The All India Muslim Personal Law Board(AIMPLB) has objected to the central government’s directive to organise ‘Surya Namaskar’ in schools between January 1 to 7 on the 75th anniversary of Independence Day, stating that Islam prohibits ‘Surya Namaskar’ as it is a form of Surya puja.
All India Muslim Personal Law Board opposes Govt directive to organize 'Surya Namaskar' program in schools between Jan 1-Jan 7 on the 75th anniversary of Independence Day; says 'Surya Namaskar' is a form of Surya puja and Islam does not allow it pic.twitter.com/KcUq2xAGIm
— ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2022
The statement issued by the Muslim Personal Law Board and signed by general secretary Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani said that customs and rituals of the majority community cannot be imposed on all religions. The letter also asked Muslim students to stay away from Surya Namaskar program.
“Such a program should not be organised in schools at all, which causes problems for students of other religions. The government should envision programmes keeping national security in mind. Muslim students should boycott such programmes of Surya Namaskar organised in their schools. They should refrain from attending such program as Islam does not allow them to participate in such program,” the official letter by AIMPLB said.
Rahmani said the Centre is drifting away from the path of secularism and branded the ‘Surya Namaskar’ exercise planned across schools in country as a “false propaganda of patriotism.”
“As it is clear that on the occasion of 75th Independence Day, under the Secretary to the Government of India, the Ministry of Education has decided to run a project of Surya Namaskar in the states, in which 30 thousand schools will be covered in the first phase. This program is proposed from January 1 to January 7. A concert on Surya Namaskar is also planned on 26 January. This is unconstitutional and false propaganda of patriotism,” Rahmani added.
Govt directive to organise ‘Surya Namaskar’ in schools unconstitutional: AIMPLB
The letter also called the government order issued to all states through the Ministry of Education to observe Surya Namaskar unconstitutional. It said, the Constitution of India grants freedom and rights to people to profess their religion as per their own rituals, adding that the worshipping tradition of any particular religion cannot be imposed on the followers of other religions.
“In Islam, worshipping Sun as a deity is not allowed. The government should withdraw their order and respect the secular nature of the Constitution. If the government is really concerned about the country, they should focus on real problems plaguing the country such as rising unemployment, inflation, devaluation of rupee, communal disharmony, security of country’s borders etc.,” the letter said.
