Maulana Fazlur Rehman: Our Madrasas Are Being Pushed Towards Extremism, But We Are Practicing Patience
We are committed to following the Constitution of Pakistan and do not seek confrontation with the state. addressing gathering
NOWSHERA ( WEB NEWS )
The head of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, stated “You are pushing our madrasas towards extremism, but we are practicing patience. No matter how many sympathetic words the bureaucracy and establishment use, we do not trust them.” While addressing a gathering in Nowshera, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said, “We did not declare war against you; you have started a war against us. We follow the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).”
He further quoted the Prophet’s teachings, “The Prophet said, ‘Always ask Allah for safety and never desire to face an enemy. But if you must, stand firm.’ Now that the confrontation has occurred, we will remain steadfast.”
The JUI-F leader emphasized that the government is pushing madrasas towards extremism, while they are committed to following the Constitution of Pakistan and do not seek confrontation with the state. He alleged that attempts were being made to mislead and create mistrust by accusing them.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman mentioned, “There is no forum where we can debate whether terrorism is being caused by you or by us. My brothers, this is a war. You are trying to block the path of irreligion and heresy under the name of modernity, so the survival of madrasas is vital. Forced reforms are being imposed on us.”
He added, “Do you think we will tire? You haven’t learned this lesson. We have learned it from the Hadiths, and we are prepared for jihad until the Day of Judgment, for it is through this path that we will reach paradise.”
Fazlur Rehman challenged the modernists, saying, “I challenge you to bring your students from colleges and universities and let them sit for religious exams, so it can be judged who has more knowledge in their respective fields. We teach modern subjects in our madrasas, but are modern institutions teaching religious studies?”
He recalled that in the past, Darul Uloom Deoband in the subcontinent did not reject modern education, while Aligarh University refused to teach religious knowledge. He questioned why madrasas were established and why such institutions are not present elsewhere in the world, despite the presence of Islam and scholars everywhere.
He pointed out that the Islamia College in Peshawar was originally named Darul Uloom al-Islamia but faced government interference. Similarly, the Nawab of Bahawalpur founded a religious university where great scholars like Maulana Shamsul Haq Afghani taught, but the government eventually took over, leaving the institution in poor condition.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman further stated, “Every madrasa that has come under your control has been destroyed. Now, you want us to hand over more madrasas to you? We do not want confrontation with the state; we are asking for our registration and bank accounts, but you shut them down. Tell me, are registered madrasas better or unregistered ones? Licensed weapons are better than illegal ones, as they reduce risks.”
He explained the agreement made before the elections when the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government was formed, which included the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. After extensive discussions, it was decided that madrasas would have the option to register with any entity of their choice. He added that during these negotiations, the draft law on madrasa registration, prepared by the government, was passed in the assembly, but its progress was halted.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman mentioned that despite agreeing to the 26th amendment concerning madrasa registration, the bill had not yet been passed into law. He noted that PPP is still part of the government, and after several rounds of negotiations, the bill was passed, but now objections were being raised by the President’s office. He emphasized that such objections were inappropriate after the agreement had been reached.