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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Pakistani madrassas back under the spotlight |
| 2005-07-25 |
| In the wake of the London attacks, Pakistanâs madrassas, or religious schools, are back in the international spotlight, and the Pakistani government is under renewed pressure to reign in organizations that preach hatred and militancy. Since the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington, the United States has sought Pakistanâs cooperation in cracking down on madrassas that are ideologically, and sometimes militarily, aligned with Taliban and al-Qaida remnants in the region. Now Britain, reeling from the July 7 terror attacks on the heart of London, is also piling pressure on Pakistan. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in a recent statement, condemned madrassa leaders who espouse extremist views and impart them to young students. âThese roots are deep,â Blair said at a recent Downing Street meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. âThey are coming about by people indoctrinated at a very, very early age ⊠(who) go to some of these schools, these madrassas, and they get extreme teaching taught at them.â Blair said the madrassa students âend up in a situation where they actually believe that they are committing the will of god by killing innocent people.â The madrassa issue has boiled over again, largely because of reports that bomber Shehzad Tanweer visited a religious school in Lahore, in eastern Pakistan, that is linked to a banned Islamic militant group. Officials at the madrassa say they have no record of Tanweer studying there. And if he did visit, itâs unclear how his stay influenced his decision or ability to detonate a bomb in London. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #1 And if he did visit, itâs unclear how his stay influenced his decision or ability to detonate a bomb in London. O.K., assume the 'school' didn't help with the means to be a boomer. What about the motive? |
| Posted by: Bobby 2005-07-25 12:44 |