AMU homosexual claim: VC warns against misplaced slander

Aligarh, May 31: Days after an AMU professor sparked controversy by allegedly calling madrasas "dens of vice and homosexuality", the university VC on Sunday hit out at the "misplaced slander campaign" that can lead to unjustified denigration of madrasas and hurt the entire Muslim community.

In a statement issued here, AMU Vice Chancellor Lt Gen (Retd) Zameer Uddin Shah said that the university was playing an important role in helping marginalized sections of Indian Muslims by providing avenues to Madrasa students enter mainstream modern education system through its bridge courses. [Homosexuality is rampant in madarsas, maulanas are part of it, says AMU professor]

He said that therefore it was important, that instead of slandering the marginalized section of the country, it should be ensured that they enter the mainstream and play a positive role in nation building.

In a letter addressed to Associate Professor Department of History Waseem Raja, who had allegedly posted comments on the mobile messaging application Whatsapp saying that homosexual activities were rampant in madrasas on May 27, the VC advised the teacher to be cautious and temperate in his language on the sensitive issue.

Shah said that madrasas had played a very notable role in India's freedom movement and any attempt to denigrate them based on unsubstantiated charges would be unfair and unjust.

An official release of the university stated that an investigation had been instituted into the matter, in view of the teacher's claims that his statements were deliberately distorted by his political opponents in the university who had hacked into his Whatsapp account.

PTI