PCoI on Easter Sunday attacks ‘Islamic education curriculum must be changed’

• Muslim religious Affairs Director tells Commission

By Yoshitha Perera   

A director of the Muslim Religious Affairs yesterday said the relevant authorities should consider amending certain facts and teaching standards in the current Islamic curriculum. 

Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Director Adam Bawa Mohammed Ashroff testifying before the PCoI probing Easter Sunday attacks, said the department had already appointed a committee to suggest amendments to the Islamic syllabus and the Department will provide those suggestions to the Education Ministry.    “The Department doesn’t have a legal power to amend the Islamic curriculum. The Education Department or the Ministry has the authority to make such amendments,” he said.   

Mr. Ashroff said like in other countries they are trying to develop a critical thinking pattern along with Islamic curriculum.Responding to Commissioners with regard to theologian Yusuf Al Qaradawi and using his views in Sri Lanka’s Islamic curriculum, the witness said that Qaradawi was a moderate scholar but currently there was some controversy with regard to his views on the Islamic religion.   “In other countries people don’t beleive everything mentioned in books. There has to be a change in certain things, when we are practising. The same thing applies to Islam as well,” he said.   

Referring to Madrasa schools in the country, Mr. Ashroff said by April 21, 2019 there were 1,689 Madrasa schools registered across the country.   

While highlighting the fact that there were no particular system to register these Madrasa schools, Mr. Ashroff said that the authorities should introduce certain restrictions to limit registering non- standard Madrasa schools in the country.   Mr. Ashroff further added that there were three types of Madrasa schools; Quran Madrasa, Hifzul Quran Madrasa and Arabic Colleges.