JNU denies course on ‘Islamic terrorism’ in reply to Delhi Minorities Commission notice

In its reply to a notice by the Delhi Minorities Commission, the JNU administration has said no course on “Islamic terrorism” was proposed in the academic council meeting of the university, DMC chairman Zafarul Islam Khan said today.

JNU registrar Pramod Kumar has said “there was no course on ‘Islamic terror’ proposed in the academic council,” Khan said. Taking cognizance of media reports, the commission last month issued a notice to JNU asking for reasons to start the proposed course. The registrar provided DMC with a copy of a concept paper on the proposed ‘Centre for National Security Studies’ and said JNU has no knowledge if a course on “Islamic terrorism” is taught in any Indian or foreign university, Khan said.

The registrar has provided DMC with a copy of the minutes of the 145th Academic Council meeting on May 18, where the concept paper was placed for discussion.”Contrary to the assurance given by the registrar of JNU, the concept paper does include ‘Islamic terrorism’ as part of ‘key areas’ of the proposed center which will first do research about these areas before starting teaching them,” the DMC chairman said.

The commission has written back to JNU saying the proposed Centre is a good initiative and the country needs it but the introduction of “Islamic terrorism” as a subject of research and teaching at the Centre is “flawed” and will “deteriorate” the communal atmosphere on the campus and beyond and will create wrong notions about Muslims, he said.

JNU has been advised by the Commission to adopt “Religious terrorism” instead of “Islamic terrorism” as a subject of study and teaching at the proposed Centre so as to cover all forms of terrorism using religion to spread terror, Khan said.

Such larger focus will cover the subject properly, offer a better understanding of this kind of extremism and will help us avoid spreading communalism within and without the campus, he added.