Beyond Politics: the Reality of a Deobandi Madrasa in Pakistan

All of the key policy reports on madrasas in Pakistan since September 11, while acknowledging that only a minute fraction of madrasas promote militancy, recommend reforming the entire madrasa system and argue that even ordinary madrasas produce bigoted individuals. They question the quality of education at the madrasa, the socio-economic relevance of this education, and the basis of the authority of the head or imām. This paper, based on an ethnographic account of a Deobandi madrasa in Pakistan, shows that the madrasa system has its own hierarchy of knowledge, well-developed criteria for measuring knowledge, and its own socio-economic relevance. Further, it argues that the imām's authority is not absolute or uncontested; rather, the community bases its support for a madrasa on many rational calculations about his efficiency and personal commitment. The paper thus highlights the need for a thorough study of the madrasa system before embarking on any reform.