The leading Islamic seminary Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband has decreed that co-education—boys and girls learning alongside each other—is “unlawful“. In a fatwa posted on its website, the prestigious seminary has said that “the co-education system of colleges and universities is having a number of evils (and) therefore it is undoubtedly unlawful.” The fatwa was issued in response to a query from a member of the public as to whether a girl could attend a co-ed institution after reaching puberty.
Questions: Is co-education a problem? Does it help Muslim students or harm them? Does it make their lives and our society better or not? When countries like Saudi Arabia and Turkey have co-ed institutions, should Indian schools and colleges be entering this dangerous area? On the other hand, when there are several non-Muslim institutions which are for boys only or girls only, should we be making such a song and dance over the fatwa aimed at Muslim institutions?
Also read: Fatwa on co-ed institutes
churumuri 
The Deobandis are the most extereme in their interpretation of the Sharia. The militant Islamist groups all over Central Asia and parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan are linked in ideology to the Deobandi school of thought. These are the same guys who had an opinion on the Imrana case too.
But, why on earth should what the Deobandis decree be taken up so seriously? The followers of the Deobandi movement are a minority, in the larger scheme of things. They are gaining ground certainly, but they are not the voice of Indian muslims or the global Muslims for that matter. So, why are we treating this fatwa as a blanket generalisation, that what the Deoband seminary has proclaimed would be accepted by Indian Muslims?
If anything, this is the time to encourage the majority of our Muslims to speak up and let their voices be heard. Not the time to put them on the defensive, in the interest of our country’s future, and of our young Muslim brothers and sisters.
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I visited the Darul Uloom Deoband website and did not find any such fatawa in the hyperlin titled ‘fatawa’. I looked around the website and still couldn’t find any reference to the Indian Express story. Did the IE story create an impression that the Darul Uloom decided to take it off their website? Or was it a fabricated story to begin with? Questions, questions, more questions…
While I was there, I also notice that the Deobandis do not approve of people having taken photographs of themselves. Can we please run the next Churumuri poll with the following question: Is taking one’s photograph be unlawful? And we can all discuss this to death…who cares? Those who will take them, will take them.
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If our learned Congress party continues to support muslims with the idea of getting back to power on their own, they may ban coeducation in all institutions with the help of our learned HR minister. They will intriduce reservation for this community at all levels. At what cost! To hell with cost as long as they are in power. The left as usual will oppose but vote in favour.
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I find this post and the questions rather silly! Why are we even talking about this ‘fatwa’? Instead of debating if it’s unlwaful or not, can we just ignore these idiots?
There are many things that we don’t like. But, we don’t go around issuing ‘fatwas’!!
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Kick their A*** . Ask them to fall in line like rest of nation .
Where are Shabanas,akhtars and Bukhaaris?
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Boot these idiots off to Pakistan, then they will realize how good they had it in India
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Please forward this mail to
1. Komu Sowharda Vedike.
2. Gowri Lankesh.
3. Nagari Babayya
and other such like minded people who talk about minority protection.
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Thank God, they did not say that education spoils them. This may be the reason why we find child labour more in them. If you don’t fall in line with the modern trends you will be the losers. You bravehearts, religion should rule you within the four wals of your house. A true religion doesn’t interfere with your consience. Act according the directions given by your consience.
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It is a pity that when India’s independence was discussed, it was said that suggestion was made to exchange the population (just like Greece and Turkey when they became separarte nations) between Pakistan and India and that Nehru did not want to listen. Now india has reached a stage where it is exporting doctors wanting to blow up airports and night clubs with no concern for human lives.
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It is also a pity that people who have left the country 35 years ago choose to meddle in its internal matters instead of making themselves at home in the their chosen country of residence, a crime they accuse some groups in India of committing.
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Fatwas hurt Muslim students by preventing them from assimilating with, or even accommodating, surrounding cultures.
There should be a common civil code that would, among other things, penalize the issue of such criminal religious fatwas.
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Have the Churumuri editors run out of meaningful topics, as they had to post such idiotic info – and have the gall to ‘poll’ about it – in the process causing severe vexation to the churmuri visitors/lurkers… what an insult!!!!
Swalpa sihi, Swalpa spicy…isn’t enough…do add “Swalpa kahi” as well.
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Mysore Boy
You are our own beloved city’s comic genius! Good to see you saying something that makes sense.
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Dear All,
I see some bloggers here insisting on a higher standard of proof on this subject. Assuming that Harper Collins is a legit publisher and all that, may I humbly direct some of the confused bloggers here to read Arun Shourie’s “The World of Fatwas”. Thank you.
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Can somebody tell me who has the ‘authority’ to issue fatwas?I have read fatwas come out of places which we didnt know existed in India. And they seem to have a world wide validity..Interpol red alert!! how ludicruous.Shouldnt these people be punished for taking law into thier hands and trying to run parallel law adminstering mechanism, bypassing the state? I remember that some mulla from meerut issued a fatwa and a reward (bonus over and above the vrigins at heaven) for beheading the danish cartoonist who made a caricature of muhammad!Isnt this blatantly criminal?
@ Vinutha mallya:
Ive been reading your write ups and it seems that you have fed yourselves with a wholesale supply of the great chinese tamil nationalist newspaper from madras during your impressionable childhood..Same set of arguments..Its almost like Im reading N Ram or Sitaram Yechuri or harish khare. LOL :)
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Rustyvagabond,
The nom de plume you have chosen does tell me your grey cells have become rusty, and needing a bit of oiling! If the likes of your beloved neighbours , the doctors from Ambedkar Medical College had not attempted to blow us up in our chosen countries, there would have been no reason for my comments. Keep your marauding docs mob within your boundary, all will be well.
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BTW by the same warped logic about co-education after puberty: wouldnt banning co-education lead to homosexuality? Arent there fatwas against that? Shouldnt some deobandi pass one?
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