Madressah reform.

THE debate over how to reform madressahs in Pakistan is not a new one. While seminaries in the country experienced explosive growth during the Zia years, producing the human raw material required for the anti-Soviet Afghan 'jihad', during the Musharraf era, and especially in the aftermath of 9/11, the establishment had second thoughts about these institutions. The various madressah reform campaigns over the years have had mixed success, with the clergy expectedly putting up resistance to any efforts by the state to encroach upon what they perceive to be their turf. However, the present government has also indicated that it wants to 'mainstream' the institutions. The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training says a directorate to oversee madressahs is almost ready, and that ulema are on board. A few days earlier, while meeting clerics, the prime minister had also remarked that 'revolutionary' reforms to overhaul seminaries were in the works.

If the government were to succeed in bringing madressahs into the mainstream, specifically in overseeing their curriculum and ensuring their registration, it would be a feat worth appreciating. However, this is easier said than done. For example, there are no concrete figures about how many seminaries - registered and otherwise - exist in the country; estimates range from 30,000 to 60,000. Moreover, ensuring that all sects and sub-sects that run madressahs are on board is another challenge. It would be wrong to say that all madressahs preach terror and extremism; many do not, but as the experiences of Lal Masjid as well as of the seminaries that helped...