Question
Foreign Affairs > Pakistan > US Non Military Aid
Financially support Pakistani government's investment in secular education to counter radical madrasas
|
274 votes for this question.
Background
In common English usage the word ""madrasah"" has been taken to refer to an Islamic religious school.
Pakistan has 10,000-13000 unregistered madrassas with an estimated 1.7 to 1.9 million students in 2002 (discussed in Candland 2005: 152-153), out of which most cater to the dominant Sunni sect. There are, however, some Shia madrassas too for the minority (between 14 to 20 per cent) Shias.
After the events of 9/11 the madrassas were widely perceived to be associated with violence. This association is only partly correct. Most madrassas are simply schools providing religious education to boys (and some girls) who would probably not get any education otherwise. Some are, however, associated with providing fighters.
Therefore, General Musharraf tried to bring them under government control. Two laws were passed: one to create state-controlled madrassas (model Dini Madaris) in 2001; the other to register them in order to control them in 2002. The first had moderate success as some religious institutions got themselves registered in 2003 with the Pakistan Madrasah Education Board it created. However, the three model institutions it created suffer organizational difficulties. The second was unpopular with the madrassas but the government has been firm about removing foreign students, suspected of being possible or potential recruits of the Al-Qaeda organization. However, the madrassas have been functioning for a long time without being associated with violence. This association is a consequence of the Afghan War and the ongoing dispute between Pakistan and India about Kashmir as mentioned above.
see more on Wikipedia
Pakistan has 10,000-13000 unregistered madrassas with an estimated 1.7 to 1.9 million students in 2002 (discussed in Candland 2005: 152-153), out of which most cater to the dominant Sunni sect. There are, however, some Shia madrassas too for the minority (between 14 to 20 per cent) Shias.
After the events of 9/11 the madrassas were widely perceived to be associated with violence. This association is only partly correct. Most madrassas are simply schools providing religious education to boys (and some girls) who would probably not get any education otherwise. Some are, however, associated with providing fighters.
Therefore, General Musharraf tried to bring them under government control. Two laws were passed: one to create state-controlled madrassas (model Dini Madaris) in 2001; the other to register them in order to control them in 2002. The first had moderate success as some religious institutions got themselves registered in 2003 with the Pakistan Madrasah Education Board it created. However, the three model institutions it created suffer organizational difficulties. The second was unpopular with the madrassas but the government has been firm about removing foreign students, suspected of being possible or potential recruits of the Al-Qaeda organization. However, the madrassas have been functioning for a long time without being associated with violence. This association is a consequence of the Afghan War and the ongoing dispute between Pakistan and India about Kashmir as mentioned above.
see more on Wikipedia
No comments on this question yet.
