Darul Uloom Deoband told to shut down its website

The district magistrate of Saharanpur has issued orders directing Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband to shut down its website until completion of an inquiry regarding illegal fatwas violating child rights.

This came after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) flagged content on the website asking Muslim parents not to allow their daughters to study in co-educational schools and avoid textbooks with pictures of living things. The NCPCR had written to the UP government alleging that these instructions were violative of the rights of the children and has sought immediate removal of such content.

An official spokesman of the seminary, however, told ET that the online fatwas were mere "mashwara" (advice) and not imposed on anyone.


NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo had told ET that the body had given the DM 10 days to look into the matter and remove all the objectionable content. NCPCR has particularly taken exception to the "fatwas", such as advice given to parents, asking them to choose "only schools with female teachers and female students" for their daughters. It has also objected to the seminary asking parents not to encourage their daughters from taking part in extra-curricular activities in schools, shun the use of costumes for children in school functions and not even let them wear a tie as part of the school uniform, as according to some Ulemas, it was un-Islamic. It had also objected to fatwas asking parents not to give any property rights to adopted children.

Darul Uloom Deoband spokesman Ashraf Usmani told ET that it has removed all the content regarding fatwas as instructed by the administration. "But we just want to clarify that these are pieces of religious advice that we give when we are asked. We don't have the implementation power, and parents are free to follow their choice. We follow the laws of the land."