Co-education ban is met with criticism across India

NEW DELHI // Muslim leaders and students across India have criticised a decision banning mixed-sex madrasas in Uttar Pradesh, the state with the largest Muslim population in India. The Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education, when issuing the ban in February, called the co-ed system un-Islamic for all madrasa pupils beyond primary level. "In Islam, pardah [the veil] is very important, but co-education promotes bepardaghi [going without the veil], which is against the Sharia," said the school board chairman, Haji Rizwan Haque. "Since co-education promotes free interaction between girls and boys, which is not permissible in Islam, we have taken this decision [to ban co-education] from the next academic session."

Although the order would bar female students from about 1,900 government-affiliated madrasas in Uttar Pradesh, where about 700,000 boys and girls are now studying, many educators argue that it will weaken the movement to educate the Muslim community. "Since in the past few years an increasing number Muslim girls are showing interest in higher studies, this UPBME-imposed ban will place a big hurdle for many of them seeking higher education in Uttar Pradesh, and many will remain virtually illiterate," said Samsul Alam, vice chancellor of Calcutta's Aliah University.

Shahnaz Nabi, an Urdu language professor at Calcutta University, said the move to separate girls from boys goes against what the Prophet Mohammed wanted to inculcate among his followers. "When you offer co-education, you want to impart an equal level of education to both sexes, what Prophet Mohammed clearly emphasised. Now by deciding to ban co-ed madrasas, they are giving a signal to close the doors of higher education on Muslim women in the future," Prof Nabi said.

"The girls should not be secluded from childhood. They should rather be taught how to contest and compete with boys from the very beginning. Islam has given so many privileges to women. Who are these clerics and others to take them away?" Hasan Kamaal, a Mumbai-based analyst and activist, said Islam faces the gravest threat from those who would ban co-education. "Is it possible for a madrasa-educated girl to become a doctor, engineer or choose a modern profession of her choice, if co-ed is banned? In a poor country like India it is nearly impossible to get a separate institution for higher studies for minority Muslim girls," Mr Kamaal said.

"Banning co-education is the beginning of Talibanisation, which is more dangerous than the Taliban themselves. It should be fought with the utmost might as it would be a fight for the cause of real Islam." Even some religious leaders have come out against banning co-education. "If we decide to keep girls away from the co-ed schools, we shall not be able to improve the miserable condition of India's Muslims," said Maolana Khalid Rashid, a Lucknow-based member of the All Indian Muslim Personal Law Board.

A government study in 2006 found Muslims in India are "worse off than previously believed". Although Muslims constitute at least 15 per cent of the population, they make up only four per cent of university graduates, the study found. "They live in socioeconomic conditions worse than many so-called backward tribal people," said Rajendra Sachar, the head of the government committee that authorised the study.

Female students and young professionals described the anti-co-ed order as an effort to destroy the spirit of education among Muslim girls. "We don't have 'girls only' management or other higher education institutes in the country. If I was not allowed to go to a co-ed institute, I could have never been able to pursue my career," said Sabina Parveen, a management student in Delhi. "They are robbing the fundamental rights of Muslim women."

Tanuja Khatun, a recent graduate of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, said that by passing such "senseless and ridiculous" orders a group of Muslim leaders are forcing Muslim women to remain a backward community. "If a girl is not from a mixed-school background, she often feels uncomfortable and nervous in most of today's workplaces where men and women work shoulder to shoulder. In fact, the grooming of a girl in a co-ed system helps her become a smarter professional for today's world," said Dr Khatun.

"If I have a proper education of Islam, despite studying in a co-ed institution, I can confidently keep myself away from those potential evils the anti-co-ed leaders are talking about." aziz@thenational.ae

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

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Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

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“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

England's Ashes squad

Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.