In an era, which is characterised by peerless and unprecedented
scientific development, which has catapulted to world at
new heights, is it not rationale to bring the changes in
the curriculum of religious institutions (deeni madaris)
in order to keep pace with rest of the world? One community
-- self-professed liberals held swayed by western propaganda
-- considers Deeni Madaris "hub of extremism"
and advocates change in their syllabus. Whereas the other
community, the religious minded people, feels no need of
bringing modernity in religious schools. Should there be
a change in Deeni Madaris? Have Deeni Madaris of other religions
also brought modernity? How much change religious education
can afford?
What sort of changes can
be brought in religious schools? To analyse these questions,
we will have to consider the types and speed of changes
being brought in temporal curriculums of different fields.
The ratio of change in different subjects varies.
Even if we analyse different
branches of science -- the fastest changing field -- we
will come to know that all branches do not undergo changes
alike. For example, the field of computers is absorbing
changes at astronomical rate.
The first microprocessor
was the Intel 4004, produced in 1971. It contained 2,300
transistors on a 4-bit microprocessor that could perform
only 60,000 operations per second.
In the mid-1990s chips
included the Intel Pentium Pro, containing 5.5 million
transistors; the UltraSparc-II, by Sun Microsystems, containing
5.4 million transistors; the PowerPC620, developed jointly
by Apple, IBM, and Motorola, containing 7 million transistors;
and the Digital Equipment Corporation's Alpha 21164A,
containing 9.3 million transistors. By the end of the
decade microprocessors contained many millions of transistors,
transferred 64 bits of data at once, and performed billions
of instructions per second.
Now, if change would not
be brought in this subject then it will not be feasible
to keep pace with the quickly changing world because new
softwares, designed for latest computers, will not execute
on a computer with obsolete specifications. So, here bringing
a change in the subject is compulsory.
If we consider subject
of automobile engineering, also a branch of science, we
will come to know that world famous vehicle manufactures
like Toyota and Mercedes Benz still use the basically
same internal combustion four-stroke engine, which was
used by some one hundred and twenty seven years ago by
German engineer Nikolaus August Otto in 1876. This is
state of saturation, which compels not to bring change.
Poetry and other branches
of literature offer almost no change. Whatever verses
were written by Emerson, Keats and Shelly various centuries
ago, they still give the same meaning today. Similarly,
meaning of verses written by Mir, Ghalib and Iqbal have
not changed with the changing time. So, in literature
not much can be changed.
Military weaponry and tactics
have undergone a tremendous change. However, there are
many things, which are centuries old but still are in
vogue in different armies of the world.
French engineer SÈbastien
Le Prestre de Vauban carved out the concept of trench
warfare in eighteenth century. But still trench warfare
is a concept, which is being used effectively. Because
it is still considered an effective approach for defending
troops to dig the trenches in order to keep themselves
safe from the fire power of attackers.
Light Machine Gun (LMG)
is still being used in the armies despite the fact that
it is more than hundred years old -- John Moses Browning
developed the world's first practical gas operated, air
cooled LMG in 1895. But due to its firepower, it is equally
useful even today in defensive or offensive operations
alike.
This discussion proves
that there are many scientific and non-scientific subjects,
which offer very little leeway to change them. And all
the religions of the world, perhaps, have nothing to change.
Religions are sacrosanct, unchangeable and perpetual.
So, change in religious education is next to impossible.
This concept has been understood
by all and sundry in the west that religious education
must remain pure and religious schools are free to maintain
their religious identity without interference of government.
No "modernity", by enforcing the syllabus of
religious schools by government, has been brought so far
in any western country.
Arthur G Powell, author
of The Shopping Mall High School: Winners And Losers In
The Educational Market Place", writes:
"Most private religious
schools are governed by some larger entity, such as local
church or a catholic diocese. Regardless of their organisational
structure, private schools are largely free to manage
their own affairs. They can choose their students, their
faculty, their curriculum and make their own internal
rules."
All major religions, revealed
or non-revealed, are much older than Islam. Islam, being
fourteen hundred years old, is the "latest"
and "most modern" religion among revealed religion
-- Judaism and Christianity. Christianity is almost six
hundred years older than Islam. According to the research
of Jay M Harris, Professor of Jewish studies in Harvard
University, Judaism is three thousand years old.
Similarly, non-revealed
religions are also older than Islam. Wendy Doniger, author
of "The Origins Of Evil In Hindu Mythology",
believes that Hinduism is fifteen hundred years older
than Christianity.
James Paul McDermott, author
of "Development In The Early Buddhist Concept Of
Kamma/Karma" opines that Buddhism is five hundred
years older than Christianity.
All these religions are older than Islam.
However, all these religions are taught in the religious
schools. And no one has ever clamoured that since these
religions are so old, so bring a change.
It is a great misconception that religious
schools no more exist in modern countries. There are countless
religious schools in the west and in other non-Muslim
countries where no "change" or "modernity"
has been brought since centuries and not an iota of modern
subjects of science and technology is taught. These schools
are "purely and only" reserved for religious
education.
How many religions exist in the world?
Gary Gardner in his book "Invoking The Spirit: Religion
And Spirituality In The Quest For A Sustainable World"
writes: "There are 10,000 religions in the world,
out of which 150 have one million or more adherents each."
It is surprising that out of 10,000 religions,
followers of 9999 religions have never been asked to revamp
their religious schools, except Muslims. No modernity
is ever demanded by any nation from them. So-called intellectuals
are ululating that religious schools of Muslims are "nurseries
of terrorists". Nevertheless, details of their terrorism
are not delineated and it is never disclosed that on which
country they have launched attack and occupied it; how
many massacres they have planned; where they have used
weapons of mass destruction.
Muslims, on the other hand, reserve the
right to ask that from which religious institution Aerial
Sharon received the tenets of his religion who has given
carte blanche to Israeli army to carry out genocide of
innocent Palestinian Muslims; which seminary imparted
religious education to Tony Blair and George W Bush, both
hell bent to massacre the people on the "suspicion";
Bal Thackery clinched religious bigotry from which religious
institution who has exhorted his followers to make "death
squads" to kill Muslims.
Why there is no yowling about the revamping
of the religious schools of all other religions?
Western historians and intellectuals,
while expatiating about Islam, have been peddling this
idea since centuries that sword was the major factor in
the spreading of Islam. Now, it seems that they, with
rejuvenated spirit, have opted new approach towards the
same destination: fire the salvos at places where Islam
is taught -- Deeni Madaris -- and not at Islam. This approach
has cutting edge over their old one because it does not
directly targets Islam but actually conveys the same meaning.
Freewheeling western media is scrambling to prove that
religious institutions of Muslims are dens of terrorists
and breeding ground for extremists.
The time has come that
Muslims must clarify, like followers of 9999 other religions
of the world, that they have inalienable right to establish
religious institutions and these institutions are spreading
glorious scintillating and refulgent teachings of Islam,
which can provide copper bottomed guarantees to spread
peace in the world, as Islam is the religion of peace.
If religious schools of other religions do not pepper
anyone with their "pure religious base" and
"alienated from science", then religious schools
must not be cause of consternation for anyone.
