Pakistan’s Interior Minister Ch Nisar made my day be declaring that 90 per cent of madrassas (religious seminaries) were not involved in promoting the militancy and terrorism in the country. When we will start the action plan to combat the cancer of terrorism by issuing such a reassuring message to madrassas, then it’s anybody’s guess what’s going to happen next. No one knows the exact number of madrassas in Pakistan, as most of them have bluntly refused to get registered and open their books for financial audit. Recovery of young tribal girls from an unknown madrassah in Karachi shows that the government has no idea how far the network of unregistered madrassas has spread. Then comes the other question: how come the honourable minister is sure that only 10 per cent madrassas are involved in terrorism? Even if this figure is accurate, that means we are talking of thousands of madrassas out of an estimated 20,000 madrassas) involved in terrorist activities.
I think it’s time for all of us to stop fooling ourselves. This cancer of terrorism in the name of religion will not go away with statements and press conferences, unless there is a genuine political will and courage to call a spade a spade. Who is not aware that a number of madrassas are openly siding with sectarian outfits, praise Taliban for fighting for the cause of religion, provide fodder for terrorism in form of volunteers and comrades, indulge in spewing hate speeches against other religions and sects. Intelligence and law enforcing agencies have complete record of those madrassas which are directly involved in terrorism but everyone’s hands and lips are tied, thanks to state’s own priorities such as the narrative of ‘good and bad Taliban’, strategic depths and causing irritants by playing proxy wars in neighbouring countries.
A mindset which fails to even mention Taliban in hour-long press conference by declaring “not every Talib is a terrorist” can’t lead this war on so-called jihadists. One should question how come few hundred madrassas in late 1970s have mushroomed to above 20,000 while these are not imparting any education which could help the students to get a job outside madrassas and mosques network. In fact madrassas target large-sized poor families by offering free boarding and lodging for their children. Obviously state can’t compete with madrassas on this count. Time has come to reverse this unbalance. Curriculum of madrassas shall also come under scrutiny as most of the time terrorists justify their actions per their interpretation of religious scriptures and hadiths (saying of prophet). If madrassas curriculum is not updated per modern world requirements, these religious students filled with hatred for other religions and sects will bracket with terrorist organisations to implement what’s being taught.
It’s time for action — leave aside far flung rural and tribal areas, let’s see what government can do against Lal Masjid clerics who are openly threatening the civil society of suicide attacks and condoning the Peshawar mayhem.
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia