ARCH161: Madrasa

Madrasa literary means "a place where learning takes place." In many countries madrasa is a school or institution where secular or Islamic religious studies are taught. In middle eastern countries madrasa functions as a theological seminary and law school, with a curriculum centered on the Koran. Arabic grammar, literature, mathematics, logic and natural science is studied in madrasas, In some madrasas tuition is free, including food, and sometimes even medical care is provided.

Instructions usually takes place in a class room, the class room can a large Courtyard with hundreds of students or a smaller room with fewer students. It is common in many countries to use Masque as a madrasa, and teachings take place between prayers. The first institute of madrasa education was at the estate of Hazrat Zaid bin Akram near a hill called Safa, where Hazrat Muhammad was the teacher and the students were some of his followers. Today there are Madrasas in countries all around the world from Bangladesh to the United States attended by boys and girls of all ages and it plays a social and cultural role in giving after-school religious instructions. Madrasas in west Bengal, India are increasingly opening its doors to non Muslim students, where its treated as a school of many subject, not just Islamic teachings.

Students usually sit on the ground next to each other making two rows, they place a book rest called Rehal in front of them, with the holy Koran placed on top and recite from it. The teacher (Imam) sits at the start between the rows, to teach and test them on the verses learned from the Koran, some students attend Madrasa to learn the basics of the Koran, while others memorize it to keep it in its original form.

(Rehal)

In the past two decades madrases have become a very controversial subject, many see it is a place for radicalizing it's students and point to madrasas in Pakistan, forgetting the history that those madrasas were build by U.S. channeling money through Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. During cold war Reagan Administration sent 8 billion dollars to Pakistan's dictator Zia ul Huq to support the mujaheddin and the number of madrasa were increased from 2,500 to 39,000. In 2002 Washington post reported The United States spent millions of dollars to supply Afghan schoolchildren with textbooks filled with violent images and militant Islamic teachings.

Ronald Reagan meets Afghan Mujahideen Commanders at the White House in 1985 (Reagan Archives)

Front row, from left: Major Gen. Hamid Gul, director general of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI), Director of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Willian Webster; Deputy Director for Operations Clair George; an ISI colonel; and senior CIA official, Milt Bearden at a Mujahideen training camp in North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan in 1987. (source RAWA)

In conclusion, madrasa is a place to learn, not just about religion but how to be a better person and help others. There will always be conflicts between people for one reason or another, and those hungry for power and influence (on both sides) will inflame these differences for thier political and/or idialogical reasons. I believe there are more similarities among people of different believes than there are differences, and learn from each other.