Shia Board chief served legal notice over 'defamatory' statements

A legal notice was served to the chairman of Shia Central Waqf Board chairman, Wasim Rizvi, by Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind on 11 January, citing alleged 'defamatory' statements made by the former about madrasas.

The notice, dated January 11, accuses Rizvi of "insinuating that Madrassa Education Systems have not contributed to the progress of young Muslims but has in fact created a sense of fundamentalism in them without any data to indicate."

On January 9, Rizvi wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, claiming that Madrasas bred terrorists and efforts should be made to shift them into mainstream education.

"You have stated that Madrasas produce 'more terrorists than civil servants'. You have also stated in the letter that 'Our Madarsa education system has failed to produce doctors, engineers and civil servants but some Madrasas have certainly produced terrorists,'" the notice further read.

Speaking to ANI, Rizvi had also suggested that madrasas be converted to convent schools which offer an optional subject of Islamic education. 

-ANI