Published on July 25, 2005

Few countries are as pivotal today in the global struggle against terrorism as India’s Muslim neighbour

By all accounts, Pakistan must do a lot more to crack down on Islamic militants in the wake of the London terrorist attacks. Of course, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said repeatedly that his country has been doing its best with what it has and urged other countries to do their fair share. But the bombings in London this month, and possibly the attacks in Egypt over the weekend, point a finger at the hundreds of radical madrasas inside Pakistan that have historically been a breeding ground for radical indoctrination of young believers. Youths are taught to adhere to an ideology that depicts violence and self-sacrifice as a pathway to paradise.

Musharraf’s suggestion of registering madrasas is a step in the right direction. Such monitoring would be pivotal, as extensive reform in madrasa education is needed to fight extremism and terrorism.

There must be a balance between religious teaching and the struggle for peace and stability, as well as a difference between terrorism and the struggle for freedom.

But the government cannot take all of the credit itself. A recent unanimous ruling that saw 58 Pakistani religious scholars gathered in the ancient city of Lahore declare suicide bombing to be un-Islamic should also be warmly welcomed.

Elsewhere in the Islamic world, grand muftis in Saudi Arabia and Egypt have roundly condemned these acts of terrorism and appealed to the world community to work together in these most difficult of times.

Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, grand sheikh of al-Azhar mosque in Egypt and chairman of the World Islamic Council, went the extra mile, calling on terrorist groups to stop their bloody campaign and urged Iraqis to work together to rebuild their nation.

Musharraf has been trying to keep hold of his position, much to the chagrin of the democratic forces inside his country. Religious circles have also had a field day, because it is just such a lack of democracy that has enabled the radical Muslim militants to gain recognition and increase in numbers. In that sense, Pakistan needs more democracy.

Certainly, the media there are still comparatively free, since the government wants to show the international community that the country still has freedom of expression.

Could what happened in Pakistan have long-term repercussions in Southeast Asian countries? Muslim and national leaders alike have warned that Thailand and other countries in this region are not out of the loop and say the violence in the three southernmost provinces could eventually attract the likes of Jemaah Islamiyah or al-Qaeda.

Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have all seen youngsters of their own train in Pakistani madrasas.

Moreover, records from the 1980s war in Afghanistan show that Southeast Asian militants had strong links with Pakistani radicals, especially ones connected to the madrasa run by the infamous Lashkar-e-Toiba.

It is possible that in the future Asean countries will seek increased cooperation from Pakistan to help trace those of their youths who studied in these madrasas.

This being the case, it is important for Thailand to check on the Thai-Pakistani network via Bangladesh. The Thai security agencies have overlooked this connection, because traditionally few officials have taken the time to look beyond our national borders.

For the past three decades Pakistan has provided university scholarships to Thai students, including scholarships for study in religious schools. Most of the students receive a proper education in a traditional Islamic institute, but a disturbing few have slipped through the cracks and opted for radicalism.

Some of these Thai students come from underprivileged families, and their sense of alienation runs extremely high.

All in all, at least 1,000 students have graduated from Pakistan since the 1970s. Returning to their homes, some have taught in pondok schools in the southernmost provinces.

And like it or not, the new emergency powers decreed by the Thaksin government last week have made the South a potential battlefield for aspiring jihadists.

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