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President orders check on growth of capital madrassas
ISLAMABAD: The Presidentâs Secretariat has told the Prime Ministerâs Secretariat to stop the unnecessary growth of mosques and madrassas in Islamabad, fearing religious extremism in the federal capital.
| "Keep it in the hinterlands, where it belongs..." |
Sources told Daily Times on Monday that the Presidentâs Secretariat had written to the PMâs principal secretary, after law-enforcement agencies reported that some mosques were being turned into madrassas in the capital. According to the report, over 300 mosques in Islamabad had increased the threat of religious extremism âbeing a potent and motivated forceâ which needed to be countered. It added that Islamabad was more prone to religious extremism than other parts of Pakistan.
| Hey! There's noplace more prone to religious extremism than Karachi! Unless it's Peshawar... Or Quetta... Or Multan... Or Lahore... |
âAt present, a silent competition is in progress between Deobandis and Brelvis to increase the number of mosques. Their managements, instead of producing broad-minded and educated Muslims, are nurturing a rigid young breed who work as a tool for subversive elements to harm Pakistan,â the report said.
According to the statistics, there are 90 Auqaf-run mosques in Islamabad: two belong to Ahle Hadith, 39 to Brelvis, 46 to Deobandis and three to Shias. There are 161 others for which the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has provided land. In addition, there are at least 40 âunauthorisedâ mosques built by some members of the public, which are: Ahle Hadith (four), Brelvi (16), Deobandi (17), Shia (one) and disputed sects (two).
| That'll tighten the old turbans. Qazi and Fazl will probably have 100,000 unwashed bodies in the streets by tomorrow afternoon... |
Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-07-15 |
