Something to hide?
The issue of the madaris is becoming more difficult by the day. Fazlur Rahman has led resistance to reforms since talk of the 21st amendment began, and it was clear that the religious lobby would never allow it to be a walkover. Nevertheless, reforms are an integral part of the war against terrorism, especially after Peshawar. Therefore, the confrontation is bound to stiffen unless saner heads prevail. The maulana has taken the expected next step to his initial call for uniting the religious lobby against mention of religion and sect in the constitutional amendment.
Now, apparently, there is a secular front to blame for defaming Islam and pitting vital state organs against one another. The government, however, has not taken the logical next step of refuting such allegations, and explaining why madrassa reforms are a necessity. This should be done alongside building a wider narrative that counters various madrassas’ brainwashing of the last few decades. The longer the government delays these necessary counter-measures, the more time regressive elements get to further muddy the waters with talk of conspiracies, etc.
Interestingly, Fazl was angered by “agencies” conducting raids on seminaries to inquire about teacher and student data. While it is surprising that such an exercise has not been carried out already – among all educational institutions – it is difficult to understand why keeping record might worry madrassa patrons. Perhaps the maulana should explain why students from seminaries are found participating in acts of terrorism – like the Wah bomber some days ago coming from Lal Masjid in Islamabad. There was, indeed, an admirable show of political and military unity following the Peshawar tragedy. But that solidarity will lose its meaning if action against militancy continues to be half-hearted. True, actively fighting insurgents takes precedence. But the war of narrative is no less important. And if seminaries are indeed found facilitating an environment where enemies of the state are glorified, they should be dealt with accordingly. And if they are not, Maulana Fazl and his friends should have nothing to worry about.
