Faithful education : madrassahs in South Asia /

This comprehensive work focuses on educational institutions called madrassahs in South Asia. Until now, there has been no scholarly study that addresses the social, political, and intellectual history of madrassahs. This word was almost nonexistent in the Western lexicon until the terrorist attacks of 9/11. In its aftermath, the Western media took special interest in madrassahs and referred to them as citadels of militancy or factories of jihad. The book is organized into seven chapters. The opening chapter examines the portrayal of madrassahs in Western academic discourses. Chapter 2 is a historical narrative of South Asian madrassahs. The next chapter discusses madrassahs in Pakistan, in particular how the flow of Saudi funds and the lack of governmental supervision turns these institutions into schools of militancy. In chapter 4, the role of madrassahs in Bangladeshi society is examined in depth. Chapter 5 focuses on how Indian madrassahs among the Muslim minority have demonstrated both rigidity and innovation in the face of changing circumstances. The following chapter emphasizes the necessity of bringing about progress and reform, while the concluding chapter summarizes the major issues and the role the international community needs to play to make the changes possible. Faithful education will be of interest to policy makers, researchers, political analysts, and media pundits. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. S. Ayubi Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Camden