hypotheticals into the mix. In the days after the bombing a lot of people who knew Samir are going to talk about him. Neighbours and school friends are going to say what a nice quiet lad he was. How this was out of context. He didn't like mayo on his chips, there must be some mistake, we can't believe the Samir we knew would ever do such a thing, something so cold, callous and calculating. Samir was a good boy. Came to the UK as a refugee at the age of 5. Couldn't speak a word of English but soon learned. By the age of ten you'd never know that he wasn't born here. In fact he's now a British citizen, he can have a passport like all of us in this room. This is his home, when England play football he's got the shirt on. Life is great. Sails through primary and middle school, finds himself at Upper School. Not all his friends went up to that same school though and his group of friends has dwindled and he struggles to adapt. Now you've got kids who are much bigger than he is. Some of them start picking on him. Starts off as teasing but over time it becomes more vicious and one day it's the first time he's told to go back to his own country. Samir is home as far as he is concerned. He loves this country as much as the person telling him to go home. Every time he goes on social media all he reads is people posting about how Muslims like him are the root cause of all the world's problems. Everytime he turns on his TV the only time he sees people who are Muslims they are being depicted as terrorists. No Muslim doctors or solicitors or any type of role model he can aspire to be like. Imagine that me and every other teacher you have spent every class telling you that you're worthless and that you'll never amount to anything. People pass you on the streets and tell you to go home just because of the way you look. A word from each of you on how that might make you feel. I point, you say that word. Go.”
"Sad."
"Angry"
"Lonely."
"Vulnerable."
"Erm… hurt."
"Let down."
"Technically two words but I'll let you have it."
"Annoyed."
"Confused."
"Brilliant, rest of you breathe a sigh of relief. So here we have a young boy who every day is being told he's less than, that he doesn't belong here. Imagine every one of us here in this class is Samir. We're all feeling lonely and vulnerable. We're let down and confused. Even the friends we do have at school are starting to distance themselves from us. They don't want to be labelled as all the things Samir is having thrust upon him. School is about learning to survive as much as it is passing your exams but that's all down to you and how well you treat other people. That's so important to learn because just one of you in this class could have possibly made a difference at this stage."
"How come Sir?"
"Brilliant question Bethany. Would anyone like to answer that at all?"
"Ajay?"
"Well I was thinking Mr Hill that if as a class we all knew Samir was getting bullied, one of us could have reported it and if we were his friends we could have stuck up for him more and helped him and then maybe he wouldn't have felt that way."
"Wonderful. Very powerful. So our actions have consequences. Not just negative consequences, but also positive ones. One of you comes to me and says Mr Hill we've noticed Samir is getting picked on and it's really bad. Now I act on that information, the school does in turn. We sit in lessons like this at the point your brains are most malleable and we teach you how to think and act for yourselves and to not just simply believe everything you're told outside of the classroom. Can anyone tell me what propaganda is?"
“Rishi. Go on then as your hand is the only one up, unless anyone else wants a stab at it? Hold fire Rishi, we have a new contestant. April hit us with your wisdom.”
“Propaganda is basically like telling people a load of lies to make them believe that problems in their lives are the fault of other people. Like in World War 2.”
“Oh don't stop now April you're on a roll. Anything else to add? Any important examples maybe?”
“Well Hitler told everyone in Germany it were the fault of the Jews that they had no money but it were because they'd been to the first world war like and lost and people brought into what he was telling them. Basically it's all their fault and people started to believe them.”
“Wunderbar, which is of course German for wonderful. Brilliant answer April. Was that what you were going to say Rishi?”
Rishi nods his head.
“Anything you want to add?”
Rishi shakes his head.
“April well done. So propaganda is defined as the giving of information which is specifically biased and misleading in order to change someone's point of view on a subject. So all of you sat here, if you fail all your other exams other than this one because you are all clearly excellent in my class and will all pass with flying colours and ten years down the line when you're working in a fast food restaurant and someone comes up to you and says the reason you've got no money is because of immigrants. You could be honest and go well actually. I think it's because I only paid attention in Mr Hill’s class and I should have paid more attention in maths and English but yeah OK you're telling me it's not my fault. I'll buy that rhetoric how much?
Oh no cost, just make sure everyone you know who is just like you knows it's not their fault either.
Oh OK, simple as that. Great.
Oh and make sure those who are at fault are targeted because it's the only way we can correct the fault and get you where you should be, where you deserve to be.
But wait, I didn't get any qualifications. Well I got one.
That doesn't matter. That wasn't your fault. That was the system that let you down.
Oh yeah right, the system. It wasn't me. Phew, that's a relief.
You see where I'm going with this right? All still awake? Good, good. So back so Samir. We know the start point, we know the catalyst for the change in his behaviour. We know what we could do as those around him to try to stop the issue before it ever escalated. We know the dangers of messages of how people are only portrayed as one type of person in the media. That might be social media, reporting on the news, the terrorist who blows up a flight on your favourite TV programme. It's easy when you start unravelling to begin to work out why these things turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Clearly the world thinks this is what I am so maybe that's what I will end up becoming.”
“Arthur?”
“Can I go the bathroom Sir?”
“And there was me expecting another moment of genius from one of you. Never mind Arthur. Off you go. Right everyone whilst Arthur is gone think of ways you can point the blame at him for why you failed my class because instead of learning you were waiting for him to empty his bladder.”
“But Sir…”
“Arthur, I'm only teasing. Hurry if you would though please.”
The classroom door opens and shuts and the quickening footsteps of Arthur begin to fade as he vanishes down the corridor.
“Right whilst he's away anyone have any questions they'd like to ask about what has already been discussed? Hunter. You are awake, sorry I hadn't realised.”
“Funny Sir. Why did Taylor Swift want to play at Macclesfield?”
“Oh very amusing and you think I'm funny? Anyone else with anything pertinent to ask? Niamh?”
“Mr Hill, how does Samir get from being picked on to blowing up people?”
“Very pertinent, Niamh. When Arthur shows his face we'll get to that very point. Right all stand up and shake your arms and legs back to life. Yes you too Hunter and don't roll your eyes. You'll thank me when you're an old git Iike me.”
“No one's as old as you Sir.”
“Yes thank you Hunter. That's not specifically true is it now given both my parents are still alive for starters. Maybe I'll see if we can get you some after school classes in maths and biology. Would you like that Hunter?”
“No sir.”
“Oh well scrap that then. Keep shaking everybody and in 5,4,3,2,1… here he is boys and girls, Arthur has returned from shaking it out too.”
All the other kids erupt with laughter. Arthur just looks utterly bemused as he walks back in the room.
“Right Arthur thank you for rejoining us. Don't worry you didn't miss much other than Hunter telling me that I'm a comedy genius and wasted teaching you all here. Sooo how do we get from Samir the victim to Samir the perpetrator of this horrible attack? Well go back to how you all felt as Samir when you felt under attack every day, feeling like no one liked you, that you had no future. Asking yourself every day what the point in it all was. Now we introduce a new party to the mix. Someone who can see how vulnerable Samir is. They have the answers to Samir’s problems. The problem isn't you Samir, it's the West. He asks Samir if people have told him to go back to his own country. Samir nods. But how can that be, isn't this your country Samir? Samir agrees and shrugs his shoulders. He has no idea. Days turn into weeks, which turn into months. One part of his life Samir is reinforced with people telling him he's worthless, how he needs to leave. On the other he now has someone telling him the exact opposite. Samir, I have the answers you're looking for. That person though doesn't bring Samir into the wider community, you know so he can meet all the muslims who are doctors, solicitors, nurses, engineers, chemists, accountants. Basically any role on TV or in the movies that doesn't involve a Muslim blowing stuff up. You know what we would recognise as real life. Instead he begins to isolate Samir. This is how grooming also works by the way so pay attention class, sadly you never know when this stuff will come in handy. Samir is then convinced the one or two friends that remained aren't really his friends. Surely if they were they'd have helped to put a stop to everything. Maybe the person trying to radicalise him has a point there but let's not go off on a tangent. Slowly but surely a wall is built around Samir and then reinforced. There's a doorway but only one person has the key. Inside the walls they reprogram his mind into a new way of thinking, all the time keeping him isolated from others who may still be able to pull him back from the brink before it's too late. Samir you're the chosen one, Samir you're special, Samir the sun shines out of your bottom. Samir is happy. How can I repay you for showing me that I am loved and appreciated? I'm so grateful. Well would you like to get back at those who hurt you? Those that could hurt your islamic brothers and sisters? Those in the West who claim that Islam is poison? Telling us everyday that we are the terrorists when they are the ones dropping bombs and killing innocent women and children. Yes, Samir says, what can I do to help?”
Mr Hill goes silent, looks around the room at a sea of faces watching each one try to compute what has been said.
“I'm going to ask you again whose fault were the killings? This time I'm going to give you options. There is no wrong or right answer by the way. Opinions are like bottom holes. You've all got one and they usually stink. That's a joke by the way, you can laugh. No? OK then…Maybe I should have said bum holes. Oh never mind. Wrong time to make a joke clearly, we live and learn. So, who still thinks it was entirely Samir's fault for making, planting and detonating the bomb? Actually before you put your hands up that's a little unfair. Let me give you all the options and then you decide. Do you know what? I also want an honest answer so we'll make it a secret and get you to write down A, B, C or D on a piece of paper and I will collect them all and tally them up. No pressure children. The future of the world and humanity is in your hands. Right I'll give you the options, then I'll rip up a sheet of A4 paper and pass it around. You'll write the letter down, I will count them. All very simple. So option A. It was all Samir's fault. He is totally accountable for all his actions. Option B. Samir is as much a victim here as those he blew up. The fault lies with the person who radicalised him in the first instance. Option C. The fault lies with all the people who told Samir that he didn't belong, that he didn't fit in, that he wasn't good enough, the TV companies that suggested his career path was basically to become a terrorist or nothing. This was episode one class where we started the self-fulfilling prophecy. Or was it option D? It's all Arthur's fault for needing a wee and interrupting my lesson. I'm kidding by the way anyone puts D and you're all in after school detention.”
Mr Hill takes a sheet of paper, using a ruler pushed down on top, proceeds to tear it into strips and then smaller pieces in turn and hands them to everyone in the class.
“So A, all Samir, B the person who did the radicalisation or C there's an awful lot of people to blame before you even get to B and C.”
“Sir?”
“Yes Rishi?”
“Does it have to be just one letter?”
“Does it?”
“I'm asking you Sir.”
“I know and I'm asking you Rishi?”
“Oh. Erm.”
“Oh erm indeed. I mean what would the world come to if you all formulated a well structured argument and opinion that you could justify on the actual facts presented and not someone going it's not your fault it's all theirs. Right everyone write their answers down. Ten seconds, 9, 8, remember there is no wrong answer 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and your time is up. I'm going to come around. Pass your paper to me and don't show anyone else what you wrote. Don't worry I'm not going to look so put it into my hand face down as I go. Perfect, thank you, thank you…” and with that Mr Hill went around the entire class before returning to his desk where he sorted the answers into various piles. He stands up. The class look expectantly and fully engaged in a rare moment for any teacher.
“Right, the results don't matter because there was no wrong or right answer. The point was to get you to think about the process from beginning to end. To take into account all the factors that led to the tragic events that occurred at the Taylor Swift in Macclesfield that night. At what stage could it have been prevented? Who could have changed the course of history and why? How do you as the next generation ensure that it doesn't happen again?”
The class aren't buying that, they want to know the totals. Sensing a mutiny Mr Hill quickly changes tact. “Fine, you want to know the totals, that's fair enough. You want to know if you as a class are going to be the ones who make a difference. Well the good news is none of you have detention and Arthur it's not your fault.”
Arthur wipes his brow in faux relief.
“So not one of you wrote a solitary letter down. So you've all accepted there's collective fault. More importantly you've all written C down. That's quite something. I think you should all give yourselves a pat on the back. You've also all written B down. Again massive pat on the back. Now some of you and only a handful haven't written A down and everyone else did. Remember what I explicitly told you all, there is no wrong or right answer. Unless you become a High Court Judge don't worry you'll never have to make an actual decision like this so don't lose sleep tonight if you didn't write A or that that you did. You've all recognised that in this instance something could have been done from the very outset. Change could have been instigated and lives could have been saved. Samir wouldn't have ever been radicalised or maybe as importantly he could have recognised he was being radicalised. We've learned how people will isolate you, make you believe what you want to hear. Have people tell you that you're loved, how you are in fact special and that you can be the one who makes a difference. But not a difference through acts of kindness, from educating people better. Not in a way you'll all leave this class today and put into action. Not in a way where you'll look out for the signs and protect each other. Stand up for one another and say that's not right. That instances of such behaviour aimed at your friends and classmates needs to stop. This is not OK and we will not tolerate it. You'll be the ones that are able to say in the future the reason I didn't get what I wanted is because I didn't pay enough attention, I didn't do my homework, I didn't study enough. It's not the fault of other people. It's my fault. I'm not going to buy into the narrative. I don't want people to buy into the narrative of self-fulfilling prophecies. I want to see fair representation on TV. If all I see are Muslims on TV portrayed as terrorists then I'm going to watch something else. I'll watch a different movie. I can think for myself and work out that if there are two billion Muslims in the world, that one in four people is a Muslim, that there's no statistical way they could all be terrorists and bad people because there would be no world left. That fundamentally we are all the same whoever we are. That we want food on our table, a roof over our heads. That we all laugh, we spend time with our friends and family. That so much of everyone of our lives is the same irrespective of whether we live in England or somewhere in the middle east. We're all born and we all die and somewhere in between we get busy living or we die trying. Everyone of you sat here is the difference maker on how the world looks going forward. Never underestimate the power of one person. Oh remember you could also do your homework, pass all your exams and not end up serving fast food and when you're an ambassador to the UN remember to give Mr Hill a shout out as the person who first inspired you to make a difference. If you don't make it that far it's OK but if you say Mr Hill would you like mayo with your chips, my advice is to run.”
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