Dark side of Pakistan’s madrassas

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Lahore madrassa incident has once again put the spotlight on what has been known for long – rampant physical and sexual abuse is commonplace Pakistan’s madrassas, Times of India reports.

Lahore police have charged Mutfi Aziz-ur-Rehman with sexually abusing a student for over three years.
The Lahore case is exceptional, where the victim mustered courage to secretly film the act. The matter came to light only after the cellphone videos purporting to show the cleric forcing himself on the student went viral on social media.

The acused cleric is a known face in anti-blasphemy rallies in Pakistan and is well connected, as are many accused in similar incidents. No wonder then, the dark sides of Pakistan’s madrassas are easily kept under wraps.

A recent investigation by The Associated Press found dozens of police reports alleging sexual harassment, rape and physical abuse by Islamic clerics in madrassas throughout Pakistan.

Extreme corporal punishments that have at times even resulted in deaths, rapes, threats and intimidation … the list of abuse is long. Very often, at the centre of allegations are teachers and madrassa managers.

And yet, convictions are few and far between. An obvious reluctance on part of the state and its various arms of governance to act against the perpetrators have ensured that the evil goes on, virtually unchecked.

There are more than 22,000 registered madrassas in Pakistan that enrol over 2 million children, accounting for almost 10% of all students. 97% of these schools are privately run.

There are many more unregistered religious schools. There is no central body of clerics that governs the madrassas. Nor is there a central authority that can investigate or respond to allegations of abuse by clerics.

How do the shady madrassas flourish?

What is it that causes Pakistan’s parents to send their wards to such institutions with dubious records? It’s poverty, very often. Private madrassas are typically started by a local cleric in a poor neighborhood, attracting students with promise of a meal and free lodging. Majority of these flourish in the country’s impoverished North and Northwestern provinces.

So what’s behind the sexual abuse in Pakistan’s seminaries?

The clerics’ mental stress and sexual frustration, says clinical psychologist Dr Naila Aziz in a report published on dw.com.

Fear and intimidation ensures such incidents are seldom reported. Clergies wield considerable influence in rural areas, and lodging a complaint with the police is not easy. The victim and the family is usually under pressure not to pursue a legal remedy. The family too often prefers to keep mum, fearing social stigma.

If an investigation does begin, local authorities are under pressure from political circles and the powerful religious right-wing to have it stopped. Also, Pakistan’s legal system allows the victim’s family to forgive the offender in exchange for “blood money.”

Standing up against the powerful religious right-wing is not easy. The victims themselves are often accused of ‘blasphemy’ for trying to ‘defame’ a religious figure. Witnesses are hard to find or unwilling to talk.

Is there a solution?

The government of Prime Minister Imran Khan has promised to modernize the curriculum and make madrassas more accountable, but there is little oversight.

In February this year, a law was passed to ban corporal punishment in schools- private or public, formal, informal, or religious. It has a provision to penalise teachers for assault and hurt inflicted upon children.

While laws are made with good intent, it is the implementation, or lack thereof, that really matters. The Lahore incident is a pointer that little has been done to discipline unscrupulous madrassa clerics.