Darul Uloom Deoband Not Authorised to Issue Fatwa, Says Nazneen Ansari

Darul-Uloom Deoband had issued a fatwa against a group of Muslim women for performing aarti of Lord Ram at an event on Diwali in Varanasi. It said the women cannot be ‘Muslim Ulema’ for worshipping multiple gods. Islamic scholars said worshipping multiple gods is against the basic tenets of Islam.

Varanasi, October 22: Miffed over Darul-Uloom Deoband’s fatwa, Muslim Mahila Foundation founding president Nazneen Ansari, who invited “fatwa” from the cleric of Darul Uloom Deoband against her and her group of Muslim women for worshiping Lord Rama, on Sunday said Ulemas are not authorised to issue fatwas in Islam. Ansari emphasised Ulemas cannot oust them from Islam for organising an event intended to enhance communal harmony.

Launching a scathing attack on Muslim clerics, Ansari said she is a Muslim and cannot bow down to baseless fatwas. She also added the Supreme Court had delivered order saying fatwa violates the fundamental rights of a person.

“Islam does allow them (ulemas) to issue any order or impose their own views on anyone in religious matter, they can just give suggestions or advice in true light of Islam. They have no authority to oust anyone from Islam. If they continue to issue fatwas on such matters we will be bound to lodge FIR against them, as they are violating the directive of the Supreme Court given in 2014,” The Times of India quoted Ansari as saying.

Ansari said the clerics cannot impose their opinions on Muslim women. She said, “The Supreme Court in June 2014 had ruled that fatwas issued by shariat courts or muftis had no legal sanctity, asserting that the defiance of fatwas will have no civil or criminal consequences.”

She added, The court had said it would be illegal to impose religion-based opinions on personal issues on citizens in violation of their fundamental rights. Any person trying to enforce a fatwa by any method shall be illegal and has to be dealt with in accordance with law.”

Earlier, Darul-Uloom Deoband had issued a fatwa against a group of Muslim women for performing aarti of Lord Ram at an event on Diwali in Varanasi. It said the women cannot be ‘Muslim Ulema’ for worshipping multiple gods. Islamic scholars said worshipping multiple gods is against the basic tenets of Islam as it is a monotheistic religion.