Unwarranted controversy..Time to focus on teaching at Darul Uloom

Maulana Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi came to Darul Uloom on the promise of change. The first non-alumnus to be appointed Mohattamim (Vice-Chancellor), he wanted to make the curriculum more broad-based, and he wanted the Islamic community to focus on the future. The Islamic seminary, which dates back to 1866, holds a pre-eminent place for Sunni Muslims, and its teachings and religious edicts have wide following.

Vastanvi’s “misstep”, his allegedly praising the development work done in Gujarat under Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s stewardship, something he denied later, raised tempers within the campus and in the Muslim community at large. It eventually cost him his job.
While there is no doubt that the administrators of Darul Uloom were meticulous in following procedure in removing the Vice-Chancellor, who seriously misjudged the sentiments of the community he sought to provide leadership to, political machinations have also been widely reported.
Darul Uloom has a long history of guiding Muslims, in India and outside, by providing them with clear interpretations about the teachings of Islam. Many of its fatwas have earned high praise for their secular orientation and clarity of thought. A change of head in this institution will be an occasion to re-examine its priorities and make it more effective in dealing with the demands of a modern pluralistic world. The Vastanvi controversy has put the onus on the new administrator to show that he can, indeed, rise up to meeting the challenges of an ever-changing society and show how change that was sought to be effected by his predecessor will continue. It is time for Darul Uloom to focus on teachings and their dissemination to students, so that they continue to interpret Islam in the true sprit of the religion.