A lost notice:
Abdullah Al Masud, son of the Imam of Hazaribagh NabipurJame Masjid
(Mosque) has gone missing. He studies at Hazaribagh Battala Madrasa.
The boy is ten years old. His complexion is fair. If any kind hearted
person finds him, it is humbly requested to deliver him to Hazaribagh
Nabipur Jame Masjid.
The announcement mentioned above is dated 1993. The announcement
was broadcast from the microphones of Nabipur Jame Masjid (the
mosque where my father was the Imam) and surrounding mosques. This
was after my first escape from the Madrasa. After that I ran away from
the Madrasa many times, but each time I was caught like an escaped
convict and re-incarcerated in the Madrasa. Of course, this is not just my
life story; it is the story of millions of boys studying in Qawmi Madrasas. I
ran away from the Madrasa because my childlike mind could not accept
what was being taught in the Madrasa. The book we memorized in
Madrasa is called Al-Qur’an – the main scripture of Islam. I was 13 years
old when I memorized it. I did not know the meaning of what is written in
the Quran. The pain of memorizing something without understanding
the meaning is perceived only by those who have attended Qawmi
Madrasa.
What is Qawmi Madrasa?
The Islamic seminary that follows Darul Uloom Deoband
madrasa and its syllabus is called Qawmi Madrasa. The Islam mainly followed by South Asian Muslims is called ‘Deobandi Islam’, also called Hanafi Mazhab’s Islam. Most of the radical Islamists throughout South Asia, including the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Taliban in Pakistan, Jaish-E-Muhammad in Pakistan, the Harkatul Jihad in Bangladesh, the JMB in
Bangladesh are largely the product of Qawmi Madrasa. Deoband
Madrasa is located in Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, India. Till
now it is the headquarters of orthodox Islamic education. It was established in 1866. The objective behind its establishment was to
inculcate pure Islam among the people and to continue the ideological
and military jihad to establish Islamic sharia law into the society and
state. The whole world today hates Islamic Jihadists. Because jihadists
attack Non-Muslims, people of different faiths and atheists. But what the
people of the world need to know is that jihadists do not become
jihadists easily. They are made Jihadists by applying pressure, fear and
pushing jihad into their brains. When we first studied in Madrasa we
were taught that a true Muslim is one from whose hands and mouth
other Muslims are safe. We were not taught in Madrasas that Non-
Muslims should not be hurt or pained. Rather, we learned from our
teachers at a very early age that those who are not Muslims are called
infidels (Kafirs). And the infidels are hated and cursed by Allah. There are hundreds of thousands of Qawmi Madrasas in Bangladesh. The number of students in these Madrasas is 1.4 million according to official
estimates, but the actual number is several times more.There are more
or less equal numbers of Qawmi Madrasas in India too.
Inside Qawmi Madrasa
Those of us who studied in Qawmi Madrasas could not question our
teachers. The teachers used to get angry and agitated if they were
asked questions that showed lack of faith in Islam. We heard from the Madrasa teachers and tried to believe, but questions would arise in our minds. If Allah is the creator of mankind, why does He
tell one group of His creatures to hate another group? Why did he say to
fight against those who are not Muslims? Are Non-Muslims not his
creation? It is difficult to carry hatred in the mind. Those who carry
hatred lose their emotional balance. And so, when we open the social
media or youtube, we see various Islamic statements from Madrasa
educated Islamic figures that contain nothing but hatred and
provocation. Listening to all their statements, it is easy to guess that
these people are undoubtedly mentally unbalanced. Qawmi Madrasas
were developed like boarding schools. There students have to be under
the eyes and supervision of teachers at all times. But the difference
between a Qawmi Madrasa and an ordinary boarding school is like the
difference between a mouse and an elephant. Painting is prohibited in
Islam, so children studying in Madrasas cannot draw. Listening to music
is forbidden in Islam, so Madrasa students cannot listen to music.
Dancing is forbidden in Islam, so children studying in Madrasas cannot
dance. Even laughing out loud is prohibited, because the Prophet of
Islam, Muhammad, did not laugh out loud. When we studied in Madrasa,
the teacher would scold us if we laughed loudly. Sometimes they would
bully, and sometimes they would beat.
Are the Imams also victims?
I think those who study in Qawmi Madrasas are the main victims of political Islam. There are no women teachers or women employees in boys Madrasas. No female classmates. But there they are taught about the female body. A distorted view of women’s bodies is given. The greatness of patriarchy is taught. Men are called superior. It is said in verse 228 of Surah 2 of the Quran: “But the men have a degree over them [in responsibility and authority]. And Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise”.
Madrasa teachers and students, as well as mosque Imams, spread
more hatred against Non-Muslims than any other Muslim in Bangladesh.
Victims are designed so that they will not only spread hatred for the rest
of their lives, they will continue to earn their livelihood from hatred. If
they stop spreading hatred, they will either starve to death or die from
gunshot wounds.
Who is the Beneficiary of Qawmi Madrasa?
A question may arise here; do not the Imams and teachers of the
Madrasa understand the matter? Why are they not rebelling? Why are
they accepting such oppression? This too has an answer. They have no
other option. Moreover, by doing business with Islam, they are given
some privileges that would not be given to them if they do not do
business with Islam. These opportunities include the opportunity to earn
huge money by preaching Islam or performing ‘Waz’ in different places.
Waz is a religious discourse common in Bangladesh, Pakistan and India
where Islamic meetings are held in open spaces. Apart from Waz, they
have the opportunity to have multiple marriages. Generally, there is a lot
of criticism if someone in the society gets married more than once, but if
a Madrasa teacher or a mosque Imam has multiple marriages, it is less
criticized. For those who cannot have multiple marriages due to lack of
money, there is the lure of Hoor (women with beautiful eyes and breasts
who are described as a reward for the faithful Muslim men in Paradise)
in the afterlife.
Since Mujahideen (Jihadists) have more honor than any other Muslim,
they will have the highest number of hoor – 72. Some Islamic scholars
say that the Mujahideen will receive up to 70,000 hoors. So, while the
sexually repressed yet highly desired for female body in the Madrasa
students and teachers continue to think that, If I do such and such thing
it will be Jihad and if I go to that Jihad I will be martyred and if I am martyred I will go to Jannat where so many hoors are waiting for me in
Jannat, then why will he not want to die? For him, death is the ultimate
achievement! To him, living is rather boring. A life that has no music, no
dance, no painting, no art and literature, and no freedom to even make a
loud laugh, is it not better to waste than to keep that life? Is death not
better for people who do not have the freedom to wear pants-shirts, do not have the right to love, do not have the opportunity to socialize with the mainstream people of the society, are not allowed to participate in any kind of government or private job? Among them only those who have a good income and have more than one wife at home will want to live.
There are another beneficiaries of Islam, and I think they are the main beneficiary of Madrasas and mosques. Before identifying them,
we have to realize the impact of Qawmi Madrasas and mosques in the
society. The education system within Qawmi Madrasas and the role of
imams in mosques play a significant role in shaping the Muslim
community’s values, beliefs, and religious practices. However, it is
disheartening to acknowledge that these individuals, who hold influential
positions, often find themselves as the primary victims of exploitation
within the broader context. This article aims to shed light on the plight of
Qawmi Madrasa teachers and mosque imams. Due to the lack of a well-
rounded curriculum that incorporates modern subjects, graduates often
face limited opportunities outside the realm of religious affairs. In times
of social or political unrest, sometimes they are used as tools to incite
violence or support causes that serve the interests of those in power.
Their unwavering commitment to Islam is exploited by unscrupulous
individuals who employ them as ‘cannon-fodder’ to advance their
political goals, disregarding the well-being and safety of these
individuals.
What should we do?
As an ex-imam, my personal experience and insights can be valuable in
advocating for the rights and well-being of imams and madrasa
teachers.
Here are a few suggestions on how we all can make a difference:
1. Raise awareness: Utilize social media platforms, blogs, or other
channels to raise awareness about the challenges faced by imams and
madrasa teachers.
2. Provide alternative education opportunities: Explore the possibility of
establishing alternative educational platforms. This could involve creating platforms for skills development, professional training or integrating their knowledge with mainstream educational systems to enhance their employability.
3. Requesting a security guarantee from the government for imams who
choose to leave Islam and live as good human beings is an important
consideration.
