© 2008 Institute of Current World Affairs
The Institute awards long-term fellowships to develop a deep understanding of an issue, country, or region outside the US and to share that understanding with a wider public.
Institute of Current World Affairs - Home Page

Below is a hobbled text version of a PDF document.
In order to read the actual document please click the link below and register if necessary.
(One-time registration is free and very quick.)
Read article

12/1/2006 - Immersion Program Can a Ten-day Workshop for Madrassa Teachers make a Difference? by Nicholas Schmidle

Immersion Program Can Ten Workshop Madrassa Teachers Difference By Nicholas Schmidle December CONSIDERING THE AUDIENCE I caught slightly guard middle woman dressed piece water taffy heels purse pants tunic course headscarf approached podium began expounding virtues Adam Smith economic losophy In front mullahs around U shaped table conference Karachi hotel scribbling furiously their notebooks craning their necks whiteboard peering another shoulders missed salient points amidst deluge unfamiliar names They hailed remote Pakistan wearing variety checkered turbans shawls Some donned colorful stitched prayer studded hundreds mirrors The woman Doctor Islamic Jurisprudence Karachi University where teaches Department Quran Sunnah explained tenets capitalism And surprising message market economy invisible totally compatible Islam In reminded Prophet Muhammad busting monopolies himself Last Hafez KhalilAhmed first invited attend madrassa workshop planned early December I expect Ahmed spoken something freckles scruffy beard large madrassa Islamic seminary Quetta provincial capital Baluchistan southwestern Pakistan His madrassa hours drive Kandahar Afghanistan doubles regional headquarters Jamiat Ulema Islami JUI political party stalwart supporter Taliban Since connection between madrassas Ahmed Islamic tancy source intense debate Most leaders Taliban government Afghanistan graduated Pakistani madrassas Mullah Omar Taliban declared momineen leader faithful actually attend still given honorary degree Darul Uloom Haqqania sprawling madrassa students located about drive Afghan border A June piece New York Times Magazine described Haqqania jihad factory In other articles Pakistan madrassas called terror jihad universities In October former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld distributed throughout Pentagon asked Are capturing killing deterring dissuading terrorists every madrassas radical clerics recruiting training deploying against Ahmed firebrand himself after September filmed leading procession through streets Quetta chanting Long Sheikh Osama Long Mullah Omar But after hearing Afghans criticizing Taliban changed We thought people Afghanistan supported Taliban reporter wrong Since mission convince anyone listen Taliban ideas backwards misleading Ahmed trying correct wrong perceptions about Americans especially American people To begin targeted those knows madrassa teachers According Ahmed titled Deeni Madaris religious madrassas Modern World close existing between these religious people society He believes exposing mullahs ideas encouraging interfaith dialogue offers These people alone lecturer workshop Now woken bizarre reality where phone because there music playing background Islamic fundamentalists consider music Islamic stand evator Such stories could almost comedy issue minds generation young women weren serious When I arrived gaudy lobby Karachi Meh Hotel first December I expected bunch bearded pained expres sions their faces through exhausting lectures Previous interactions madrassa teachers convinced wanted little debate reform their schools My first assumption correct bushy beards In lobby hotel plenty other guests stopped stare ulema religious scholars passed their tunic baggy pants attire But attendees become bored Ahmed invited dynamic impressive speakers His induce shock therapy judging expressions mullah faces woman first entered succeeded Two after Adam Smith lecture Shi Muslim scholar proposed provocative unorthodox Quran borrowing heavily Jacques Derrida theory Deconstruction Derrida staunch atheist believed meaning texts fluid subject infinite interpretations depending reader history environment In Quran Allah pilgrimage Mecca caravans camels But times changed scholar studied Najaf Iraq under GrandAyatollahAli Sistani University North Carolina research Synoptic Gospels Besides kalma profession faith everything Quran moving HOW DID AHMED CONVINCE bunch their mullahs leave their madrassas villages weeks lectures peting virtues America Western civilization Because background people refuse I Personal connections family influence Baluchistan tribal ciety contemporaries Ahmed deceased father respect younger generations their elders guidance Plus Ahmed madrassa political party JUI mullahs attended workshop belong Deobandi school thought Mullah Omar Taliban people residing Pakistan border areas subscribe And Pakistan sectarian affiliations nearly important tribal So Ahmed armed these natural advantages invited kinds people conservative teachers Sunni madrassas typically interact women especially favor Shi Deobandis consider infidels blonde American yours truly Ahmed organizing workshops alone De cember third months Someone where Washington DC based International Center Religion Diplomacy ICRD comes ICRD record faith based conflict resolu places Sudan Iran In Pakistan their strat small groups mullahs immerse seminars Adam Smith these ideas germinate While American British Pakistani governments spent millions dollars trying reform Pakistan madrassa system macro level ICRD opted effective perhaps fruitful alternative Islamabad recent effort handling daunt madrassa reform consisted proposing trade madrassa registers Ministry Religious Affairs given status university which means degrees recognized equiva those handed secular school Technicall registration designed oblige madrassas teach modern subjects science computers English Yet least major problems cropped government officials think checking regis tered beside madrassa indicates reform madrassas NES ignored their Another factor think impeding progress specific person charge government Ijaz Haq Haq Minister Religious Affairs former President longtime military dictator General Zia Haq With funding support CIA Saudi Arabia General Zia oversaw madrassas Pakistan during 1980s Not ironic tasked controlling phenomenon unleashed father question whether younger Haq I asked Ijaz Haq predecessors whether government lethargy institutional interest personal I think Mehmood Ghazi served Minister Religious Affairs early until August But definitely Ijaz Haq Frankly speaking I priorities But taken interest madrassas would expected General Zia Haq More registered madrassas spread across Pakistan I visited several dozen while Ijaz Haq boasted their everything registration process I little impact years government programs What Dr Abdul Razzaq Sikander Binori Town madrassa Karachi typical We doing hundreds years teaching religion believe religion On issue introducing Islamic subjects curriculum Sikander replied In West someone studying become doesn engineering class Why should specialists other courses science English The approach pursued Ahmed ICRD doesn focus quantifiable goals number madrassas registered number computers madrassa In stead effect change overall approach inside madrassas regarding Islam taught outside world portrayed By keeping participants small Ahmed ICRD create environment where attendees relaxed willing admit mistakes On third workshop burly lumberjack esque mullah village Afghan border raised How guiding principles Islam created these problems ourselves asked One seminar instructors explained Wal Mart regularly outperforms entire national economy Pakistan It created One store Versus whole Is there lumber wanted His humility smashed prior characterization madrassa teachers arrogant uncompromising These workshops conducted small scale these teachers return their madrassas several hundred students impact could tremendous Abbas Hussein specialist training teachers presided second workshop He intro duced myriad methods techniques teachers engage their students One goals workshops Rashid Bokhari ICRD representative Pakistan shift focus teacher centered learning student centered learning According Hussein fifties whose brilliance would intimidating weren disarming Pee Wee Herman style laugh biggest deficiency madrassa education interactive learning Usually these teachers With interaction debate eryone students teachers suffers arthritis categories Age concepts categories passed teacher student untouched contemplation reflection Students their students To question concept perceived affront teacher This mental disease Hussein Hussein mullahs amidst their intense tactfully dedicated focus Islam neglecting parts their brain To illustrate sketched Howard Gardner theory Multiple Intelligence board Gardner theory classifies types intelligence verbal linguistic logical mathematical visual spatial bodily kinesthetic musical naturalistic interpersonal intrapersonal existential Currently Hussein madrassa education utilizes The mullahs agreed They eventually concurred teaching Islamic subjects Abbas Hussein middle lecture Multiple Intelligences INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS beneficial their students intelligence Some afterwards planned incorporate science their teachings Later I asked Hussein thought ulema sorbed Gardner theory I expected resistance admitted I similar workshops asked Howard Gardner Jew I WAS SNACKING ON TOMATO AND MAYON NAISE breakfast sandwiches morning mullah grabbed The previous night while flipping through channels television paused WWE World Wrestling Entertainment Now looked quizzical expression What Are those women watermelon boobs really their wives Why spandex bleed smacked foldable chair Finally chance questions flesh blood American I foreigners market Quetta But first I shaken hands eaten With Stars Stripes being waved crowd naturally assumed Pro Wrestling American I explained WWE women United States printed bikini public He looked little disappointed grossly behaving Americans somehow complete On field St Thomas Theological College second largest Protestant college Pakistan We immediately weave through eight lanes Karachi traffic which really means least twelve lanes motorcycles rickshaws buses The mullahs shuffled across street giggling their turbans unraveled sandals flying their When arrived church Dr Pervaiz Sultan middle specta principal St Thomas welcomed classroom The mullahs squatted children chairs desks Once seated filed They assembled behind table harmo Tablas broke hymnal I couldn This maulana Quetta although anger towards American subsided still Afghanstudents madrassa whose homes Afghanistan havebeen destroyed during airstrikes years The United States military bombed their villages killed theirsisters Who I react Maulana Mohammad Amin seated reviewing assignment write daily itinerary instruction Abbas Hussein verses chorus repeated Badshah Aye The King Come With exception teachers couldn watch fumbled their phones fixed their On M ehran Hotel I asked Abdul Rauf small framed wearing stitched turquoise prayer whether music before He shook That first church He pursed someone pleasantly surprised quite admit The final workshop Maulana Mohammad Amin senior workshop participants squat maroon henna stained beard stood podium where woman stood before Dur minute speech voice matic flair Baptist preacher He goaded fellow mullahs inspire revival Islamic education This responsibility voice boomed We ourselves better educate children In future forward techniques thoughts He admit always lukewarm modern education cannot bring religious social change until accept these subjects Mohammad Amin paused added This misperceptions melted We information about political religious leaders I angry I believed Just West information about information about West All mullahs listened intently nodding scratching their beards A mumbled hamdulilla praise Allah under their breath It seemed things sinking ICWA Letters ISSN published Insti Current World Affairs Inc exempt operating foundation incorporated New York State offices located West Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 The letters provided charge members ICWA available libraries professional researchers subscription Phone E Fax Web Executive Director S teven Butler Program Assistant Publications Manager Ellen Kozak Institute Current World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foundation The Information contained publication reprinted republished without express written consent Institute Current World Affairs