Pakistan religious schools in spotlight
Sitting on the ground, the students sway back and forth, deep in thought as they read Islam’s holy book, the Quran. Their white skull caps signify that they are students at one of the tens of thousands of religious schools across the country that have become embroiled in a debate about where militancy comes from.
- In this Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015 photo, Pakistani students of a madrassa, or Islamic school, play football in their seminary’s yard as the sun sets on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Thereís no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan, but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. Many teach both male and female students. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
- In this Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015 photo, shoes of students of a madrassa, or Islamic school, are placed at the entrance of a classroom in a seminary on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Thereís no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. Many teach both male and female students. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
- In this Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015 photo, Afghan refugees and internally displaced Pakistani children from tribal areas gather in a mosque which is under construction to attend madrassa, or Islamic school, on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Thereís no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. Many teach both male and female students.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
- In this Monday, Jan. 19, 2015 photo, internally displaced Pakistani children from tribal areas attend madrassa, or Islamic school, set up in a mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Thereís no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. Many teach both male and female students. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
- In this Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015 photo, a Pakistani student of a madrassa, or Islamic school, uses tweezers to groom his beard, at the seminary dorms on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Thereís no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. Many teach both male and female students.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
- In this Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015 photo, a Pakistani student of a madrassa, or Islamic school, splashes water on the ground while he and others clean the seminary dorms on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Thereís no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
- In this Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, photo, a boy washes himself before joining other internally displaced Pakistani children from tribal areas attending madrassa, or Islamic school, set up in a mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Thereís no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
- In this Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015, photo, a Pakistani student of a madrassa, or Islamic school, sits on a spot of light as he is wrapped in a shawl to warm himself while reading verses of the Quran prior to a class at a seminary in Islamabad, Pakistan. Thereís no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
- In this Monday, Jan. 19, 2015 photo, internally displaced Pakistani children from tribal areas attend madrassa, or Islamic school, set up in a mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Thereís no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. Many teach both male and female students.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
- In this Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015 photo, Pakistani students of a madrassa, or Islamic school, eat their lunch at their seminary in Islamabad, Pakistan. Thereís no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. Many teach both male and female students. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
- In this Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015 photo, Pakistani students of a madrassa, or Islamic school, sleep on the ground of their seminary in Islamabad, Pakistan. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
- In this Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015 photo, Pakistani lecturers in a madrassa, or Islamic school, are reflected in the window of a classroom, while students attend their class at a seminary in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
- In this Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015 photo, a Pakistani student of a madrassa, or Islamic school, sits on his bed rehearsing for his exam at the seminary dorms on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Thereís no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
- In this Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015 photo, Pakistani students of a madrassa, or Islamic school, attend their class at a seminary in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Their white skull caps signify that they are students at one of the tens of thousands of religious schools across the country that have become embroiled in a debate about where militancy comes from.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
- In this Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015 photo, a Pakistani student of a madrassa, or Islamic school, looks out through the window of his classroom at a seminary in Islamabad, Pakistan. Thereís no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. Many teach both male and female students. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
- In this Monday, Jan. 19, 2015 photo, internally displaced Pakistani children from tribal areas attend madrassa, or Islamic school, set up in a mosque on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Thereís no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. Many teach both male and female students.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
By Muhammad Muheisen, The Associated Press
Following the Pakistani Taliban attack on a school in Peshawar in December that killed 150 people — almost all of them children — the Pakistani government has been under intense pressure to show that it is combating militancy and terrorism. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif proposed 20 measures including reintroducing the death penalty for terrorism-related cases, freezing funding for militants, ending religious extremism and protecting minorities.
The action plan included a proposal to register and regulate religious seminaries — often called madrassas — which face accusations of incubating religious extremism. Critics say the religious schools operate with little to no oversight of their curriculum, do not prepare students with real-world skills and often promote religious intolerance.
“It is true that madrassas are not the sole source of militancy and religious extremism in the country, but they certainly are the main source,” Pakistani security analyst Zahid Hussain wrote in the English-language Dawn newspaper.
But many of those working at religious schools say they are being unfairly painted as contributing to militancy.
“We condemn all those who indulge in terrorism. This is our country. Anyone who is doing anything against Pakistan, against Islam, against the army … we condemn them,” said Abrar ul-Haq, who teaches at the Taleem-ul-Quran school in Rawalpindi.
There’s no exact number of madrassas in Pakistan but estimates put the number in the tens of thousands. They provide food, housing and a religious education to students from around the country. Many teach both male and female students.
Here are images by AP photographer Muhammed Muheisen featuring students studying at Pakistani religious schools.