Deoband Seminary Dismisses Reports of Ban on Its Website over Adoption Fatwas as ‘False’

New Delhi, 10 Feb 2022 [Fik/News Sources]: Darul Uloom Deoband, on Wednesday, said the Islamic seminary was not asked to ban its website by the administration for its fatwas on child adoption. It termed the reports of banning the website as “false”.

Speaking to Clarion India, Darul Uloom’s media in-charge, Ashraf Usmani, vehemently denied banning of Deoband’s website. He said the reports of the ban are “false”.

The fact of the matter is that the administration had asked the seminary to remove the link of the fatwa on child adoption which was objected by the NCPCR till the inquiry into the matter is completed. Deoband has complied with this direction of the District Magistrate, he said.

“The website is functioning; you can go and check it. The website cannot be banned. It has a lot of information related to public interests,” said Usmani.

On visiting the website, Clarion India found the website (https://darululoom-deoband.com/home/) working.

On Monday, a section of the media had reported that Saharanpur District Magistrate had directed the Darul Uloom to take down its website after National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) claimed that the fatwa of Islamic seminary on child adoption is “misleading” and “unlawful”.

Prasar Bharati reported that “NCPCR informed that DM of Saharanpur has issued an order directing Darul Uloom Deoband to immediately shut down its website till the completion of investigation regarding illegal fatwas violating child rights”. It has put out the order of the District Magistrate through its Twitter handle.

On 17 January, the NCPCR, which has been accused of furthering Hindutva agenda through the government body, wrote to the Saharanpur DM asking him to probe the child adoption fatwa of the Islamic seminary.

“In one of the fatwas, Darul Uloom Deoband states that adopting a child is not unlawful, but merely by adopting a child, the ruling of the real child shall not be applicable on him, rather it shall be necessary to observe Shariah Purdah from him after he is mature. The adopted child shall get no share in the property and that the child shall not be an heir in any case,” said the NCPCR.

It even asked the DM to prevent the public access of the website over the issue.

However, the NCPCR was slammed for targeting the Darul Uloom Deoband for merely expressing its opinion on certain issues.

Reacting to the NCPCR letter, the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) said: “Their targeting of the well-known Muslim seminary for discussing their position on adoption is a shallow and shameless attempt to defame not just the institution but the entire Muslim community by association”.

Explaining about the nature of fatwas, the SIO said, “Fatwas are nothing but personal views of religious scholars on various matters pertaining to personal and social life. It is a settled position of law in India that issues of inheritance, marriage, divorce and other personal matters including adoption are covered by the respective customary laws of different communities and religions. The officials at NCPCR must no doubt be aware about this settled position of Indian law, which is protected by the Constitution”.