Uttar Pradesh: Friday or Sunday? Row over weekly holiday in madrasas

Lucknow: Will it be Friday or Sunday? The issue of weekly holiday in Madrasas of Uttar Pradesh has sparked off a controversy. A few members of the UP Madrasa Board have moved a proposal to change the weekly holiday in the religious educational institutions. However, a majority of board members have opposed the move and said that there should be no change in the Friday holiday system.

In the meeting of the UP Madrasa Board held in the state capital, a member Qamar Ali moved a proposal of changing the weekly holiday. He said that there should be weekly holiday on Sunday instead of Sunday as is being followed in other educational institutions. He said that Friday was fixed as weekly holiday for Madrasas due to the Juma prayers. According to him, two hours are enough for offering Juma prayers on Friday and hence there could weekly holiday on Sunday.

However, the other members of the board spoke against this proposal and said that there should be no change in weekly holiday for Madrasas. The Chairman of UP Madrasa Board, Dr Iftekhaar Ahmad Javed said that this demand has been raised since long.

The management committees of few of the Madrasas in UP have been saying that there should be weekly holiday on Sunday instead of Friday. One of the member in this regard tabled a proposal in the meeting of Madrasa board but many present there opposed it too.

He said that board has listened everyone on this issue and matter would be listed in the next meeting. Board chairman said that the issue of weekly holiday would be decided in the next meeting. Meanwhile the proposal of changing holiday would spark off a controversy as the Muslim clerics might oppose any such move.