Our funds, our curriculum: Darul Uloom sees no need for affiliation with UP madrasa board

Speaking to The Indian Express, Madani, who is also the spokesperson of the Darul Uloom, said: “The Uloom is registered under the Societies Registration Act and does not need to be affiliated to the madarsa board. An unnecessary controversy is being created. The Uloom is a 150-year-old institution and we have our own regulations and rules.”

On apprehensions regarding affiliation with the board, he said: “We raise funds through the community and don’t need government funding of any sort. It has been our experience that whenever a madrasa gets grants or aid from the government, the government starts interfering, changes the entire syllabus and eventually stops the religious teachings that we impart. This is what happened in madrasas across Assam. Do you think the BJP-led UP government will not do this too?’’

At a recent meeting in Saharanpur of madrasa operators, Madani emphasised the same and said it was unfortunate that madrasas were being linked to terrorism “by certain sections’’.

The UP government has said that the madrasa survey is being conducted for data collection and issues of affiliation were not being looked at. Without accurate data, Minority Welfare Minister Danish Azad Ansari has said, improvement of madrasas vis-a-vis infrastructure is simply not possible.

The government started the survey on September 10 and has been gathering details on 11 points, including sources of funding, infrastructure, the number of students and teachers etc. The respective district magistrates are expected to send in their reports to the government by November 15.

Madani said the Uloom was unambiguously against introduction of modern subjects in madrasas such as the sciences, as it was not their brief, and that they would not be changing the curriculum currently being taught.

“There are other schools where students can learn these subjects. These madrasas were set up by our community, on land belonging to us, to impart our religious thoughts and teachings. Government aid is dangerous because then the government introduces other subjects like engineering or the sciences. This is not what madrasas are meant for. They are meant for religious teachings and nothing else. And no, modern subjects and religious thought cannot go hand in hand and cannot be taught at the same school,’’ Madani says.

Pointing out that many students graduating from madrasas go on to study at universities such as Jamia Millia Islamia and AMU, he adds: “Some students do pursue medicine or engineering after they complete their madrasa education. We do not oppose this or prevent it from happening.”

Madrasa teaching was of vital importance for the Muslim community to preseve its faith and culture, the Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind leader says. “There is a need in the community for imams. Where will the imams come from if madrasas suddenly start teaching modern subjects? Doesn’t the Hindu community need pandits too for rituals and important occasions such as marriage or birth or death? India is a big country and there are lakhs of masjids across the country. We need clerics to run the masjids and conduct azaan (call for prayer). There is already a shortage of Muslim clerics in India. Who will meet the needs of our religion?’’he says.

On those who link madrasa education to terrorism, Madani says: “The Uloom is over a 100 years old, and if extremism was being taught here, imagine what the condition of the country would have been. Ignorant people are spreading such misinformation. The madrasas’ doors are open for anyone who wants to visit and see what is being taught there, how they operate. Come and see for yourselves if there is any radicalism.”

Madani stresses that Darul Uloom has no issues personally with either the UP government or the survey that it has been conducting. “We have welcomed them and have been cooperating with them. They have also caused us no trouble. There have been no differences between the UP government and the Darul Uloom.”