Education is most critical to uplift Muslims: Mufti

Summary: Backwardness in education affecting the community, he saysJammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed said that educational backwardness has hampered the economic progress of Muslims in the country.

Speaking at the inauguration of the United Economic Forum’s first Trade Summit, he pointed out that one of the primary reasons why the Muslim community has not managed to progress economically was its educational backwardness.

Sayeed began with detailing the socio-economic decline of the Muslim community from its glorious days of the pre-colonial era.

Another visionary leader and one of the greater scholars of the religion, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, understood the importance of education and believed that Muslims could carve out a distinct niche for themselves in secular and diverse India.

Citing examples of unique art and craft of places like Moradabad and Mirzapur, Chief Minister exuded confidence that Muslims who are blessed with enormous skills will positively contribute in the growth and development of the country.

“I do not find any stark contradiction between the need for religious education and importance of having secular modern outlook. I myself studied in a madrassa before moving for graduation in law from AMU”, he said.

He said the Sachar Committee clearly points towards the grey areas where the status of Muslims, which form over 14 percent of country’s population, is even lower than those of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. He recommended that exclusive schools for girls should be set up.

UEF president Ahmed A R Buhari said, “Through the trade summit, we are aiming to facilitate Rs 10,000 crores of economic enhancement for our members by 2020 through opportunities enabled by Make in India, Tamilnadu Vision 2023, supported by Sovereign Wealth Funds, Islamic funding, private equity, government schemes, bank finance and others”.

“In my tenure, we are upgrading our schools as Model Schools by providing students access to smart classrooms and e-learning. Renaissance of knowledge will be my government’s top priority”, he affirmed. Muslims are the largest minority segment in India and if they are educated, their contribution to the economy would be enormous. Through the summit, UEF aims to drive industrial development, employment creation, increase business opportunities and encourage entrepreneurship among the minority community in Tamilnadu and in India.