Pakistan’s madrassa system is under scrutiny in a new report that identifies it as a source of deepening inequality and a breeding ground for extremism, despite offering education to the poor. The report underscores the significant schism between the nation’s secular and religious educational streams, a division that mirrors the country’s broader societal fault lines. The international community expresses concern, urging Pakistan to uphold its educational commitments and dismantle institutions linked to radicalization. Accusations that madrassas foster extremist ideologies have a long history, significantly amplified by the 2005 Red Mosque siege, which resulted in a violent confrontation and intensified critical views of these seminaries as ‘jihad factories.’ Recent controversial remarks by Pakistan’s Defence Minister, referring to madrassa students as a ‘second line of defence,’ have reinforced the perception that these institutions serve as ‘ideological pipelines.’ The curriculum’s emphasis on religious studies, to the detriment of secular subjects like mathematics and science, is a key factor in perpetuating socioeconomic inequality. Furthermore, the report highlights alarming evidence of widespread abuse, including sexual violence, within madrassas, disproportionately affecting vulnerable children from impoverished families. These institutions are also reportedly implicated in shielding perpetrators of abuse, a problem exacerbated by societal silence.
