Saharanpur

District authorities of Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, has ordered shutting down of the website of India’s biggest Islamic Seminary Darul Uloom Deoband, pending the ongoing investigation of the alleged illegal fatwas that violate the rights of children, posted on it.

District Magistrate Akhilesh said a notice to the seminary to explain why action should not be taken against it for the anti-child fatwas should not be taken against the Islamic seminary. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had taken note of complaint against Darul Uloom for violation of Child Rights and asked the Chief Secretary of UP to take action against it.

The complaint lists one of the illegal fatwas about denying the rights to property to the adopted child.

One particular fatwa issued by Darul Uloom Deoband and posted on its website states that an adopted child cannot have the same rights as a biological child. The NCPCRs says that such fatwas violate the law of the land. After giving a 10-day breather to Darul Uloom Deoband for filing its reply the authorities have shut down the website. The NCPCR had received a public complaint regarding a fatwa published on the website of Darul Uloom Deoband.

DM Saharanpur is investigating the complaint. The NCPCR has forwarded ten weblinks of Darul Uloom Deoband website to the government that allegedly violate the law.

In one of the controversial fatwas, Darul Uloom Deoband has said that while adoption of a child is not illegal, but the adopted child cannot impinge on the rights of the biological child for a Shariah compliant Muslim.

The Constitution of India provides for the fundamental rights of children including the right to education and the right to equality. In addition, the Hague Convention on Adoption, of which India is a signatory, states that adopted children will have the same rights as biological children.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has also sent a copy of the letter to Saharanpur DC, Chief Secretary, UP, Director General of Police, Chief Election Commissioner.

The commission has requested in the letter that an action taken report on the matter should be sent within 10 days. Islamic Law and Islamic Sharia Ashrafi Darul Uloom Deoband spokesman Usmani Ashraf said that fatwas are issued strictly as per the Islamic law.

All these fatwas are advice and not compulsory for anyone and are given on request. He said the Darul Uloom has also explained this to the Supreme Court in the past.

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