JOIN USPost-doctoral fellowship to a student for research on controversial English writer Salman Rushdie's novels by Meerut-based Chaudhary Charan Singh University has irked the Muslim clerics.
The clerics have demanded for the cancellation of the fellowship. They also warned of an agitation if the university fails to concede their demand.
“The varsity has hurt the sentiments of millions of Muslims in the country by allowing a fellowship for research on Rushdie’s novels,” said Maulana Nadimul Wazdi, a noted Arabic scholar.
Maulana also blamed the University Grants Commission for the varsity’s decision. “Muslims should unite in registering their protest over the matter,” he added.
Another senior Islamic scholar Mufti Arshad Farooqui also slammed the varsity for granting the fellowship and demanded that the Centre should intervene in the matter and prevail upon the educational institution to cancel the fellowship.
Clerics associated with the prestigious Islamic seminary Darul Uloom, too, decried the fellowship and demanded its immediate cancellation. “Our protest will continue till the varsity cancels the fellowship,” said Maulana Naseem Akhtar Shah of the seminary. The clerics have vowed to launch an agitation against the decision of the varsity.
Prabha Parmar, a resident of Roorkee in Uttarakhand, has been granted the post-doctoral fellowship. Her topic for research is “Use of Magic Realism in the Major Novels of Salman Rushdie, Amitava Ghosh and Vikram Seth.” The fellowship is for a period of five years.
Prabha completed her PhD from the same university, and the topic for her research work was “Major Thematic Concerns in the Novels of Salman Rushdie.”
Rushdie’s novel “The Satanic Verses” sparked a major controversy when some Muslims accused it of blasphemy and mocking of their faith. Earlier this year, the India-born British writer had to cancel his visit to Jaipur, following an outcry from the Muslim organisations that he should not be allowed to visit the country.