The Aligarh Muslim University has decided to remove texts by Pakistani authors Maulana Abul Ala Maududi and Syed Qutub Shaheed from its syllabus taught in the Department of Islamic Studies, according to India Today.
“In order to avoid the controversy, the university has decided to do away with the optional paper on Islamic thinkers, including Maududi and Shaheed with immediate effect,” the spokesperson for the university Shafey Kidwai said, according to The Hindu.
The university took the decision after 25 professors and activists wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27 objecting to some parts of the curriculum taught at the Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Milia Islamia University and Jamia Hamdard University.
The letter stated that Maududi was the founder of the Jamaat-e-Islami, which seeks the total Islamisation of India. It claimed that terrorist outfits such as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State derive their inspiration from Maududi’s core ideology.
However, Obaidullah Fahad, a professor at the Aligarh Muslim University, claimed that the methods espoused by Maududi were democratic and peaceful. He was being attacked as he was among the “fiercest voices” against western colonisation, Fahad added.
“I have been studying and teaching Maududi for the last 50 years but I could not find a single line that encouraged violence and terrorism,” he said, according to The Hindu.
Amir Minto, a student leader, said that the syllabus of a central university should not be changed “because of the likes and dislikes of some individuals”.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!