During the last few years, the income of the Muslim middle class has gone up and so there is no dearth of children seeking admission in these schools. However, there may be a scarcity of teachers who can teach English and at the same time have the ability to impart religious education.
But the reason of our pleasure lies somewhere else. When I came to know from the article that the people behind the schools are a mechanical engineer Md Reyaz and a lady doctor Sheikh Shehnaz, my happiness knew no bounds. The reason for this happiness was the possibility of the dream come true that the leadership of Muslims should shift from the hands of the traditional religious leaders to the hands of people equipped with modern education, rational, well-informed and fully acquainted with the social, economic and educational problems of the Muslims. -- Hasan Kamal (Translated into English by New Age Islam News Bureau)
By Hasan Kamal
Arifa Johari, a member of the editorial staff of the contemporary daily Hindustan Times has written a very interesting and pleasant piece in the newspaper. According to her, the number of schools where A for Allah and B for Bismillah is taught has increased from 16 to 33, that is almost double in the last four years in Mumbai. These are schools run by Muslims where though the medium is English, religious education is also being imparted. The children of the schools too are not only happy but also satisfied with this welcome change.
The mental change of the Muslims of the city and their interest in modern education is commendable in every aspect. These institutions have been opened with the cooperation of some generous people and their number is increasing by the day. In this way, these institutions are different from the traditional madrasas as well as general English medium schools. Most of these institutions have been opened by an NGO IQRA. There are two reasons driving the establishment of these institutions. The doors of general English medium schools are not found open for all the Muslims, even if he is a well-to-do Muslim. Muslim children are denied admission on one pretext or the other. Some English schools have invented another ploy; the parents of the child seeking admission in the school are interviewed. Apparently, the purpose is to know about the social background of the child, but in reality it is also a form of communalism and chauvinism. Secondly, in general English schools, Muslim children, if they wish, are even barred from offering namaz. It is an intolerable situation for the parents that their children are completely cut off from their religion and culture.
IQRA has solved the problem of these parents to a great extent. Yet another positive aspect of these institutions is the policy adopted by them that if a non-Muslim boy or girl seeks admission, the education of Islam should not be considered mandatory for them. We believe that if these institutions achieve high standards, non-Muslims also would turn towards them and it will be a good example.
Some years ago I had come across a similar school in Gulbarga that had such a high standard that non-Muslim parents did not have any objection to the fact that their children would also have to take lessons in Islam. They just wanted their children to be admitted in the school at any cost.
These Muslim schools are scattered around from a traditional Muslim area called Bhindi Bazar to Meera Road. These schools are housed in both rented and old houses. The fees charged in these schools range from Rs 300 to Rs 2000 per month.
During the last few years, the income of the Muslim middle class has gone up and so there is no dearth of children seeking admission in these schools. However, there may be a scarcity of teachers who can teach English and at the same time have the ability to impart religious education.
But the reason of our pleasure lies somewhere else. When I came to know from the article that the people behind the schools are a mechanical engineer Md Reyaz and a lady doctor Sheikh Shehnaz, my happiness knew no bounds. The reason for this happiness was the possibility of the dream coming true that the leadership of Muslims should shift from the hands of the traditional religious leaders to the hands of people equipped with modern education, rational, well-informed and fully acquainted with the social, economic and educational problems of the Muslims.
It now seems that at least the educational leadership of the Muslims is being shifted to these hands very fast. We also know that the Muslims do not need the political leadership alone as at the moment this is in the hands of the so-called religious leaders and their political agents (dalals). Muslims need leadership in economic and educational fields as well which only people like Reyaz and Shehnaz can provide. In this regard, to ignore the name of Bibi Uzma Naheed will be an injustice to her who had first struggled for a better education for Muslim girls. In short, the establishment of these schools is an auspicious step.
Source: Sahafat, Lucknow
URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamUrduSection_1.aspx?ArticleID=3595
12:23 AM
Moderate Islamist here
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