In this Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015 photo, Pakistani students of a madrassa, or Islamic school, attend their class at a seminary in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Their white skull caps signify that they are students at one of the tens of thousands of religious schools across the country that have become embroiled in a debate about where militancy comes from.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
RAWALPINDI—
Sitting on the ground, the students sway back and forth, deep in thought as they read Islam’s holy book, the Quran. Their white skull caps signify that they are students at one of the tens of thousands of religious schools across the country that have become embroiled in a debate about where militancy comes from.
In this Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015 photo, Pakistani students of a madrassa, or Islamic school, eat their lunch at their seminary in Islamabad, Pakistan. Theres no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. Many teach both male and female students. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
Following the Pakistani Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar in December that killed 150 people — almost all of them children — the Pakistani government has been under intense pressure to show that it is combating militancy and terrorism. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif proposed 20 measures including reintroducing the death penalty for terrorism-related cases, freezing funding for militants, ending religious extremism and protecting minorities.
In this Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015 photo, a Pakistani student of a madrassa, or Islamic school, looks out through the window of his classroom at a seminary in Islamabad, Pakistan. Theres no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. Many teach both male and female students. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
The action plan included a proposal to register and regulate religious seminaries — often called madrassas — which face accusations of incubating religious extremism. Critics say the religious schools operate with little to no oversight of their curriculum, do not prepare students with real-world skills and often promote religious intolerance.
In this Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015 photo, a Pakistani student of a madrassa, or Islamic school, sits on his bed rehearsing for his exam at the seminary dorms on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Theres no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
“It is true that madrassas are not the sole source of militancy and religious extremism in the country, but they certainly are the main source,” Pakistani security analyst Zahid Hussain wrote in the English-language Dawn newspaper.
In this Monday, Jan. 19, 2015 photo, internally displaced Pakistani children from tribal areas attend madrassa, or Islamic school, set up in a mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Theres no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. Many teach both male and female students.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
But many of those working at religious schools say they are being unfairly painted as contributing to militancy.
“We condemn all those who indulge in terrorism. This is our country. Anyone who is doing anything against Pakistan, against Islam, against the army … we condemn them,” said Abrar ul-Haq, who teaches at the Taleem-ul-Quran school in Rawalpindi.
In this Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015 photo, Pakistani students of a madrassa, or Islamic school, sleep on the ground of their seminary in Islamabad, Pakistan. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
There’s no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. Many teach both male and female students.
We can see Pakistani religious schools need development and help badly but nobody is ready for this even they say that educations is our first task. These students don't have proper places to sit even by the way these Quran reading kids are looking very nice.
We can see Pakistani religious schools need development and help badly but nobody is ready for this even they say that educations is our first task. These students don't have proper places to sit even by the way these Quran reading kids are looking very nice.
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