Bahrain
Published: 13/03/2007 12:00 AM (UAE)
Bahraini lawmaker warns against unchecked religious schools
By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
Manama: A lawmaker yesterday warned that Bahrain could be replicating the example of Pakistan where unchecked religious schools helped teach extremism and militancy.
“We were shocked to learn that the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs did not oversee the religious schools in Bahrain and has even provided 10 of them with funds totalling BD60,000 (Dh584,473 ). This is totally unacceptable and we could be making the same mistake as Pakistan where unchecked religious schools were used to harbour terrorists and breed extremism and fanaticism,” Shaikh Jasem Al Saeedi, an independent Islamist in the Council of Representatives, said in a statement.
Bahrain
Published: 13/03/2007 12:00 AM (UAE)
Bahraini lawmaker warns against unchecked religious schools
By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
Manama: A lawmaker yesterday warned that Bahrain could be replicating the example of Pakistan where unchecked religious schools helped teach extremism and militancy.
“We were shocked to learn that the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs did not oversee the religious schools in Bahrain and has even provided 10 of them with funds totalling BD60,000 (Dh584,473 ). This is totally unacceptable and we could be making the same mistake as Pakistan where unchecked religious schools were used to harbour terrorists and breed extremism and fanaticism,” Shaikh Jasem Al Saeedi, an independent Islamist in the Council of Representatives, said in a statement.
“The unchecked schools situation has unfortunately led to a multitude of security and social problems that have plagued the whole Muslim nation.”
On Sunday, Khalid Al Shoomali, the secretary general of the Council, said that it had no control over the activities of the Sunni or Shiite religious schools in Bahrain. “We do not oversee them because this is a purely administrative issue and we have nothing to do with it. We fully support them and we have given 10 schools, five Sunni and five Shiite institutions, funds as a form of assistance,” Al Shoomali said in a press statement.
Arrangement
But Al Saeedi said that the situation was wrong. “How can we not have any form of supervision or legal arrangement in case there are questions about their activities or violation of the law?” he asked.
According to the Salafi MP, the schools could be used to foster fanaticism and terrorist ideologies. “We want the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs which is made up of scholars from both sects to oversee the schools in order to ensure that they are fully compliant with the genuine precepts of Islam and with the laws of the country,” he said.
Last month some schools rejected a decision by the authorities to have all religious institutes registered officially, arguing that they were serving Islam
