Darul Uloom Lifts Ban On Female Visitors: New Regulations Include Hijab Requirement, No Phones

The largest of India’s Islamic seminaries, Darul Uloom Deoband, has this afternoon revoked the ban on female visitors, effective immediately. The women are being allowed to enter the campus but strictly under specific conditions as are meant to preserve the institution’s standards and decorum. This is a retraction of the ban imposed some time earlier this year in response to social media videos recorded on campus.

Under the new rules announced on Friday, women visitors have to wear a hijab and entry will be allowed only if they are accompanied by a family member. Women are asked to deposit their mobile phone at the entrance gate, while videography and photography have strictly been prohibited to ensure a disturbance-free atmosphere for students and maintain the seminary’s privacy.

The media representative of Darul Uloom, Ashraf Usmani said that the decision had been made after a huge number of discussions on the issue. “The institution has enforced these rules to address the concerns and maintain the sanctity of the seminary while allowing women to visit,” said Usmani.

Process For Visitor Pass And Identity

In the new entry policy, a visitor pass system is applicable to both men and women that is available for security reasons. Every visitor’s information-later name and address; mobile number; and more family details-records are done, and the passes carry two hours’ validity which automatically expires at sunset.

Usmani further added that phones gathered at the entrance are returned to the visitors as they leave in order to minimize distractions and misuse. The policy shift is aimed at misuse of campus premises for social media purposes, which led to the ban imposed in May. Such incidents made the entry of women into the seminary allegedly barred by the argument that unveiled women were clicking photographs and recording videos of some of the buildings of the campus. Usmani states that their activities disturbed the students, which was their justification for even tighter controls on the visitation of campuses.

What Is The Importance Of Darul Uloom?

Founded in 1866 by Muslim clerics such as Muhammad Qasim Nanautavi and Fazlur Rahman Usmani, Darul Uloom Deoband is said to be the founder of the Deobandi Islamic movement. It is one of the largest and most prominent seminaries in the world, found in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Attributed with the qualities of strict observance of Islamic teachings and exceptionally high standards of education, Darul Uloom has significantly impacted on the nature of Islamic education and thought within the country and beyond.

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