Wasim Rizvi, chief of the Shia Central Wakf Board, has stirred the hornets nest after imploring PM Modi to shut down Madrasas, whose education allegedly encourages students to become terrorists. He thus called for replacing Madrasas with schools affiliated to CBSE and ICSE, where Islamic education will be an optional subject. He also addressed a similar letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
To further his theory, he gave the example of West Bengal where he claims some Madrasas were giving training about how to make bombs. He also called the Madrasas a ‘curse’ and claimed that they created an Islamic atmosphere which influenced the students’ mind towards fundamentalism and terrorism.
Rizvi also claimed that most Madrasas in the country aren’t recognised and students studying there, gyrate towards unemployment. He also wrote to all the District Magistrates, Superintendent of Police and managers of Shia Wakf properties, asking that all unregistered madrasas be removed from Shia lands by 31st January.
Regardless of Rizvi’s allegations it has been noted that Madrasa in the country have been involved in serious controversies in the past.
We had reported how the UP police had raided a Lucknow madrasa where girls were allegedly held hostage and molested by the Madrasa’s manager. A total of 51 girls were rescued by the police during the raid and the manager was also arrested.
Also the Shia Wakf board in recent times has become synonymous with taking a ‘politically incorrect’ stance when it comes to Muslim related matters.
The board had called for the construction of a Ram temple on the Ram Janmabhoomi and had proposed the setting up of a mosque in a Muslim dominated area, at a reasonable distance from Lord Ram’s birth place.
It has since then modified its request by proposing an out of court settlement where a Ram Mandir is built in Ayodhya and the Masjid in-turn is built in Lucknow, for which the state government can allot 1 acre of land in the city’s Husainabad area, away from the religious territory of the Hindus (sic).
It had also decided to donate 10 silver arrows for the quiver of lord Ram’s upcoming statue in Ayodhya.
We had also reported how the board had called for a ban on triple talaq and had issued a fatwa against cow slaughter.