The Jamia Hafsa incident has left many questions unanswered. The thorniest being what will be the impact on religious education, especially madressah education in Pakistan? Shall we stop acquiring Islamic education, sending it to a standstill? Are these madressahs really a breeding ground for terrorists?

In order to check the current scenario and the impact of the Jamia Hafsa issue, the Education-Zine conducted a survey and asked educators at religious institutes and the general masses about the brunt.

Sadaf Adnan, ex-teacher of a renowned madressah of Karachi, said: "There is no massive impact on the madressah education. Students, including girls, are still seeking admissions in madressahs. Madressahs do not encourage students towards unlawful activities. On the contrary, the environment is quite peaceful in madressahs. Maybe the new admissions might get affected but not those who are already enrolled in the madressahs and the families involved in imparting or acquiring religious education generations through generations.

Maulana Ghulam Rasool, administrator of Binoria University International said: "Religious education after the Jamia Hafsa incident has not been affected. In reality, I think madressahs and people are now more focused on religion. Maybe the method these Hafsa people employed to make others cater to their demands was inappropriate, but their feelings were right and justified, they were protecting their religion after all, this incident has increased the love and respect people have for their religion."

The madressah students like Abdur Rehman, student of Jamia Arbia Islamia, claim "The incident will not create any negative impact on religious education. Being a madressah student, I know students are not withdrawing owing to their fear. Infact, the masses are sympathetic to the people of Hafsa. Instead of hatred for religion, they are bent towards religion and Islam".

Mohammad Waseem, another student of Binoria University International said: "The incident has not prevented people from sending their children to religious institutes nor stopped students from acquiring religious education. The Hafsa incident has not harmed the religious education. After what the government has done to the madressah, people have developed sympathy for the people of Hafsa and Islam."

Even foreigners at these institutes think that the incident has not deterred people from obtaining religious education as Iftikhar Ilyas, a Californian student of Binoria University International said: "It is true that people are scared of Muslims and Islam, but what the world considers terrorism is Jihad and it is not wrong to fight for the religion. As far as the madressah enrolment is concerned, the episode has not affected enrolment and students are not withdrawing because of the negative image of madressahs. I think what was done to Hafsa was wrong but it has increased the love for Islam and people will not withdraw from madressah."

The general public hold slightly different opinions as Areesha Siddiqi, a student of Karachi University said: "The Jamia Hafsa incident has created a negative impact upon the minds of the people and even I would think twice now if I want to study in a madressah and decide to have religious education in future."

Arsalan Siddiqi said: "Not all madressahs are teaching terrorism and extremism, especially the madressahs of Karachi. Therefore, religious education should not be hampered and enrolment should not suffer due to the Jamia issue."

Naseem, the mother of Areesha and Arsalan said: "No doubt, religious education has suffered, especially for girls, since the primary mode of education in rural areas is mostly madressahs. Parents will think twice before sending their children to any madressah. On the other hand there are still madressahs imparting education par excellence to students and I do not think that the incident will create a bad effect on religious education, specially private religious schools."

Madiha Sahar, a resident of PECHS said: "People are using religion in the wrong way. They propagate the image of a proper Islamic institute but teach extremist lessons. Their actions form a negative impression of Islam. There is a negative impact on religious education as people would hesitate to send their children to even legitimate, registered Islamic institutes. There would be doubt about what ideas the institution is imparting."

Muhammad Nabeel, a resident of North Karachi said: "I was never too much into madressah education and Jamia Hafsa turned me further away. Madressahs were the main institutions imparting religious education and the Jamia Hafsa episode has affected the very root of Islamic education. I had no idea what went on in the madressahs, there must have been legitimate learning institutes but now every religious seminary evokes doubt and suspicion. Who knows which institution has an extremist outlook and weapons stacked inside? There are the so-called 'modern' madressahs but the darbari mullahs are probably running them and there is no guarantee of the quality of education. Religious education has suffered.

In a nutshell, there does not seem to be any major negative impact on enrolment in madressahs, even after the Hafsa incident. Infact, the majority are more inclined towards religion and the love of it----or so they say.


By Samreen Razi and Sana Lakhani

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/jul2007-w...007/index.html