Monday, November 29, 2021
#Pakistan - The madressah riddle
THE state has yet to fully realise the sociocultural and political-economic inferences of religious education institutions or madressahs. Despite having long attempted to pursue the reform of this sector, successive governments have done little to change things on the ground mainly because of fear of a backlash and a reluctance to allocate resources. Those leading the madressahs have taken advantage of the persisting confusion and have continued to strengthen their roots and support among the people.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry delivered a bold speech during a consultative conference in Islamabad some days back and rightly identified the root causes of religious extremism in society. While he did not altogether exculpate madressahs, his statement that public schools and colleges were the major source of extremism, and not madressahs, did not tell the whole story. However, his claim that teachers were hired in schools and colleges during the 1980s and 1990s as part of a plot to teach extremism was correct. He appeared to be referring to the Jamaat-i-Islami and its subsidiaries, which were a major partner of military dictator Ziaul Haq in his goal of encroaching on educational campuses, sowing the seeds of religious extremism and recruiting for ‘jihad’ in Afghanistan and Kashmir.
The minister might have deliberately not mentioned the fact that Zia’s jihad project was a multifold initiative and nurturing madressahs was an integral part of it. Without focusing on madressahs, poor Afghan refugees could not be engaged in ‘jihad’. No doubt, the US and Saudi Arabia were major sponsors of this project, but Gen Zia allowed the mushroom growth of madressahs across the country as part of his Islamisation agenda and also in order to create his political constituency. The extremism promoted on educational campuses and in madressahs closed the minds of the youth, and madressahs ‘distinguished’ themselves through capturing the narrative-formation process.
Keeping the information minister’s speech in mind, it is useful to take note of a report by an international media outlet on Afghan madressah students demanding that the Taliban include science subjects in their curriculum; apart from advocating changes to the curriculum for girls’ education. Though the report is about a madressah in Paktia province, many experts have depicted it as a positive indication that sane voices such as these will gradually build pressure on the Taliban to accommodate their demands. One wonders if the Afghan Taliban, who were the product of Pakistani madressahs, can become a role model for the latter to bring about changes in their curriculum.
The state retains the Zia-era mindset and believes that madressahs aren’t the source of the problem.
Many madressahs in Pakistan are on the path of transformation and are offering science education to their students, but their numbers are not inspiring, and religious elites are also not ready to holistically revisit their education system. The reason is obvious: the madressah sector is catering to the financial and political needs of the religious elites as well. The institution of the madressah has become the primary political base for religious groups and religious-political parties, and continues to strictly adhere to its potentially explosive sectarian character. It is expanding and encroaching on the formal education sector and the state has failed to regulate the institution, despite its concerns and (half-hearted) measures.
The state has not come out of the Zia era mindset and still believes that the madressah is not the source of the problem, rather it is helping the state cater to the educational needs of the masses. Otherwise, the state would have to cut on other expenses to fulfil its educational obligations. The maximum concern the state could have about the madressahs is their possible links with terrorist groups and for that reason it might not want to antagonise the madressah establishment. In fact, state institutions have adopted the madressah elite’s narrative that the source of the problem lies with the public education institutions and not madressahs.
The supporters of the narrative allude to instances of terrorist violence committed by the radicalised youth of colleges and universities. Competition apart, one should not forget that madressah students and graduates have remained far more involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Formal education institutions have not produced a fraction of the number of militants who enter the ranks of various national and international terrorist organisations which the madressahs belonging to different banned militant organisations have produced so far. It is true that until the mid-1990s, the madressahs’ human resource contribution to militant organisations was less compared to that of the formal educational institutions. The madressah institution was young at that time but then it took over the militant discourse in the country.
In recent decades, the state has made all-out efforts to make campuses apolitical, while the madressah students remain politically and ideologically charged and vulnerable to be exploited for street protests and recruitment for military purposes.
The state has also failed to understand the equation between madressah, mosque, and school. Almost all mosques get their imams, or prayer leaders, from madressahs, who preach the same version of Islam they learned at their alma mater and influence the public in sectarian terms. An imam is a source of inspiration for the people, especially the lower-income groups that consult him for their spiritual and even physical health needs. A taweez (amulet) matters more to them than medicine as they may not have to pay for it. Secondly, more and more madressah graduates are now joining public education institutions as teachers and are influencing young minds in a variety of ways. The madressah mindset is at its full play in society and is responsible for promoting two major sociopolitical conflicts, which certainly have security implications: first, the sectarian divide, and second, ideological radicalism.
The madressah mindset is very conventional and takes any new idea of moderation as a conspiracy against its interests. So far, it has successfully resisted the state’s attempts at reform. However, the madressah leadership is aware of the evolving challenge of extremism. The conference that Mr Chaudhry addressed also had a dedicated session for religious scholars and they agreed that the sectarian divide is increasing in society and that the challenge of extremism will become more complex in the near future.
Army colonels, majors are acting like kings, says chief justice of #Pakistan
In a major embarrassment for the powerful army of Pakistan, country’s chief justice Gulzar Ahmed said colonels and majors are acting like kings.
The chief justice said, "What the colonels and majors desire, happens," while questioning the defence secretary in Supreme Court on Friday as it was found that the military was using "strategic and defence" land for commercial activities like renting out for wedding parties and cinemas.
Headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Qazi Mohammad Amin Ahmed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, the three-judge bench heard the issue of lands of the military being used for commercial purposes at the Karachi registry of the Supreme Court.
The Chief Justice grilled the defence secretary, retired Lt Gen Mohammad Hilal Hussain, reported Dawn newspaper.
The CJP asked whether structures, such as "cinemas and wedding halls", were built for defence purposes.
"This land was given to you for strategic and defence (purposes and yet) you have started commercial activities on it. Were wedding halls, cinemas and housing societies built for defence purposes?" the chief justice asked.
All Askari Housing Projects, which are called as Army Housing Scheme Defence, were built on cantonment lands, remarked CJP.
"We have decided that this will not happen again," the defence secretary said. He added that the construction of housing societies and military land’s commercial use would be checked and stopped.
Justice Amin asked defence secretary to provide a written explanation on how would that be made possible.
"Go and tell all the chiefs (of the armed forces) that the land meant for defence purposes will not be used for commercial objectives. Go to all the military cantonments and tell them the land will be used only for strategic purposes," CJP Ahmed ordered the defence secretary.
Former President Asif Ali Zardari’s message on the 54th Founding Day of the PPP
The Pakistan People’s Party is steadfast on its founding philosophy and manifesto. This was said by the former President of Pakistan and President Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Asif Ali Zardari in his message on the 54th Founding Day of the Party.
Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had struggled for a parliamentary system in the country and had given the country a parliamentary system .Today, we renew our commitment to fully defend the parliamentary system. A powerful parliament and people’s right to sovereignty will not be compromised and the thinking that hates democracy will be defeated. Islam is our religion, socialism is our economy, democracy is our politics and all the power is to the people. The PPP always came to power with the power and votes of the people, our priority has been only to make life easier for the people, Asif Ali Zardari said.
Asif Ali Zardari paid homage to Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and all those brave workers who sacrificed their lives for the sake of constitution and democracy, enduring the pain of imprisonment.
Today, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is resisting two kinds of thinking, one that is of those who hate democracy and the other is of extremists who are trying to impose their will on the people. That is why the country, constitution and democracy are most dear to the leadership and workers of Pakistan Peoples Party. Pakistan Peoples Party rebuilt this country, gave the country a constitution and gave democratic rights to the people, Asif Ali Zardari said.
Former President Zardari said that the sacrifices of Pakistan Peoples Party for the country and democracy are undeniable facts. The 18th Amendment is the fulfilment of the mission of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and also the democratic revenge against the enemies of democracy. All democrats, including the PPP, have a duty to protect the 18th Amendment.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is in the field to fulfil the dream of his grandfather and great mother. The dream is to make the country a truly democratic and welfare state where the oppressed and economically weaker people have equal rights over the fruits of the state. We want to make Pakistan a country and a society free from poverty, unemployment, economic misery, ignorance, extremism, and intolerance, President Zardari concluded.
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/25851/
Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s message on the 54th Foundation Day of Pakistan Peoples Party
According to a statement issued by the Media Cell Bilawal House, on the occasion of the 54th foundation day of the party, Chairman PPP said that Pakistan Peoples Party is a revolutionary movement based on the ideology of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the philosophy of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, and the struggles and sacrifices of many generations.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that even in face of the most difficult circumstances, PPP had given the country and the nation a rich strategic gift, including the country’s first unified constitution, nuclear program guaranteeing invincible defense and missile technology, provincial sovereignty, and agrarian and economic reforms. Other hallmark achievements of PPP include making Pakistan the hub of the Islamic world politically by organizing Islamic Summit and Pak-China friendship, the CPEC project.
“Today, I salute all the jiyalas who sacrificed their lives for the cause of democracy, endured the hardships of imprisonment, deportation, and undemocratic forces, and also faced sponsored media trials,” stated Chairman PPP.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that party officials and workers possess the unwavering courage and determination to carry out the unfinished mission of Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. They are the ones who are breathing a new life into their struggle. “Today, we renew our commitment to continue fighting for the rights of the people, the emancipation of women, the inclusion of minorities in the national mainstream, the empowerment of democratic institutions, the rule of law, and the well-being of the people of this nation,” promised Chairman PPP.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari further said that the leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party and the tireless struggle of the jiyalas will soon bear fruit. He stated that the dream of eradicating all forms of discrimination from the country and establishing a society based on equality was about to become a reality. He emphasized that the time has come for real democracy to be established in Pakistan and for the end of the reign of selected regimes.
https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/25853/