THIS is with reference to the news item ‘BD to integrate madressahs into mainstream’ (May 31) and the earlier news that Bangladesh has become a secular state. The credit for these reforms goes to the courageous Awami League leadership, which had begun the integration of hundreds of Islamic religious schools into the mainstream secular education to prevent further growth of fanaticism and extremism.

In our country madressahs have become a breeding ground for fanaticism and suicide bombers, who have no sanctity for human life, even though the Quran says: “Whoever killed a human being except as a punishment for murder or other villainy in the land shall be looked as though he had killed all mankind; and that whoever saved a human life shall be regarded as though he had saved all mankind” (al-Maidah 5:32).

Our madressahs have given birth to terrorism, which has made our lives miserable. Our corrupt leaders have no courage to follow Bangladesh’s examples. Musharraf’s efforts to force the madressahs to incorporate modern education failed, and the madressahs continue to promote intolerance and sectarianism.

The madressahs administer a daily dose of hatred to their pupils against those who do not agree with them. Even though they claim to scorn all worldly possession and condemn wealth and luxury, those who run the madressahs possess fabulous wealth themselves. The madressahs with all their resources have failed to fight poverty, disease, crimes and exploitation of every kind.

What the country wants today is not salvation from sin but social betterment which could transform the majority of our people — who are ill-fed, ill-clothed and ill-housed — into a free community of well-organised families living in comfort.

How true it is that you reap what you sow. Religious radicalism has been fostered by the state and its security apparatus to such an extent, and for such a long time, that it has morphed into extremism. The forces of darkness and ignorance that dictate hatred are in our corridors of power, streets, newspapers and TV screens, glorifying intolerance.

If we fail to modernise our madressahs, we would soon be turned into countries like Sudan and Afghanistan, and the world will treat us as a rogue and terrorist state, denying us all financial and military assistance.

ABDUL SATTAR PINGAR Karachi