PESHAWAR, Aug 20: Speakers at a seminar on functioning of religious institutions have asked the government to reconsider what they called its pro-US policies, and stop its propaganda against the affairs of Madaris.

The one-day seminar entitled 'Madaris - their past and future' was organized by the women wing of Jamaat-i-Islami here on Friday. The participants, including women MPAs Zubaida Khatoon and Fauzia Farrukh, spoke about problems being faced by religious institutions due to the 'pro-American policies' of the government.

Zubaida Khatoon said Madaris were often accused of being centres of terrorism and their students were labelled terrorists due to the negative propaganda by the media and politicians.

Representatives of Madaris said that problems of religious institutions like shortage of funds should be solved, but instead, the government was interfering into their affairs at the behest of the US.

They maintained that Madaris were spreading religious education which was not liked by the Western powers which were promoting their culture through non-governmental organizations.

The representatives said that the negative propaganda against Madaris through the media had tarnished their image and teachers and students of these institutions were stigmatised.

They agreed that there was a need to change curriculum of Madaris but this task should be carried out by ulema and not by the government alone. Speaking on the occasion, former minister Qari Roohullah said curriculum of Madaris should only be changed in consultation with religious scholars.

He said about 1,400 registered Madaris were functioning in the NWFP and their curriculum should be updated but religious scholars should be taken into confidence before taking any step in this regard.

The former minister said it was wrong to accuse the Madaris of promoting terrorism. He said those who passed out of these institutions were labelled as terrorists which was a cause for concern among students.

The Madaris representatives demanded that the government should stop hurling baseless accusations against Madaris and solve their problems. They said Madaris should be upgraded as per international standards and demanded that the government should take ulema into confidence about changes in the curriculum of religious institutions.