Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News, 2014-01-02

A decision by several schools in India to ban Muslim students from attending Jumu’ah salaah (Friday prayer) has ignited outrage after hundreds of parents opposed the discriminatory decision.

Ibrahim Khan, president of the Kerala CBSE School Management Association was quoted by The Times of India as saying: “After the age of 10, it is compulsory for Muslim boys to go to mosque on Friday.”

“Parents are eager to see that children's religious values are not compromised.  Schools can be strict with students if they misuse the facility, but they can't stop this,” said Ebrahim.

Schools administrators in Kerala's coastal state of Kochi claimed that the decision followed the finding that some students used the permission to eat at restaurants after the Jumu’ah delaying them from returning to school on time.

While some schools have abolished the permission, other schools have allowed students to leave for Jumu’ah salaah on condition that their parents escort them.

“We are secular in our approach. When parents approached us for permission to allow their children to go to mosque on Friday, we permitted,” N M George, Toc H Public School principal, said.

“But we soon found that some of them were not going to the mosque and were coming late to the school. So now we have made it mandatory for parents to accompany the child from school to the mosque and back,” George added.

Meanwhile Muslim-moderated schools have hired a team leader to supervise students during their Jumu’ah leave.

The suggestion offered a solution to many parents who could not find time to accompany their children to prayers, or did not have the facility to do so on a regular basis.

“In our school, almost one-third of the students are Muslims. At first we were lenient and allowed interested Muslim boys to go for Friday prayers to the mosque,” said Arundathi P R, vice-principal, Jnanodayam Public School.

“After that we have asked students to make a special request and also made it clear that since we have no control over them, it is the parents' responsibility to ensure that they return to school on time,” he added.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is reported to have said, “If people don't stop abandoning the Jumu’ah Salaah, Allah may seal their hearts and they will become heedless” (Muslim).

Muslims account for 160 million of India's 1.1 billion people, the world's third-largest Muslim population after those of Indonesia and Pakistan.

(Twitter: @Faizie143)