Thursday, January 13, 2005

"Hi Atta, What Did You Learn in School Today?"

If you think your child's curriculum is deliberate and God-centered compare it to what approximately 1.7 million children are learning across Pakistan's 10,000 madrassas today.

First Year
Biography of the Prophet (Syrat), Conjugation-Grammar (Sarf), Syntax (Nahv), Arabic Literature, Chirography, Chant illation (Tajvid)

Second Year
Conjugation-Grammar (Sarf), Syntax (Nahv), Arabic Literature, Jurisprudence (Fiqa), Logic, Chirography (Khush-navisi), Chant illation, (Tajvid)

Third Year
Koranic Exegesis, Jurisprudence: (Fiqh), Syntax (Nahv), Arabic Literature, Hadith, Logic, Islamic Brotherhood, Chant illation: (Tajvid), External study (Tareekh Millat and Khilafat-e-Rashida – these are Indian Islamic movements).

Fourth Year
Koranic Exegesis, Jurisprudence (Fiqa), Principles of Jurisprudence, Rhetorics, Hadith, Logic, History, Cant illation, Geography of the Arab Peninsula and other Islamic countries)

Fifth Year
Koranic Exegesis, Jurisprudence, Principles of Jurisprudence, Rhetoric, Beliefs (Aqa'id), Logic, Arabic Literature, Chant illation, External study (History of Indian Kings)

Sixth Year
Interpretation of the Koran, Jurisprudence, Principles of Interpretation &
Jurisprudence, Arabic Literature, Philosophy, Chant illation, Study of Prophet’s traditions

Seventh Year
Sayings of the Prophet, Jurisprudence, Belief (Aqa'ed), Responsibility (Fra'iz), Chant illation, External Study (Urdu texts)

Eighth Year
Ten books by various authors focusing on the sayings of the Prophet.

As can be seen from the above list of subjects, there is no mention of modern sciences, such as chemistry, biology or mathematics. According to congressional testimony, madrassas that tried to propose the teaching of these subjects so that their students would have some marketable skills were strictly forbidden to do so by their financial sponsors in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

Students are inculcated with the feeling of nationalism and the glorification of war. In addition, history begins with the fall of Spain in the hands of Moorish prince Tarik Bin Ziad and emphasizes that the "English" were always the enemies of the Muslims.

Not very comforting is it? And that's just one Muslim country...

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