LUCKNOW: An influential Muslim seminary has said clerics should not issue religious edicts on political issues. The statement came nearly a week after one of the school’s own clerics triggered a controversy among Muslim intellectuals by ruling that Muslim women running for office should wear veils on the campaign trail.

Maulana Shahid Rehan, a senior cleric at the Saharanpur Darul Uloom, said on Monday that the school had objected to the way one of its clerics issued the ruling on a political matter.

“Maulana M. Rehman, the vice chancellor of the seminary, has asked the clerics to issue fatwas only on religious matters from now on,” Rehan said. Moderate Muslims had dismissed the ruling of the seminary. —By arrangement with Asianage