Islamic scholar M M Akbar arrested

Kochi: M M Akbar, Islamic scholar and managing director of Peace International School, was held in Hyderabad on Sunday, and arrested by Kerala Police. He was brought to Kochi later in the evening.

Akbar had reportedly arrived in Hyderabad from Australia, for transit an the airport with an onward flight booking for Doha on Monday. Unlike foreigners who transit to the next flight departure lounge without going through passport control, as an Indian national Akbar had to go through the immigration desk. Since a case was registered against him for a disputed text book taught in the Peace International School, and since he was not present in the country for about a year, a lookout notice was in place based on which he was caught at the airport.

While he was held at the airport, police answered enquiries saying that they were looking at procedures to send him to Kerala. And Kerala police was prompt to arrive there and take him into custody in the evening.

Akbar is the managing director of Peace International School, which has 13 branches in different districts of Kerala. The allegation against the school was that a chapter of the textbook taught in class II of the school had content that was not in line with secular regulations. Following complaints, the state police initiated an investigation and registered a case. The authorities of the school were also arrested, but later released on bail after prolonged court procedings.

The school management had explained that the text book which was published by Navi Mumbai-based Burooj Realization, were distributed in Class II of all the branches of the school. When the school management noticed that some of the content in the book were not appropriate, they withdrew the same from curriculum.

Reports however, have been in circulation that the school was using books other than prescribed by NCERT, SCERT or CBSE, but the system of prescribed books for Class II is not standard CBSE practice.

The case against Akbar includes those under Sec 153A of IPC, which covers promoting disharmony or feelings of enmity or hatred between different people. Akbar, a prolific writer and speaker, has been active through his debates at inter-faith platform explaining the philosophy and faith of Islam, and used to quote extensively from Hindu and Christian scriptures in his lectures. Critics however see him as provoking enmity against other faiths.

After the arrest of three people in connection with the case, Burooj Realization had withdrawn the textbooks distributed to schools across the country. The police also had informed that they admitted to the errors in the books and promised the rectified books will be distributed from the next academic year.