PM's meeting with qaumi madrasa leaders
We have noted with due concern that in recent weeks much discussion has gone on about the alleged links of qaumi madrasas to religious militancy in the country. Against this backdrop, a team of religious leaders met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday and apprised her of their grievances vis-à-vis some comments on qaumi madrasas allegedly made by some senior government figures. The prime minister, we are happy to note, reassured them that the comments had been taken out of context and that her government sought the cooperation of the ulema in combating religious militancy. Clearly, the meeting has proved to be a useful exercise in establishing rapport between the government and the ulema community, a move that bodes well for the country. For their part, the qaumi madrasa representatives assured the PM of their cooperation in stamping out religious militancy wherever it might surface.
It was surely a commendable and wise move on the part of the prime minister to have met the qaumi madrasa leaders; and on the part of the madrasa representatives, it was a good gesture to have reciprocated the government move. At a time when religious extremism appears to threaten social and political order, it is hugely important that the cooperation of the ulema be made use of in the greater social interest.
By far the most important job in allaying all fears about the alleged role of some madrasas in militancy lies with the madrasa people themselves. They will be rendering creditable service to the country by using their considerable influence on the community through ensuring that religion is not used as a cover for irreligious and other anti-social activities by any quarters.
And then there is more that these madrasas can do. They must ensure that this stream of education does not any more stay confined to a one-directional approach, that of rearing up the young merely as future preachers. In a world of increasing economic complexities, these madrasa students must face up to the realities around them -- that they must also acquire education and skills training which give them the opportunity to find jobs and earn a decent living. In this context, the law minister's assurance that the government is contemplating recognising qaumi madrasa education by bringing it into mainstream education is to be considered a step in the right direction.
The dialogue between the prime minister and the qaumi madrasa leaders is certainly a good augury. Let it be the beginning of many more to come. Madrasas can surely fill society's needs, through reinventing themselves in the greater public interest.
Comments