Anti-terrorism course in this madrasa’s curriculum

BAREILLY: To dispel the notion that madrasas are terror nurseries, Sunniyat Jamia Razvia Manzare-Islam, a seminary run under Dargah-e-Ala Hazrat, has taken a first of its kind step by introducing a two-year ‘anti-terrorism course’.

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Muslim scholars enrolled at the madrasa will be taught how terrorists are misusing religious texts to suit their nefarious designs. They will also learn about the background of terrorist outfits, various such organisations active in India, and the wrong means adopted by them to mislead innocent people.

“Terrorists across the globe are misusing religious scriptures to validate their sinful acts and to corrupt the innocent minds of people. This course is aimed at countering this and so we named it anti-terrorism,” said Mufti Salim Noori, head convener and spokesperson of Dargah-e-Ala Hazrat. The course, designed by the head muftis of the dargah, is divided into two parts — Sufism and Wahhabism — and each part has several subjects.

The madrasa has selected 15 scholars aged between 22 to 26 years who are training to become mufti (Muslim legal expert empowered to give rulings on religious matters) for the course. “The position of a mufti is very revered in Islam and we want to make sure that these scholars who will become muftis in future have a thorough knowledge of the subject,” said Noori.

Selected scholars attended their first class on Monday, where an English teacher explained the meaning of the word terrorism.