President of AMU students union Maskoor Ahmad Usmani.

AGRA: The Students Union of Aligarh Muslim University ( AMU ) has opposed Jawaharlal Nehru University's ( JNU ) proposal to start a course on “Islamic Terrorism” in the varsity. It has written to Union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar and urged him to intervene to roll back the course “in the larger interest of the nation and society”.

In a letter, addressed to HRD minister Prakash Javadekar, president of students union Maskoor Ahmad Usmani said that it is extremely disgusting and shocking to see how one of the most prestigious universities of India is hell bent to give a religious colour to terrorism; it perhaps reflects their deep-rooted agenda to malign a specific religion.

The letter reads, “The recent controversy around introduction of a course on Islamic Terrorism in JNU should ideally be looked at by situating it in the larger context of how universities as spaces are to function in the times we live in. The very title of the course clearly informs us how appallingly distances the intent is from the essential spirit of the university”.

It further reads that there have also been sincere attempts at unfolding the genealogy of terrorism or emergence of radical outfits in the modern world so as to ensure that the consumers of terrorism coverage do not absolve other agents who are also to be held accountable for the part they have played in disturbing peace and harmony in many parts of the world.

Talking to TOI, Usmani said that terrorism or terrorists have no religion. By starting a course on “Islam terrorism”, the entire community was being branded as terrorists, he said.

“Today JNU is planning to introduce this course, tomorrow some other central universities will follow suit,” he said, adding that it’s ironical that while there are no funds available for regular courses, such “divisive” courses are being started.

Incidentally, Delhi Minority Commission has already issued a notice to the registrar of JNU asking him to explain the reasons for introducing this course.

According to reports, the JNU Academic Council "passed" a proposal to set up a Centre for National Security Studies under which there would be a course on "Islamic terrorism".

