Much scholarly work has made clear the distinction between Deoband and Deobandi madrasas, especially those in Pakistan’s northwest. But the affront in Haroon’s statement is also this: religious organisations in India work separate from the state while being held to the laws of the land. Their statements — fatwas, in this case — can at most be seen to be opinions on best practice to believers. They do not state what is unlawful; that is the state’s domain. Haroon needs to educate himself not just on Deoband, but also on the political framework of the country in which it is geographically situated.
Epaper
Newsletter
Stocks
Weather
Horoscope
