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Here's A madrasa that doesn't train just those who lead prayers, but girls who're ready to lead the community

Cramped between a dingy market and an overcrowded Muslim graveyard at Welcome in east Delhi stands Madrasa Zeenatul Quran,  hell-bent on breaking all stereotypes.

Sameena (in blue dupatta) at a class in Madrasa Zeenatul Quran in New Delhi pic/Subhash Barolia

Helping the seminary in its mission is 17-year-old Sameena, who is getting ready take on the conservative world around her, head on, with her training in graphic designing.

Though Sameena could not continue her education beyond class seventh due to an orthodox family background, and consequently lost all hope of studying further, the madrasa gave her a second lease of life.

Second among three sisters, she was always a bright student, and scored well during her days at the local government school.

"But one day, Abba told me that I can't continue," Sameena said. She got to know about the madrasa from her friends, and it didn't take much to convince her father to join the graphic designing course there. "They have a separate group and teacher for girls, so my father readily agreed," she added with a glint in her eyes.

The madrasa also runs a primary school up to class V, besides certificate courses in Urdu, Arabic, graphic designing and desktop publishing.

Chief rector Muhammad Saleem Ansari is a proud man. "We have been able to maintain very high standards, despite limited resources."  Much before the religious seminaries were accused of disseminating fundamentalism, they were often associated with religious conservatism and an obsession with medieval ways.

However, with the coming of age, a majority of them have recognised the need for addressing the temporal needs of its students. Madrasa Zeenatul Quran leads the way, while Sameena draws courage, both literally and otherwise.

In black and white
>>The literacy rate among Muslims was 59.1%, which was below the national average of 64.8%.
>>Their mean years of schooling (MYS) are lower when compared to the average MYS for all children.
>>25% of Muslim children in the age group of 6-14 years have either never attended school, or dropped out.
>>Majority of Muslim girls and boys fail their matriculation examination or drop out before that.
>>Less than 4% of Muslims are graduates or diploma holders, when compared to about 7% of the population aged 20 years and above.
Courtesy: Sachar Committee Report