Traditional Islamic Learning and Reform in Pakistan

Abstract

Considerable criticism has been directed towards traditional Islamic educational institutions, the madrasas, as breeding grounds of militant Islam and training camps for jihad. The powerful perception of the supposedly unilateral inter-relatedness between these religious schools and jihad, between mullahs and violence, produced and perpetuated fear in the public mind in the West. As a result, the relationship between state power and civil rights has been subjected to very severe restrictions in countries like Pakistan - and without major reactions from the public. This has enabled governments to push through restrictive policies in an unprecedented way.