Islamic Fundamentalism in Bangladesh and Pakistan: Role of Madrassas
21 May, 2002 · 753
Alok Kumar Gupta and Saswati Chanda argue that madrassa education, flourishing in Pakistan and Bangladesh, breeds religious militancy
The course of events since September 11 and the earlier policy of
Pakistan
and
Bangladesh
governments to project their image as a moderate Muslim country has undergone a remarkable change. The ground realities are presenting grave difficulties for the leadership. The greatest threat to them is from religious leaders/clergies who have emerged stronger than before. Their main strength is the madrassas (religious schools/seminaries) across the country that produce the militants, motivated by the idea of jehad for the protection of Islam.
Bangladesh
Scenario
Bangladesh
that have grown significantly in the past decade. As in
Pakistan
the role of the madrassas in providing basic education is crucial given the fact that the population, reeling under poverty and unemployment, cannot afford any formal education. The government has no control over madrassas and the students passing out from them are ill-equipped to enter mainstream professions. They are, therefore, easily lured by motivated persons, who capitalize on their religious sentiments to create fanatics instead of modern Muslims. Proselytizing Arab charities, as in
Pakistan
, served as nurseries for
Afghanistan
’s Taliban leadership, by funding these madrassas. Analysts fear, as expressed by the Far Eastern Economic Review that “
Bangladesh
’s madrassas could become exporters of Islamic fundamentalism”.
Pakistan
Scenario
Pakistan
establishment is being faced with the consequences of confronting the religious forces created by itself, and the anomaly of being the Taliban’s principal benefactor but offering itself now as the springboard for the
US
military offensive against
Afghanistan
. Although envisaged by Jinnah as a ‘modern, progressive and liberal Islamic country’,
Pakistan
’s governments, both civilian and military, have aided and encouraged the religious parties/groups in pursuit of their narrow religious agenda. As the newly elected President, Pervez Musharraf, has stated, ‘a state within a state’ has emerged. The Taliban had secured external support during the proxy war in
Afghanistan
(1979-89), thereby succeeding in imposing their agenda on the nation, and recruiting a large number of unemployed/poverty stricken youth for jehad (holy war), which was aided by the free flow of funds, drugs and Kalashnikov rifles.
Karachi
reveal that
Pakistan
is faced with an imminent danger of Talibanisation.
Pakistan
, with many of them turning into jehad factories. As in Bangladesh, the deteriorating socio-economic conditions, lack of formal education for the poor, coupled with external aid during the proxy war (from America and its allies and proselytizing Arab charities) to these seminaries, has produced the jehadis (holy warriors or so called religious militants).
Turkey
to empower the government to regulate the activities of all religious endowments, trusts and institutions. These extend to the details of the syllabi of instruction in religious seminaries, establishment of model schools with a syllabus that blends Islamic and modern subjects, the registration of such institutions with government authorities, launching a survey to document their sources of funding and presence of foreigners on their rolls. These ordinances to deal with the growing menace should not remain mere laws but require systematic implementation to prevent the future Talibanisation of
Pakistan
.
Pakistan
and
Bangladesh
.
The
The militant ranks have expanded because of the influx of alumni from the estimated 64,000 madrassas of
Successive governments before and after Ershad have been either unwilling, unable or have supported the growth of Islamic fundamentalism. The ruling BNP and the opposition AL, have accused each other of being responsible for the worsening law and order situation, and fostering violence, but they have failed to link these issues with the root cause viz, growing fundamentalist threat.
The
The
The targeted killing of moderate Islamic clerics and Shia doctors and the suicide bomb attack on French technicians in
The enormity of the problem faced by the military regime can be gauged from the large number of madrassas (estimates range between 15,000-40,000) that have emerged and flourish in
The main challenge to the Musharraf regime is to deal with this internal law and order crisis, despite a rising tide of Islamic militancy. Musharraf issued various ordinances in line with Attaturk’s
The global rise of militant groups of all religions has shown that economic collapse, fuelled by political crisis and socio-cultural decay fosters the rise of religious fundamentalism, taking the form of religious extremism and intolerance. This has contributed to the institutional growth of madrassas as an indispensable part of the national religio-educational system. All these factors have been responsible for the proliferation of religious militancy and fears of Talibanisation, in
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