That madrassas in Pakistan are breeding grounds for terrorism is now an established fact. The need of the hour is to clamp down on these institutions. The Government must get tough
In Pakistan, madrassas are the breeding grounds of terrorism and also for top leaders of different terrorist outfits over there. These madrassas work as factories to produce jihadists, including suicide bombers. Diverse factions have their own separate madrassas. For example, there are Sunni Ahl-e-Sunnat (Barelvi), Deobandi, Salafi, Wahhabi and Shia madrassas. Maximum numbers of madrassas are controlled by Deobandi (65 per cent) and Barelvi (30 per cent) factions. These madrassas of different sects not only spread hatred towards each other but they are also involved in carrying out terrorist activities against other sects and export terrorists abroad.
There is a close link between these madrassas and various jihadist outfits and these jihadist organisations produce and distribute literature full of abhorrence and hatred towards other religions and sects, including Shias and Sufis. The madrassas also preach that ‘suicide bombers’ are jihadists who would go to heaven.
Madrassas are mainly responsible for radicalisation of the Pakistani society. In 1947, when Pakistan was carved out from India, there were only 246 madrassas. However, at present, there are more than 28,000 registered madrassas, while the numbers of unregistered madrassas are much more. As the number of madrassas enhance manifold, same way extremism also increases leaps and bounds. According to rough estimates, about half million to two million students are enrolled in these madrassas and most of them are thoroughly radicalised during their stay with these religious seminaries.
In most Islamic countries, the Government formulates the rules and regulations for these madrassas so that they do not produce jihadists. But in Pakistan, whenever the Government tried to formulate policy to govern the madrassas, there was resistance and the Government could not streamline the functioning of these seminaries. large numbers of madrassas have refused to register themselves with the Government. The Government’s efforts to introduce modern scientific syllabus was resisted by madrassas as well as by Islamic parties. These madrassas consider themselves above law and most foreign students stay here even after expiry of their visas and law enforcing authorities cannot arrest them till they are associated with the madrassas.
Most students join these religious seminaries because of poverty as their parents cannot afford to send them in other educational institutions. large numbers of madrassas not only provide free education but also give them free food and lodging. These madrassas survive on aid, private donations and Waqf (religious donations) as well as on the rent of landed properties attached to these madrassas. The Government also gives some portion of zakaat (Islamic alms) to the madrassas controlled by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and other terrorist outfits like the lashkar-e-Tayyeeba, Jaish-e-Mohammed etc.
The Pakistani Army, which has wedged a low intensity war against India and Afghanistan, also does not want stringent restrictions on madrassas, as the ISI as well as ISI-controlled terrorist organisations are recruiting suicide bombers and other jihadists from these madrassas. Besides students, criminals too are taking shelter in these madrassas as they are safe in these religious seminaries. Hence, there are cases where residents of these madrassas were involved in kidnapping, pillage, loot and rape and also other monstrous crimes.
large numbers of students, when they pass-out from the madrassas, do not get jobs as they are not qualified for the same. The students just learn reciting of the Quran and Islamic tenets which are not suffice to get job. When students do not get jobs, they become hostile towards society and join terrorist outfits.
Madrassas also teach hatred towards India, Israel, Western countries as well as towards other sects. The students who come out from the madrassas are so radicalised that they too convert their family members, neighbours and many others into extremism. The Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and other political parties utilise the students and teachers of these madrassas for show of strength in demonstrations and processions.
Extremism has enhanced manifold in society in Pakistan and sometimes, extremists force well-to-do-parents to send their children in madrassas. Students of several other countries, including Afghanistan, few Central Asian countries, Uygur Muslims from China, Muslims from South East Asian countries and members of Pakistani Diaspora also join these madrassas.
The Government could not audit the accounts of the madrassas which are fomenting terrorism in the country but it audited the accounts of all other educational institutions, including moderate schools. Madrassas allege that the Government wants to control them on behest of the United States and other Western powers. As radicalisation has enhanced in the country, a large section of fanatic Muslims feel that madrassas are essential for the spread of Islam and very soon they will establish the Islamic State of Khorasan, for which several Muslim countries are donating liberally.
The Islamic State (IS), which is fast losing ground in Syria and Iraq, very intelligently announced the formation of the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) in January 2015. The ISKP, which represents the Salafi school of thought, gave a new impetus to hard-core extremist Muslims all over the world, especially in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The IS has influence in India and Bangladesh too, although at present, it is in infancy stage but if not given due attention it may enhance. Once the ISKP was constituted, terrorists of diverse outfits joined the organisation and its influence in radicalised Pakistan increased manifold.
According to an estimate, the IS has about 20,000 cadres in Pakistan and Afghanistan and large number of them studied in madrassas. These madrassas have brain-washed them up to the extent that they are convinced that soon the ISKP would be established in South Asia and whole region would be governed by Sharia’h laws. These madrassas also assist terrorists to distribute leaflets and pamphlets in Urdu, Pashtu and Persian languages to attract young jihadists.
Terrorism has damaged Pakistan and the economic condition is in shambles. Export is declining and public debt has crossed Rs 18 trillion, which is hazardous. Population growth of the country is the highest in the region. In the world arena, Pakistan is marginalised because of terrorism. US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, also threatened Pakistan to root out terrorists from safe-heavens otherwise the US will have to take drastic action.
The Pakistani Government must chalk out a comprehensive plan to deradicalise the society, and for this, reforms in madrassas are essential. First, madrassas must be registered and their accounts should be thoroughly audited by competent authorities. Funding of these madrassas must be verified and approved by the Government. The curriculum of these madrassas should be checked and modern scientific education should be included in the syllabus. Education should be job oriented so that when students pass out from these madrassas, they get respectable jobs and are not attracted by false propaganda of terrorist organisations. Moderate Muslim clerics should be appointed in these madrassas and instead of extremism they should teach good points of Islam and acts of terrorists must be condemned. They should be told that killing of innocent persons even of different religion and sects does not constitute jihad.
According to reports, several Muslim countries finance these madrassas as per their ideology which augments division in the society. The Government must put stringent restrictions on the funding of the madrassas on the basis of sects and sub-sects. The military-controlled ISI, which also runs several madrassas, and from where they send jihadists to India and Afghanistan, should be closed as the madrassas are harming more to Pakistan then to the neighbouring countries. Pakistan security agencies should also chalk out a plan to handle large number of battle-hardened madrassas educated terrorists who would be returning from Syria and Iraq as the IS is fighting a lost battle in these countries.
(The writer is member, United Services Institute of India, and Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses)
