LUCKNOW: One of the schools in Aligarh district has come under the scanner of Uttar Pradesh government on Friday for allegedly eulogising controversial Islamic preachers Zakir Naik by depicting him as Islamic hero.
A book called ‘Ilm-un-Nafe’, which is the part of curriculum in Islamic Mission School, located in Nagla Patwari under Kwarsi police station area of Aligarh, has a chapter talking about the Islamic heroes figuring Zakir Naik as well. As per the sources, pictures of nine personalities are there in the chapter. The students have been asked to identify them by their names. The third row has the picture of Zakir Naik who, too, has to be identified by the children.
The sources said that the controversial book, which, as per the claims of school authorities, would increase the level of students’ general knowledge, was published by the school management and edited by proprietor Dr Konen Kausar himself.
Taking cognisance of the issue, Aligarh Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA), Dhirendra Kumar said Zakir Naik’s depiction as a hero fell in the category of anti-national activity. “After giving notice to the school, action will be initiated to cancel its recognition,” state Kumar.
Meanwhile, reacting to the controversy, the school manager said that the edition being taught currently to the students was printed two years back when Zakir Naik had no case of sedition against him. The latest and revised edition of the book was in process and would come out soon, the management said.
Notably, Zakir, a medico, shot to infamy owing to his alleged hate speeches on television which he delivered as Muslim religious leader, author and speaker. Naik is also the founder president of Islamic
Research Foundation (IRF). He holds the charge of radicalising young muslim minds and inspiring them to take to the path of the kind of jihad propagated by organisations like ISIS. Besides, Naik has lakhs of followers on Facebook and his entry is banned in five countries including UK, Canada and Malaysia.
Zakir is reported to receive donations from India and abroad for his foundation. He also runs a school where Islamic education and Islamic orientation programmes are conducted besides teaching a syllabus to churn out Islamic religious leaders and Hafiz.