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Report Says U.S. to Pay to Keep Record of Pakistan's Religious Schools
ISLAMABAD, Dec. 8 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Computerized profiles of all teachers and students of religious schools, or
madaris, will be prepared by Pakistani authorities under a $100 million package to be received shortly by Pakistan from the U.S., the Pakistani daily newspaper,
The News, reported.
While the money would be used for a broad agenda to control the militant and sectarian elements in the country, these profiles are intended at keeping complete records of the Muslim clergy in Pakistan.
This record keeping has been deemed necessary by the authorities to keep track of activities of those elements in the
madaris who allegedly indulge in violent activities.
This is apart from clergy creating militant groups or harboring them both for politically-motivated demonstrations and sectarian grouping, the paper reported.
The authorities would also be keeping a vigilant watch on the publication activities in support of their militant agenda. The information network on printing presses and publication houses, both in the organized and unorganized sectors, would be activated.
Under the package, which would not be part of any financial aid or economic rehabilitation assistance, the Pakistani government, in collaboration with NGOs and individual educationists, will draw up fresh curricula for the religious schools and create a special cell in the police department or FIA to train officials for penetration into the
madaris and tanzeems for information-keeping purposes.
It will also approach the publication and printing businesses for acquiring timely information on publication activities of the militant organizations and analyses of information received by informers on the activities of the individuals listed as suspects under these terms.
The cell, the sources said, would also keep track of elements among the religious schools and
tanzeems having a record of interacting with foreigners in the similar channels and have obtained or obtained training for activities inland and abroad, especially in Afghanistan.
The newspaper also reported that computerized records would be updated regularly, in light of information received on regular basis about the individual members of the
madaris and tanzeems. The persons deemed edgy in their pronouncements, activities and links would be the focus of regular watch by officials deputed by the cell.
The new curricula would be applied through the madaris' teachers willing to obtain training for imparting the freshly-prepared education. The teachers, listed as trained by the relevant authorities, would replace those objecting to the new curricula.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider will open dialogue with the administrators of the
madaris' religious seminaries in Karachi Saturday in a bid to persuade them to shun their present line of action.
This will be his first major meeting after the government decided to deal with the so-called religious extremists, produced by some of these seminaries, with an iron hand. The interior minister will also visit a
madrasa in Karachi Saturday to determine what is being taught there and to monitor other activities the institution is engaged in.
An official told The News that during such meetings, the minister would adopt a carrot-and-stick policy. The government's preference is to urge the religious seminaries to join the mainstream educational system or face the stern official action that is not far away.
The official said that it was clear to the government that all the madaris were not engaged in producing so-called religious and sectarian extremists and terrorists. "But we also know that a number of these seminaries are involved in unlawful activities, bringing a bad name to the country," he added.
The government would provide funds to the seminaries, agreeing to come to the mainstream educational system, the official said.
Pakistani General Pervez Musharrafs' regime is under pressure from the U.S. to crack down on so-called religious extremists after the events in Afghanistan where a large number of Pakistanis were found on the side of the Taliban.
Around 20,000 students in these religious schools are foreigners from Afghanistan, Central Asian and African states.
The majority of the foreign students are from Afghanistan, who - the government claims - become involved in militant activities once they graduate from these religious seminaries.
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