Fate of Islamic International School uncertain, parents panic

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On Monday, after several worried parents approached the school, a decision to present a petition to the state government was taken. The IRF was last week banned for five years by the home ministry over the controversial preachings of its founder Zakir Naik. Another organisation of the IRF — IRF Educational Trust — runs the schools located in Mazgaon and Dongri.

The IIS has 165 students and 100 staffers, including teachers, clerks and security guards.

“We came to know about the ban through news reports. The school has, however, assured us that it is run by a separate trust and not the banned IRF,” said Adil Patanwala, whose daughter studies in Class VIII. “She is very upset. Because of the recent events, she is not able to study. She feels she may have to leave her academic year mid-way,” Patanwala said.

While the NIA and the Mumbai Police have still not raided the school premises and exams have been continuing for the last one week, there are questions if the school administration will be changed if it is allowed to continue. “We are hoping to present a delegation to the government to let the current management continue teaching,” said another parent Iqbal Masalawala.

An IRF spokesperson said the raids at IRF offices continued from Saturday early morning and went on till late Sunday night. “The Harmony Media office had literature and material on Islamic preaching, which was seized. We will now approach the tribunal for an appeal,” the spokesperson said.

The school, affiliated with IGCSE, teaches Quranic texts, and Arabic along with the academic curriculum. According to Mustafa Shaikh, whose three children study in Class II, Class V and Class VIII, the school helped combine Madarasa education with academics. “If the government takes over, will it ensure that the Islamic teachings continue? I can’t understand why a school is being dragged into the controversy. My kids are panicking,” Shaikh, a resident of Mazgaon, said.

The school also has students coming from Virar and Navi Mumbai. In senior classes, it has separate sections for boys and girls. According to parents, the school involves them in weekend workshops on preaching of Islamic texts and their interpretation. “We volunteered with them on several occasions,” Masalawala, a Dongri resident, said, adding that parents will be forced to look for other schools if the Mazgaon school is shut.