Madrasas encourage students to join terrorist ranks: Shia body

The Shia Central Waqf Board has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to shut down madrasas in the country, alleging that education imparted in these Islamic schools encouraged students to join terrorist ranks.

In a letter to Modi, the Shia body demanded that madrasas be replaced by schools affiliated to the CBSE or the ICSE, which will offer students an optional subject of Islamic education. The board suggested that all madrasa boards be dissolved.

Shia Central Waqf Board chairman, Waseem Rizvi, claimed that most madrasas are not recognised and Muslim students studying in them are moving towards unemployment. He claimed these madrasas were mushrooming in almost every city, town and village, and were providing “misplaced and misconceived religious education”.

Rizvi alleged that funds to run the madrasas were also coming from Pakistan and Bangladesh and that even some terror outfits were assisting them.

All India Muslim Personal Law Board spokeperson Khalilur Rehman Sajjad Nomani said madarsas had played a key role in the freedom movement and by raising questions about them, Rizvi was insulting them.

In a tweet, Rizvi said: “These schools should be affiliated to CBSE, ICSE, and allow non-Muslim students. Religious education should be made optional. I have written to the PM and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath in this regard. This will make our country even stronger.”

LUCKNOW:

PTI Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman waves from the cockpit of a MiG 29K during operational manoeuvres of the Western Fleet ships by the Indian Navy, in Panaji, Goa, on Tuesday.