Clerics must explain fatwas: Deoband chief

SURAT: The new vice-chancellor of Darul Uloom, Deoband , Maulana Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi, says he will reform the process of issuing fatwas. He said explanations would be given for fatwas to avoid misunderstanding among people and misrepresentation in the media . Darul Uloom has often hit the headlines for wrong reasons like banning jeans for women and advising them not to speak to their male colleagues at work places.

‘‘ To understand a fatwa, one must understand its process. An individual approaches a mufti with a query. The reply is called a fatwa. It’s a solution based on Sharia to an individual’s query and cannot be generalised. But fatwas are misrepresented ... We need to work on this,’’ Vastanvi told TOI. Vastanvi had said on Tuesday that Gujarat , under chief minister Narendra Modi, does not discriminate between minorities and majority.

The MBA cleric said, ‘‘ Darul Uloom, Deoband, is a centuries’ old institution which will never issue an opinion harmful to society.’’ He said he will discuss the issue with other officials of Darul Uloom. ‘‘ I will also work on relations between Darul Uloom and the media which will clear the air on fatwas ,’’ he said.

Asked how a personal advice to an individual reaches the media, Vastanvi, said, ‘‘ In the internet age, there are times when people post online queries. When a fatwa is issued online, it’s easily spread all over.’’

He pointed out the slack implementation of the Rajinder Sachar Committee recommendations in the states and singled out Andhra Pradesh for its affirmative actions that have helped the Muslims there. ‘‘ The recommendations have not been implemented in most states. Except Andhra Pradesh other states have performed poorly ,’’ he said. The single most important Sachar recommendation , Vastanvi said, was upgradation and expansion of educational infrastructure in minority areas.