'Madrasas produce terrorists': Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind sends legal notice to Shia Board's Wasim Rizvi

NEW DELHI: The chairman of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has sent a legal notice to Shia Central Waqf Board Wasim Rizvi for 'madrasas encourage students to join terrorist ranks' remark'.

The Jamiat chief sent the legal notice after the Shia Central Waqf Board urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to shut down madrassas in the country, alleging that education imparted in these Islamic schools encouraged students to join terrorist ranks.

In a letter to the prime miniter, the Shia body demanded that madrassas be replaced by schools affiliated to the CBSE or the ICSE which will offer students an optional subject of Islamic education.

The letter cites two primary reasons to justify the demand of closing the madrasas.

It alleged that the education imparted in the madrassas is not relevant to today's environment and therefore, they add to the long queue of unemployed youths in the country.

Rizvi said that the employability of students passing out from madrassas was very poor at present and they do not get good jobs. "At the most, they get jobs of Urdu translators or typists," he said.

The letter also said that it has been found in certain cases that the education of these institutions is encouraging the students to join terrorist ranks.

After as many as 51 girls were rescued on December 30 in a raid on a madrassa in Uttar Pradesh, the Shia Waqf Board had said that all madrassas being run on Waqf properties will be closed down.

Meanwhile, speaking to ANI, the Shia Central Waqf Board chairman had asked, "How many madrasas have produced engineers, doctors, IAS officers? Yes but some madrasas have produced terrorists."He also said that the madrassas should be converted to convent schools which offer an optional subject of Islamic education.

"Madrasas should be affiliated to CBSE, ICSE, and allow non-Muslim students, and religious education should be made optional. I have written to the prime minister and Uttar Pradesh chief minister in this regard. It will make our country even stronger," he added.

Reacting to Rizvi's statement, Asaduddin Owaisi, president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, called the Shia Board chairman a 'buffoon' and an opportunist.

“Wasim Rizvi is the biggest joker, the most opportunistic person. He has sold his soul to RSS. I challenge this buffoon to show one Shia or Sunni or Madrasa where such teachings are imparted. If he has proof then he should go and show it to the Home Minister,” said Owaisi.

Recently, madrasas refused to abide by the Uttarakhand government's order of installing PM Modi's portrait in all educational institutions claiming it is “against Sharia”.

“It is against Sharia. There had never been order to put photos of any Prime Minister ever, why now? The government must think before issuing orders which affects Sharia, religion and sentiments,” he added.

The Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has earlier asked all educational institutes to install of PM Modi's portrait.

"He is the Prime Minister of the nation and madrasas are schools. Our books also include pictures of great personalities. So why should anybody have an objection to it?" asked Rawat.