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Karachi police rescue chained madrassa captives
Government launches investigation into alleged torture at madrassa
By Zia Ur Rehman
2011-12-13
KARACHI – Police late December 12 raided a suburban madrassa and rescued 56 chained boys and men from its basement, officials said.
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![Families wait outside a Karachi police station for news of relatives freed from the Madrassa al Arabia al Uloom in suburban Karachi December 13. A police raid found 56 children and young men held prisoner in the madrassa who said they were tortured. [Photo courtesy Zia Ur Rehman]](/shared/images/2011/12/13/pakmadrassa1.jpg)
Families wait outside a Karachi police station for news of relatives freed from the Madrassa al Arabia al Uloom in suburban Karachi December 13. A police raid found 56 children and young men held prisoner in the madrassa who said they were tortured. [Photo courtesy Zia Ur Rehman]
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![Some of the children freed from the Madrassa al Arabia al Uloom walk down a corridor inside the police station. [Photo courtesy Zia Ur Rehman]](/shared/images/2011/12/13/pakmadrassa2.jpg)
Some of the children freed from the Madrassa al Arabia al Uloom walk down a corridor inside the police station. [Photo courtesy Zia Ur Rehman]
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![Qari Muhammad Usman, a custodian at the madrassa, is in police custody. Usman denied any knowledge of torture at the school. [Photo courtesy Zia Ur Rehman]](/shared/images/2011/12/13/pakmadrassa3.jpg)
Qari Muhammad Usman, a custodian at the madrassa, is in police custody. Usman denied any knowledge of torture at the school. [Photo courtesy Zia Ur Rehman]
“Police had received a tip that one Mufti Dawood, the custodian of the Madrassa al Arabia al Uloom, had been keeping a number of students chained in the basement of the madrassa and also was subjecting them to torture and sexual abuse,” Mukhtar Khaskheli, a senior police officer in Gadap, told Central Asia Online.
Police raided the madrassa in Afghan Basti and rescued the captives, who are temporarily at a police station, he said. Police arrested Qari Muhammad Usman, but Dawood escaped, he said.
The seminary had claimed to provide rehabilitation services for drug addicts, he said.
The captives were between the ages of 12 and 50, and they were mainly Pashtuns from Afghanistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab, Malik Altaf Awan, another senior police officer, said.
A few of them were drug addicts or were mentally ill, he said.
Police have registered cases against five suspects, including Dawood and Usman. The madrassa and the adjacent mosque, Jamia Masjid Zakariya, have been sealed, Khaskhel said, adding that a high-level investigation will include inquiries about the madrassa’s possible links to militant organisations.
Parents could not meet with children once they were enrolled
Muhammad Asghar, 12, an Afghan student rescued from the seminary, said he was enrolled in it against his will and that teachers tortured him.
Parents were unaware of the conditions their children were kept in, as madrassa management did not allow parents of some students to meet their children, Amjad, a relative of a student, said.
Talking to reporters, Usman denied torturing the students or having any knowledge of torture.
Only Dawood knew why the boys and men were detained, said Usman, a native of Battagram District, KP, who moved to Karachi two months ago. He said families voluntarily enrolled their children and relatives at the madrassa to rid them of evil spirits.
Sindh Governor Dr. Ishratul Ebad took strict notice of the alleged torture and abuse of children in the seminary and ordered an immediate inquiry into the matter.
Ebad has ordered the Sindh inspector general of police to act promptly against elements involved in the incident, an official statement said, and he appealed to religious scholars to co-operate in the matter.
Madrassas lack transparency
Pakistan has thousands of unregistered madrassas educating, feeding and lodging poor children for free, civil society activists say. However, reports of abuse occasionally surface in the media.
Rights violations and torture are common in madrassas, contended Abdul Waheed, an Ashoka Fellow who runs an educational charity in Karachi.
“The students were enrolled in the madrassas by their parents to be religiously trained but against their own will,” he told Central Asia Online, adding that seminary teachers were brainwashing the students through severe torture for unknown aims.
“Free will and choice of education are a fundamental right of every student, but in religious seminaries, the students always are deprived of their basic rights,” he said, suggesting the government should launch a comprehensive operation against such madrassas.
Some madrassas linked with banned militant organisations are not imparting religious education but rather are transforming the ideologies of students and preaching hatred and violence, security analysts said.
Serious concerns have arisen over militant-run seminaries in Sindh, especially in Karachi, because they stir up fear of Talibanisation, said Raees Ahmed, a political analyst.
The banned sectarian groups organise public gatherings in which many of the participants are young madrassa students, he said, citing media reports, adding that the banned groups also circulate militant literature among the students in an effort to steer their thought processes.
Any long-term solution to extremism must include regulation of madrassas, especially those that preach religious and cultural intolerance, Ahmed suggested.
Some defended the institution in question.
“The seminary (Madrassa al Arabia al Uloom) was not registered with Wafaq-ul-Madaris Al-Arabia (WMA), and it was, in fact, a rehabilitation centre offering services to drug addicts,” said Mufti Muhammad Naeem, an official at WMA, the largest federation of Islamic seminaries in Pakistan.
“The seminaries associated with WMA are not involved in any negative activities, and the conditions for obtaining registrations from the federation are very strict,” Naeem said.
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aamirjoyia
We need more vote for Pakistan and it is possible with education, there is no meaning of Pakistan other than reading and writing
Pakistani democracy defeats Talibantariq lodi
the resolve shown by pakistani people against terrorism is commendable as exhibited by them in the elections by taking part overwhemingly.
TTP, HT election opposition un-Islamic, ulema sayЖакшылык. Кыргызстан.
Salam, brothers! I'm a Kyrgyz. I’m 21. I will tell you straight: we should not fight each other. It is necessary to live in peace, accord, mutual assistance, understanding, cooperation, and peace. Because we have a common past. Common culture and values. That is why, I believe that all problems c...
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it is a good channel for viewers to get updated news specially from karachi. keep it up sir
I am sajid and i want to join in sindh police
please upload the whole memogate case and mention what is it in actually .. i am not weel aware of news but now taking interest so, please upload it for me ...
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as learned from media reports that these goys were brought there by their parents as the parents were not in position to get control over their childs because of the uncontrol habits......it is common that in our society there are many numbers of such types of comming generation which their parents cannot educate because of the poverity and lack of facilities for grooming up of the poor people.Madrasa is the one only place where there is no fees ,no special uniform, no canteen cost, no boarding cost,.....so it is requested that the media and journilists should focous on the main issues and give recommendations for its solutions......and not only to disturbe the already suffered nation.
your joke is very intresting i love your jokes.
this is shame for all of pakistani muslim,we do not know ,what is islam, we shuld read QURAN, QURANsays make your self humble, tolrated,good lisner,cocpretiven not a low infocement aegency.read SORAH,ALQURAN,AIGASIA,PARA30.
THIS IS NOT STRANGE ACTIVITY. I AM MANY TIME BEATEN AND ABUSED BY MY TEACHERS AND ELDERS. ABUSING IS NOT A GOOD BUT ITS COMMON IN OVER CULTURE RATHER I ACCEPT IT'S NOT A GOOD HABIT. I AM ASTONISHED THAT WHY MEDIA HIGHLIGHTED THESE ISSUE AT PRIORITY. THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES IN PAKISTAN FOR HIGHLIGHTING. WHAT IS YOUR BASIC AIM. DO YOU WANT TO ELABORATE THAT MULLAS ARE NOT GOOD. THESE ARE REPRESENTATIVES OF ISLAM. SO THESE ARE PESSIMIST AND FANATIC IN THEIR NATURE. REPLY THIS IS YOUR MAIN OBJECTIVE TO PORTRAIT IN THE MIND OF PEOPLES. IF IT IS THEN YOU CHANGE THE MIND OF PEOPLE WHO LOOK ONE SIDE OF THE PICTURE BUT CAN'T CHANGE THE MIND WHO CHECK THE PICTURE FROM BOTH SIDES AND FROM EVERY ANGLE.
media is against the policy of pakistan.western media talk about non issue.and focos the islam is terrrist not peaceful religion
I agree that Taliban should stop attacking the seminaries and religious schools and should let the Muslim children to continue their education, so that they can serve their dear nation and countrymen. Hence, once again I ask my dissatisfied brothers to stop fighting and to walk towards peace; because war brings nothing to them except for destruction, damage and devastation. War is only in the benefit of those countries which enjoy it. It is like arranging a cock fighting whereby people standby and enjoy watching it. They also alienate brothers from brothers and fathers from sons and enjoy it. We haven’t still understood who is our friend and who is our enemy! Therefore, please stop fighting and join the peace process.
Well, I do not think there are many fools in the media, even despite the greedy mason lobby and pressure from dirty politicians of all stripes. However, it should be recognized that normal Muslims around the world are struggling as much as they can with extremist sentiment in all regions. Another thing is that the fight does not always end in a complete victory for smart people over stupid imbeciles. It remains only to wish victory to those who deserve it. I wish freedom from the stupidity and greed of the greedy mason minority to all good people.
though very good to have seized and curtailed the militency at little more level however oncemore very unfortunatly Pathan are tortured as usual.
media has not to show like this to the world.this activity is against ISLAM.and the was not a madrasa so why the media always talkig madrasa madrasa .as everyone knows that it was a rehabilitation centre .and i saw that one on the board of centre.but i saw that the media didn't read even one that board in tv.if anyone see like this activity so the can till to police not to show to anti Islam people.the is more tings happen in church but did cnn and bbc show thim to the world. thats all ( i don't know english very will but i think you will get me)
I am sajid and i want to join in sindh police