Darul Uloom Deoband bans multimedia phones on campus [Lucknow] [Times of India]

(Times of India Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) LUCKNOW: Asia's leading Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband (DuD) has banned use of multimedia mobile phones -- with cameras and internet access -- on its campus.

The institute authorities on Sunday night seized 14 such handsets from the students and destroyed them.

Though students were spared after a warning, the incident has triggered a debate over the ban with students in favor of being allowed to keep and use multimedia cell phones.

Seminary's deputy vice-chancellor Maulana Abdul Khalik said the action followed reports and complaints that the students were misusing multi-media cellphones for purposes which were not morally acceptable. Hence the ban was announced.

He said the students were allowed to use simple handsets without camera or video features because access to such features was causing an adverse effect on academics.

"We have cautioned the students from whom such cellphones were seized and next time strong disciplinary action would be initiated against them if they are found indulging in similar things again," Maulana Khalik said.

Though the DuD management refused to elaborate on the issue, a source in the governing body said the authorities had no other mechanism to counter the misuse of such gadgets hence the ban was announced.

Asked about the personal laptops that students have, the source said that very few students on the campus owned laptops.

"But even if they are found misusing them, similar action will follow against them," he said. On the fact that such a ban would deprive the students of access to the outside world particularly in the present age of information technology, he said: "The faculty provides Internet access to the students who are free to use it as and when they want to, hence there was no restriction over students gaining access to the information technology in any way." The ban has triggered a debate on restriction to Internet access.

While the younger lot insists that banning the use of cellphones with multi-media options would deprive the students of being updated with the latest in the world, the elderly have somewhat supported the DuD move. "I cannot believe that all the students who had the cellphones with them were misusing it. There may be one or two students doing it, but it is not correct to paint all the students with the same brush," a student told TOI on phone from Deoband.

"How many students actually use such gadgets to gather knowledge and news. The move is in the right direction and I don't think there was anything wrong that the DuD administration has done," says Ehetishaam Ali, owner of a book store in Saharanpur whose son is a hostler at DuD.

The Darul Ifta -- the fatwa wing of the DuD -- had received hundreds of queries from all over the world over use of photographs, cell phone with cameras, video features and other multi-media features.

On this, the seminary's observation has been that possession of such phones was alright even while offering namaaz as far as the gadget does not disturb or divert the attention of the individual possessing it or people around him.

The fatwas also say that clicking photographs just for the heck of it was unIslamic and prohibited in the Sharia and hence there was no reason why school students should use cell phones with cameras or multi-media facilities.

At the same time, some of the fatwas do approve of using Internet and multimedia cell phones for knowledge.

Member of the executive committee of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and Imam of the Lucknow's main Edgah at Aishbagh Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Maheli said the move was the need of the hour.

"It is an open secret how youngsters in hostels misuse such gadgets. The same applies for DuD. I don't see any harm in putting such restrictions on students. There are computer labs and Internet facilities in DuD and for the sake of information one can always use them," Maulana Khalid Rasheed says.

"I am sure if the management in DuD comes across any fireball software that can restrict misuse of such gadgets, they would be happy to allow the students use such handsets," the Eidgah Imam said.

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