TCN News
New Delhi: The Darul Uloom, an Islamic seminary in Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, has lifted its ban on women entering the campus. However, women will now be allowed entry under certain conditions, the institution announced.
To access the campus, according to a PTI report, women must wear a hijab and be accompanied by a family member. These new rules, which took effect on Friday, also mandate that visitors deposit their mobile phones at the gate, as videography will be strictly prohibited.
Ashraf Usmani, the media spokesperson for Darul Uloom, stated on Saturday (November 10) that after extensive discussions, the management introduced guidelines for women visiting the institution from around the world. As a result, women will now be permitted on the campus.
Usmani explained that the seminary has designated an officer responsible for issuing visitor passes, applicable to both men and women. To obtain a pass, visitors must present identification such as an Aadhaar card, voter ID or PAN card. The visitor’s name, contact details and the number of men and women seeking entry will be recorded.
Women will be permitted to enter the campus only until sunset. All visitors, including women, will need to deposit their mobile phones at the main gate, with the phones being returned upon departure. Each visitor pass will be valid for two hours and will automatically expire after sunset.
The entry ban for women was initially imposed on May 17 following complaints that some women, not wearing veils, were photographing and filming the institution’s buildings and sharing the content on social media. According to the spokesperson, this behavior was also having a negative impact on the madrassa’s students.