Ulema win first round in battle over seminaries

Religious organisations waging a battle against the Madrassah Regulation Ordinance 2002, which aimed to streamline the functioning of seminaries seem to have scored a major victory.

Following talks between representatives of the Ittehad Tanzimat-e-Madaris Deeni, an umbrella group representing organisations running seminaries, and the federal government, it has been decided that the ordinance seeking to regulate seminaries will be "re-drafted".

The purpose is to allay fears of religious groups about the independence of seminaries being trampled on.

Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider, Religious Affairs Minister Mehmood Ghazi and Education Minister Zubaida Jalal met representatives of the Ulema (religious scholars) several times over the past week.

After consultations, it has been agreed that a committee comprising three federal secretaries and six religious scholars will review the "Madrassah Regulation Ordinance" and redraft it.

Mufti Mujeebur Rehman, who led the Ulema at the consultations, explained later that a new law will be drafted since the existing one is "too faulty to be amended."

He added that the government had "pledged not to damage the administrative, financial and curricula independence of the seminaries."

While the six scholars, led by Maulana Hanif Jallandhri who will sit on the committee to review the ordinance are all seen as moderates, the decision to redraft the law is seen as a victory for the scholars.

The Ittehad had earlier warned that it would launch "street agitations" involving Madrassah students from August if the government did not accept its demands.

The federal government had earlier rejected the proposal by the scholars that the law be amended, but now appears to have decided this condition should be accepted to ward off any agitation.

Sources close to scholars who met government representatives also say that "major changes" are to be made, and that the financial autonomy of the seminaries will in particular be protected.

The government had in the past expressed a particular interest in auditing these funds, and determining where donations made to seminary schools came from.

The agreement won by the scholars is also seen as setback to the plans of the interior minister to "rein in" the seminaries at all costs.

Interior Minister Haider is believed to have been persuaded that an agitation by the religious groups, so close to general elections, would not be in the interests of the nation.

The religious leaders, who will sit on the committee to determine the terms of the new draft ordinance, have begun consulting their colleagues on the matter.

All schools of religious thought are represented on the committee, made up of Maulana Hanif Jallandhri, Mufti Muneebur Rehman, Mufti Razi Usman, Professor Sajid Mir, Maulana Abdul Malik and Allama Abbas Naqvi.