The Royal Danish Defense College (RDDC), in collaboration with the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) launched a new book on Tuesday that provided critical insights on mainstreaming madrassas in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It featured research from CRSS and Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), as well Afghanistan-based Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies (CAPS). The event was attended by many notables, including the Federal Minister for Interior & Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Reforms Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, the National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. Nasser Khan Janjua, the Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan H. E. Mr. Rolf Holmboe, and Dean for the RDDC, Mr. Ole Kværnø.
Speaking on the occasion, the Federal Minister for Interior said there was a time that through madrasas, we had the emergence of world’s topmost scientists and leaders. He said that it is now a collective responsibility of the Pakistani government as well as the world powers to clean the mess of radicalization. He added that we must understand the causes of militancy and radicalization and find solutions accordingly. He finally stated that what we are facing today is a collective responsibility; therefore, we need to collaborate domestically and internationally together for the cause of peace and stability in Pakistan and beyond.
The National Security Advisor said that this is a problem of human resource development, and that is how it must be framed. He added that we have to be considerate to these 3.5 million children in an estimated 38,000 madrassas; they are also sons and daughters of Pakistan. We should want them back with open arms as productive members of society. He stated that people working on madrassa mainstreaming had decided in principle that the children in religious seminaries will also study the same syllabi being taught in conventional schools along with religious education. He added that we have almost completed the process of reforms, and are now in the process of getting constitutional support for implementation. He ended by saying that we are always willing to work within a cooperative framework with any and all parties, but we cannot approach this through a negative prism.
Presenting for CRSS, Zeeshan Salahuddin said that 544 interviews were conducted with families that send their children to madrassas. 41.35% of the respondents stated religious reasons and 43.15% stated economic reasons for sending their children to seminaries. Thus, finances were nearly as big a reason as religion. Interestingly, there is no significant correlation between male parents’ education and number of children in seminaries. He also said that there was near equal access to schools and seminaries and families, on average, sent 1.78 children to each type of institution.
Mr. Gul Dad, presenting on behalf of PICSS shared that 93% of madrassa funding came from domestic sources, and only 7% was found to come from foreign donors. Mandatory donations (Zakat, Ushr, Khums) comprise of the bulk of these donations, along with animal hides. People willingly donate to madrassas as they feel that it fulfills religious obligations. Money into madrasas comes through donation boxes, deposits into bank accounts, sums paid directly to the principal/mohtamim of madrasas, and/or collections during Friday prayers.
Mr. David Vestenskov, consultant for RDDC, presenting on behalf of CAPS, stated that many in Afghanistan see madrasas as a factor in radicalization and promotion of religious extremism among youth in the country, while others argue that there has been an exaggeration about all madrasas being drivers of radicalization and extremism. It appears that the public, particularly the youth, feel completely disenfranchised by the government’s policies and capabilities. A third group sees madrasas from an academic angle and attributes the largely stagnant character of madrasas and their exploitation by non-state actors to the government’s inability to support and accommodate them.
The book ends with eight core policy recommendations on the way forward. The research is freely available online on the websites of the four organizations that have collaborated to put it together. A copy can also be collected, free of cost, from the CRSS offices in Islamabad.