Darul Uloom Deoband denies ban on English

Lucknow: In a recent development, Darul Uloom Deoband, one of India’s prominent Islamic educational institutions, has denied allegations of banning the study of English in the seminary saying it has not issued any ‘fatwa’ regarding this.

The clarification comes in response to claims made during a hearing conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Minorities Commission. Deoband claims that there was a misunderstanding regarding a notice that some considered a ban.

Taking suo-motu cognizance, the Uttar Pradesh Commission for Minorities had issued a notice to the administration of the Darul Uloom Deoband over the ban. The seminary was asked to explain its position and Saharanpur administration was asked to probe the matter.

Explaining Deoband’s position Maulana Hussain Ahmed Haridwari, said that the institution had not issued any notice prohibiting the learning of English. He said Darul Uloom Deoband does, in fact, have an English department, which suggests the institution’s commitment to providing English language education.

“There are no restrictions on the study of Mathematics, English, or Computer Science at the institution,” he said.

The District Magistrate, Saharanpur had assigned the probe to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate who also spoke with Tauqeer Ahmed Qasmi, the Head of the English Department, to corroborate the statement of Maulana Haridwari.

Representatives of Darul Uloom Deoband clarified that a letter issued on June 13 had been a result of a clerical error, leading to a misunderstanding. The letter, which had been misinterpreted, stated that students should not seek admission in another university simultaneously, as it may adversely affect their studies.

However, the clarification emphasised that students are free to pursue admission in any other institute after completing their studies at Darul Uloom.

Upon considering the entire matter, the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Minorities Commission instructed that while Darul Uloom Deoband is an Islamic educational institution, the management is expected to refrain from impeding students from studying any subject, including English, as per the established rules and regulations.

It is important to note that earlier reports had suggested that the education department of Darul Uloom Deoband issued a fatwa prohibiting the learning of English and other languages during a student’s tenure at the seminary.