The madrasahs and the ulema...

The madrasahs and the ulema, however, have always expressed serious reservations regarding the sincerity of government in this matter. While no one, including the ulema, is against the idea of reforms, there are, however, wide differences between the government and the ulema in its practical implementation. The present study is aimed at an impartial analysis of the present situation in historical perspective and in the light of the perceptions of the different actors involved.

This study will help to understand the problem in a realistic way by addressing the following questions: What reforms mean for different actors? Why are reforms necessary in din-i-madaris? How far are government and the madrasahs justified in their approaches? To what extent are the prospects of reforms only rhetoric? Reforming madrasahs and, of course, the whole education system has assumed greater importance in the current modern plural society.

As a vital sector of the educational system of Pakistan, madrasahs have great potential for making positive contributions to Muslim society and can play important roles in bringing peace and prosperity to the country. Madrasahs have deep rooted relationship with Muslim society and enjoy the great respect of the common man. Madrasahs and religious elites influence public opinion on different issues of religious and socio-political importance.

In view of the vital role of madrasahs in Pakistani society their importance cannot be simply ignored in state policy matters. Therefore, reforming madrasahs in Pakistan actually means reforming the entire society Review of Literature While debate regarding madrasahs is not a new phenomenon, what is new is the great significance and intensity it has received because of the changed priorities of the super powers in South Asia, in particular, and the world over.

The government has been trying since the 1960s to reform madrasah education and bring it into the mainstream. Different types of studies including books, journals, and articles in newspapers, official documents, and literature published by these madrasahs are the sources of information for this study. Jamal Malik, University of Erfurt, has carried out in-depth study of madrasahs and government initiatives during the era of the Ayub Khan and Zia-ul-Haq’s regimes.

This is perhaps the first comprehensive study on the subject, which has always remained controversial because of the mutually opposed points of view of madrasah leaders and the government.