Video of a Sanskrit class in an Islamic institution in Kerala goes viral with misleading claims.

The principal of the institution clarified to us that the aim of teaching Sanskrit to Muslim students is to learn and understand other languages and religions.

A video of a class in which a teacher is teaching Muslim students Sanskrit is going viral on social media, with the claim that a Muslim teacher is instructing a class of Muslims to learn Sanskrit to become temple priests in Kerala. Students wearing long white robes and white headdresses recite Sanskrit slokas and mantras in the viral video.

The caption of the video states, Muslim teacher coaching a class of muslims to learn Sanskrit to gain Temple priest positions in Kerala #Melodi India is a Hindu #Meloni #Hamas_is_ISIS 

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Fact Check-

We began our investigation using reverse image and keyword search on Google and the results led us to a report by the Economic Times with a caption “Bhagavad Gita, other Hindu texts part of Sanskrit syllabus of Islamic Institute in Kerala”. The report also carried a similar picture of the viral video.

According to the report,  “The Academy of Sharia and Advanced Studies (ASAS) run by Malik Deenar Islamic Complex (MIC) was in the news recently for setting an example by teaching Sanskrit, also known as ‘Deva Bhasha’, to its students with the help of Hindu scholars. The decision, to come out with a structured syllabus to teach the ancient and classical language, was taken to inculcate in the students, knowledge and awareness about other religions, the institute said”.

Other media outlets also covered this news.

Next, we contacted the Academy of Sharia and Advanced Studies to verify the claim, Then Onampilly Muhammad Faizy, the principal of the academy, denied the claim and he clarified to us that the objective behind teaching Sanskrit, Upanishads, Puranas, etc. is to inculcate in the students’ knowledge and awareness about other religions. Another reason, and the main one, for teaching Sanskrit to the students at ASAS was his own academic background as he had studied masters in Shankara philosophy. Important portions of the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Ramayana are selectively taught in Sanskrit to the students over a period of eight years after they pass out of Class 10, he said.

And he explained to us that Muslim teachers teaching Sanskrit to Muslim students to gain a priest position was a completely baseless claim. Here, two teachers from the Hindu religion are conducting Sanskrit classes.

The institution is primarily a Sharia college where other languages, like Urdu and English are also taught besides a degree course in Arts as it is affiliated to Calicut University.

Conclusion-

Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral video to be misleading. This video shows a Sanskrit class from the Academy of Sharia and Advanced Studies (ASAS), run by the Malik Deenar Islamic Complex in Kerala. The principal of the institution clarified to us that the aim of teaching Sanskrit to Muslim students is to learn and understand other languages and religions. Here, two teachers from the Hindu religion are conducting Sanskrit classes.