Madrasa Row: Shiv Sena Defends BJP’s Move To De-Recognise Madrasas

by Abbas Adil

 

maddrassa

New Delhi: Amid the controversy over Maharashtra government’s move to classify madrasa students as “out of school children”, the Shiv Sena backing the move has claimed that this should not be interpreted as one against religious education in the state.

In an editorial published in the party’s mouth piece Saamaa on Saturday, the Sena attacked those opposing the state government’s decision stating “If Muslims too start thinking independently, what will happen to the contractors of Islam and parties like the Congress that thrive on such vote bank politics? This is what is leading them to oppose the government’s decision,” it added.

It also pointed out that government has made it clear that institutions of other faiths would be classified as non-schools.

“The government has taken a decision to treat madrasas that do not teach subjects like English, Science and Mathematics as non-schools. This move should not be seen as one which is pre-conceived or which is intended to strike a blow to religious education. On the contrary, this should be taken as a way to get Muslim children in the mainstream,” the editorial said.

It went on to say “Muslims have been caught between Islam, Islamic education and extremism. Thus, while the world is progressing with each passing day, Muslims are only stuck between ignorance and illiteracy”.

Earlier media reported prominent Indian Muslim body Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is planning to move court against the move

The education wing of the organisation will move court against counting students who are not taught the above subjects at madrassas as ‘out of school’.

Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind’s education wing, Mohammed Zahoor Ahmed, had said they would oppose the move strongly.

He said “This is clearly saffronisation. The government should help madrassas and its students get formal education, not threaten to brand them as non-school and ‘out-of-school’ children. On the one hand, they introduce the madrassa modernisation project and on the other hand, they declare madrassas as non-schools. A number of students who studied in madrassas have been successful in competitive exams. The government must roll back the decision”.

 

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