Ulema, madarsa heads undertake scouts' training, get conscious about physical fitness

Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

NewsBits.in

BHOPAL: It's not a common sight--Islamic scholars and clerics taking part in a training programme for the scouts and guides.

These are Muslim clerics, those with flowing beards who were seldom seen in any other dress except kurta-pyjama. They include Ulema, the Hafiz, the Qari, the madarsa heads and the clerics who guide ordinary Muslims in matters of religion.

The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind leaders have lately been showing greater interest in physical fitness and these taking the scouts' training. As many as 66 clerics went to participate in the camp at Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh. In the short camp, Maulana Mahmood Madani and Mahaula Hakimuddin Qasmi also took part, other than state chief of the Jamiat in Madhya Pradesh, Haji Harun.

In fact, Jamiat's youth club has been actively taking part in social events and organising medical camps apart from doing relief work after a disaster or mishap. The Ulema and heads of different departments in 66 madarsas in the country took part in the training programme.

Now the Scout and Guides' course would also be taught in the madarsas. The clerics said that it instills a feeling of pride when one wears the uniform--either its army, police force or scouts. In madarsas, the students would be encouraged to take up the training, henceforth.

The Ulema said that the rules of the scouts and the guides are in accordance with Islamic teachings and would help the participants lead and show a new direction to the society. The Bharat Scout and Guide director RK Kaushik was present during the programme.

Joint director M Salim Qureshi imparted the training apart from B harat Scout and Guide's trainer RK Tiwari and others. The Bharat Scouts and Guides is the national scouting and guiding association of India, wich is government recognised. The training programme was held at the national headquarters of the Bharat Scouts and Guides at Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh.