Council staff in North Yorkshire participated in a Project Unity training session aimed at combating Islamophobia, where they were shown images of the Virgin Mary wearing a hijab to illustrate that head coverings are a tradition shared by multiple faiths. Abbas Najib, a former police officer and CEO of Better Communities Bradford, used this example during the seminar for staff involved in anti-terror work. The presentation included a slide with various artistic depictions of the Virgin Mary with a head covering, along with a quote from Italy’s Interior Minister Roberto Maroni opposing a hijab ban. Najib confirmed to the Daily Mail that he stands by his comments about the shared nature of head coverings across religions and cultures.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-30,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Council staff were told during training about Islamophobia that the Virgin Mary wore a hijab.
asserted
Mary → tell → hijab
The example about Jesus's Jewish mother was given during a seminar for North Yorkshire Council staff involved in anti-terror work.
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example → give → work
The taxpayer-funded talk was part of a Project Unity training programme, a workshop aimed at tackling 'myths and misinformation about Muslims'.
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talk → fund → Muslims
It was hosted by Abbas Najib, a former police officer and CEO of the Better Communities Bradford charity, who said that 'Mother Mary wore a hijab' as he taught council workers how the covering of the head was a shared tradition across faiths.
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covering → host → faiths
One slide during the presentation showed several depictions of the Virgin Mary with a head covering alongside a quote by Italy's former Interior Minister Roberto Maroni.
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slide → show → Minister
It related to when the Right-wing politician opposed a hijab ban in 2012, saying: 'If the Virgin Mary appears wearing a veil on all her pictures, how can you ask me to sign on a hijab ban law?'
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you → relate → law
Mr Najib confirmed to the Daily Mail the slide formed part of his presentation and that 'we stand by' his comments about the Virgin Mary.
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we → confirm → Mary
He said: 'Hijab is an Arabic word meaning a covering, and in everyday use it simply means a woman's head covering.
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it → say → covering
Council staff have been told during training about Islamophobia that the Virgin Mary wore a hijab (Pictured: The Virgin in Prayer 17th century oil painting by Giovan Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato)
A stock photo of two women wearing hijabs
'Mary is depicted wearing one in Christian art across the centuries, and headscarves were common among women in Britain within living memory.
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headscarves → tell → memory
The point of the slide is that covering the head is a shared tradition across faiths and cultures, not something foreign or unique to Islam.
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covering → cover → Islam
'Project UNITY has been delivered to more than 2,500 people across West and North Yorkshire.
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UNITY → deliver → West
Its purpose is to help people understand the communities they serve, and finding common ground is at the heart of that.'
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finding → help → that
The Daily Mail has contacted North Yorkshire Council for comment.
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Mail → contact → comment
It comes after it was revealed earlier this week that police officers were asked to consider the 'harm' Nigel Farage has caused to Muslims in a Project Unity lecture.
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Farage → come → lecture
Mr Najib asked the group if the Reform Party leader should be arrested for doubting whether young Muslims can integrate into British society.
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Muslims → ask → society
The conference was held late last year.
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conference → hold → ?
Officers from North Yorkshire Police were told to consider whether a politician who said Jewish people could not assimilate into British society would be 'locked up'.
uncertain
people → tell → society
During the lecture a clip of Mr Farage being interviewed in 2024 was played, in which he said: 'We have a growing number of young people in this country who do not subscribe to British values, in fact loathe much of what we stand for.'
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we → interview → what
Asked to clarify which young people he was speaking about, Mr Farage confirmed he meant Muslims.
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he → ask → Muslims
He added that the then frequent marches and demonstrations held across Britain over Israel's actions in Palestine were evidence of his fears.
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marches → add → fears
But in footage of the lecture first reported by The Telegraph, Mr Najib told officers to ask themselves if it would be a racially aggravated offence if Mr Farage had said 'Jews hate Britain'.
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Jews → report → Britain
He added: 'He'd be locked up before he left the studio, and too right too.'
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he → add → studio
Mr Najib then asked the police officers to consider whether Mr Farage's views could result in crimes being committed against Muslims.
uncertain
crimes → ask → Muslims
He referred to a video of a Muslim bus driver being racially abused in 2024.
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driver → refer → 2024
Mr Najib told the officers to 'draw your own conclusions' about whether Mr Farage's words had an 'influence on something like this'.
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words → tell → this
Abbas Najib, CEO of Better Communities Bradford, who delivered the talk to council staff as part of the Project Unity training programme
He added: 'Ask yourself, who is going to get into trouble between those two gentlemen? And who did the most harm?'
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who → deliver → harm
Since opening in January 2019, Better Communities Bradford has received £490,000 from the National Lottery Communities Fund.
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Bradford → open → Fund
This includes a £35,000 grant to launch Project Unity, which provides training on 'media and political narratives' as well as 'myths and misconceptions about Islam'.
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which → include → Islam
The lecture argued that the values of Islam are compatible with British society.
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values → argue → society
In particular, respect for democracy, the rule of law, tolerance and individual liberty were given as examples.
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respect → give → examples
Mr Najib said in defence of his lecture: 'Project Unity exists to reduce anti-Muslim hostility and strengthen trust between communities.
'
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Unity → say → communities
Participants consider how the same words would be heard if they were said about Jewish people, black people or any other minority community, so that one standard is applied to everyone, whoever is speaking and whatever their politics.'
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whoever → consider → everyone
The Aporia
