Fawad Chaudhry Unveils the Institutes That Spread Extremism

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Hussain Chaudhry, has said that contrary to the popular belief, it is schools and colleges, not madrassahs, that are spreading extremism.

“In the 90s, teachers were appointed to preach extremism,” Fawad said while addressing the launching ceremony of “Charter of Peace,” organized by Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies.

The students of ordinary schools and colleges had been involved in notable incidents of extremism in Pakistan and not of madrassahs.

It happened because “You closed their (school and college students) minds. If you cultivate a society where an opposing view is immediately declared kufr (heresy) … how can you present an opposing view?”

“And if no opposing views are tolerated, how will you bring a soft change [in society]?” he asked rhetorically.

Taking a hit at his government over the issue of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Fawad said that the state and the government were ‘not fully prepared to deal with extremism, as they had to retreat while dealing with the then proscribed organization.

At least four policemen died, and over 250 got injured during the violent protest held by the TLP last month. The government, instead of clamping down on miscreants, signed a secret accord with the organization. After a few days of the agreement, the government removed TLP from Schedule-IV and released its leader, Saad Hussain Rizvi.

Fawad, who had fiercely opposed the decision, said, “The country faces no threat from America or Europe, it faces the biggest danger from within.”

Chaudhry lamented that the menace of extremism could isolate and destroy a country and commented, “Unfortunately, Pakistan was pushed towards it for political and foreign policy reasons.”

In society, a person with a different opinion is labeled a “non-believer.”

“Islam teaches balance and peace. The teachings of Islam or any other religion are not the issues, the only issue is their interpretation.”