New madrasa syllabi sought to fight Islamic State across India

Hyderabad: Muslim scholars and intellectuals have been advocating incorporation of a lesson in the curriculum of madrasas across the country to create awareness among young Muslims against the anti-Islamic activities of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

A majority of the intellectuals who had gathered here in the city to discuss the activities of the ISIS in the name of Islam, especially the horrific killings of innocent Muslim and Christian civilians and people of other religions across the world, felt that there was an urgent need for Muslim institutions, intellectuals and scholars to rise to the occasion to prevent Muslim youths from falling into the trap of the ISIS.

Recalling the role of imams and scholars in Saudi Arabia a few years ago to save Arab youths from the ISIS when the ISIS launched a massive campaign to attract youths, Mufti Omer Abdeen said it is time for scholars and intellectuals here to launch similar campaigns. He said Madrasas should teach students about the anti-Islamic policies of ISIS.

Mirza Yawar Baig, a noted Islamic scholar and author who questioned Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's self proclamation as Khalifa said, “The Khalifa is an imposter. ISIS is a bunch of psychopaths who don’t represent Islam.”

Urging Muslims to speak out against the ISIS, he said, “Don't support them. Make dua (supplication) against them and ask Allah to save us from them.”

Mr Abid Rasool Khan, the chairman of the Minorities Commission of AP and Telangana, said that governments should also take the initiative for introducing lessons against the ISIS in Madrasas.

He said if Madrasas play a proactive role by conducting lectures and seminars and teach the good points of other religions it would change the minds of younger Muslims and save them from radicalisation.

Mosques told to counsel youths

Muslim intellectuals want mosques to be used as a platform to spread the message about the anti-Islamic activities of the ISIS.

They made it clear that the message has to be spread among young Muslims that Muslims across the globe are the worst victims of the brutalities of ISIS.

The scholars appealed to imams from Telangana and AP who had gathered here on Friday at the Ravindra Bharathi to participate in a seminar hosted by the Minorities’ Commission of AP and Telangana on ‘ISIS - Interpreting Reality’ to take up the issue in their sermons and to enlighten people about the anti-Islamic deeds of the ISIS.

Mufti Omer Abdeen said that mosques must be used as the main platform to spread the message against the ISIS apart from using social media.

He suggested for the constitution of counselling teams to counsel youth without involving the police and urged people to give moral support to the parents whose children are attracted towards ISIS to bring them back from its clutches.

Retired judge Ismail appealed to the imams to preach against ISIS in mosques.
Syed Omer Jaleel, IAS, said, “Every Muslim must stand up and say that I am against the ISIS. We should not consider the ISIS as Islamic. There is nothing Islamic in the ISIS.”

Moulana  Khaled Saifullah Rahamani said that the message must go into minds of the younger generation that there is no sanction in Islam to take the law into one’s own hands.

Dr Shoukath Hussain Mirza urged non-Muslims and the media not to attribute the terror acts of ISIS to Islam. Professor Avais Aslam of Kolkata said that prisons across the world are becoming ISIS recruitment centres.

Scholar Mirza Yawar Baig said,  "The ISIS is a political problem and not a religious problem.” This is not an issue regarding Muslims alone. It is an issue regarding entire mankind."

He said, "We cannot fight against ISIS by force alone. We can fight against it by patience and wisdom.

Mohammed Ali Rafath IAS said the ISIS is part of a global conspiracy to put Muslims on the defensive.

Shafique Mahajir said that inequalities in the justice delivery system is radicalising youth among the minorities.