The Indian government has banned the official websitelink of the Islamic seminaryDar-ul-Uloom at Deoband in the Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, Indianmedia reported on Tuesday.
The ban link was imposed on Monday by DistrictMagistrate Akhilesh Singh who had been asked by the National Commission forProtection of Child Rights to probe into an alleged diktat over the issueof legal rights of adopted children link ontheir parent’s property, an official said.
The district magistrate issued orders directing Islamic seminary DarulUloom Deoband link to shutdown its website until completion of an inquiry regarding illegal fatwasviolating child rights.
This came after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights(NCPCR) flagged content on the website asking Muslimlink parents not to allow their daughtersto study in co-educational schools and avoid textbooks with pictures ofliving things.
The NCPCR had written to the UP government alleging that these instructionswere violative of the rights of the childrenlink and has sought immediate removal ofsuch content.
An official spokesman of the seminary, however, told media that the onlinefatwas were mere “mashwara” (advice) and not imposed on anyone.
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NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo had told the media that the body hadgiven the district magistrate 10 days to look into the matter and removeall the objectionable content.
NCPCR has particularly taken exception to the “fatwas”, such as advicegiven to parents, asking them to choose “only schools with female teachersand female students” for their daughters.
It has also objected to the seminary asking parents not to encourage theirdaughters from taking part in extra-curricular activities in schools, shunthe use of costumes for children link inschool functions and not even let them wear a tie as part of the schooluniform, as according to some Ulema, it was un-Islamic. It had alsoobjected to fatwas asking parents not to give any property rights toadopted children link.
