Muslim leaders support fatwa on Vande Mataram

Varanasi, June 10 (UNI) Despite supporting the 'fatwa' of Hyderabad's Sunni Ulema Board against Vande Mataram in educational institutions, Muslim religious leaders here have called for not compromising quality education in the name of the edict.

Talking to UNI here today, the supreme Muslim cleric of Varanasi, Mufti-e-Banaras Maulana Abdul Batin Nomani said the edict issued by the Hyderabad based Board was in consonance with the Shariat, which forbids bowing before anyone other than Allah.

''Vande Mataram envisages worshipping the motherland, but Islam only permits worship of Allah. Hence, Vande Mataram is anti-Islamic, and the recital of the national song in educational institutions by Muslim students amounts to violation of tenets of Islam,'' Mr Nomani maintained.

''Although we appeal all Muslims to desist from sending their wards to such educational institutions, we cannot stop them from doing so.'' ''All we can do is to appeal the administration of the educational institutions where Vande Mataram is sung, not to compel Muslim students to join in,'' he added.

Joint Secretary of Ajuman Intezamia Masajid -- the body managing the affairs of 30 mosques, including Gyanwapi Masjid -- S M Yasin said it was difficult to implement the fatwa in real world situations, despite the edict being in line with Islam.

''If the institution where Vande Mataram is sung, is equally famous for providing cutting edge education, we are not in favour of compromising with quality education for our community in the name of the fatwa. We can ask the management of the concerned institution not to compel Muslim students to sing the national song,'' he said.

In this way, we can strike a harmony between our religious norms and quality education to our children, Mr Yasin added.

The President of Sunni Ulemma Board in Hyderabad Maulana Syed Shah Badruddin Kadri had yesterday created a storm by terming as "anti-Islamic" the practice of Vande Mataram singing in schools and had asked the Muslims not to send their wards to such schools.

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