An 18-year-old girl in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, has truly broken the arbitrary boundaries that are imposed in the name of religion by teaching the Quran to Muslim children of disadvantaged backgrounds. Pooja Kushwaha became interested in learning Arabic after she came in contact with a woman called Sangeeta Begum who taught the Holy Scripture to kids in her locality.
Soon after she started attending Sangeeta Begum’s classes, Pooja did so well that she was able to stay ahead of the rest of the students. So, when Begum was unable to continue her classes, she requested Pooja to fill in for her.
At first, Pooja started free lessons at her house because most of her students were from poor families. Later when the increasing number of students could not be accommodated at her place, she accepted the offer to shift her class to a temple. Now Pooja teaches the Quran to around 35 Muslim students in an open-air classroom at the temple. Her efforts have been greatly appreciated by parents and prominent Muslim leaders in the area, according to local reports.
