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Pak gets lukewarm response in efforts to religious schools
Islamabad, Sept 04: A major government drive to modernise and reform thousands of Pakistani seminaries, often demonised as terrorist breeding grounds, has so far reaped few rewards, officials have admitted.
Islamabad, Sept 04: A major government drive to modernise and reform thousands of Pakistani seminaries, often demonised as terrorist breeding grounds, has so far reaped few rewards, officials have admitted.
The campaign to reform the country's notorious
madrassas -- Islamic religious schools -- was launched by
President Pervez Musharraf in an effort to fight extremism in
the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on America.
Many Pakistanis who fought alongside al-Qaeda and Taliban troops in Afghanistan were said to have been educated in madrassas controlled by firebrand Islamic fundamentalists. In a televised address in January last year Musharraf unveiled "a new strategy" which would see madrassas teach Mathematics, Science, English and Computer Studies alongside their traditional Islamic programme.
"My only aim is to help these institutions in overcoming their weaknesses and providing them with better facilities and more avenues to the poor children at these institutions," he had said. "These schools are excellent welfare set-ups where the poor get free board and lodge."
He said "very few" madrassas run by hardline religious parties "promote negative thinking and propagate hatred and violence instead of inculcating tolerance, patience and fraternity."
But, although USD 17.25 million has been earmarked for the transformation, Education Minister Zobaida Jalal admitted the reforms have been poorly received and are slow in taking hold. Bureau Report
Many Pakistanis who fought alongside al-Qaeda and Taliban troops in Afghanistan were said to have been educated in madrassas controlled by firebrand Islamic fundamentalists. In a televised address in January last year Musharraf unveiled "a new strategy" which would see madrassas teach Mathematics, Science, English and Computer Studies alongside their traditional Islamic programme.
"My only aim is to help these institutions in overcoming their weaknesses and providing them with better facilities and more avenues to the poor children at these institutions," he had said. "These schools are excellent welfare set-ups where the poor get free board and lodge."
He said "very few" madrassas run by hardline religious parties "promote negative thinking and propagate hatred and violence instead of inculcating tolerance, patience and fraternity."
But, although USD 17.25 million has been earmarked for the transformation, Education Minister Zobaida Jalal admitted the reforms have been poorly received and are slow in taking hold. Bureau Report