NOREF - Pakistan’s Madrasas: Moderation or Militancy? The madrasa debate and the reform process

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Kaja Borchgrevink

is a researcher at the International Peace Research Institute (PRIO) in Oslo, where her work focuses on the Afghan peace process after 2001. From 2001 to 2006, Borchgrevink worked with civil-society development in Afghanistan and Pakistan for the United Nations and the Aga Khan Foundation. Her r...
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Pakistan’s Madrasas: Moderation or Militancy? The madrasa debate and the reform process

Kaja Borchgrevink , 22 June 2011

Why have the madrasas become a subject of such controversy? What roles do madrasas play in Pakistani society? What are the main challenges and opportunities for madrasa reform? Since 11 September 2001, Pakistan’s madrasas have received much attention from the media, policy analysts and politicians. The bulk of the literature has asserted strong links between madrasas and militancy. Madrasas have thus become the focus of a much larger debate on Islam and militancy. This security discourse has placed the most radical madrasas in the spotlight and has left out the moderate, non-militant and non-political madrasas. From a broader policy implication perspective, one can more constructively and fruitfully approach the “madrasa challenge” by looking at the diversity of schools existing in this sector, in terms of size, financing, and theological and ideological positions, as well as at their links to political groups. This report presents the core issues in the debate and identifies some of the challenges and opportunities for reform.