Bhakkar: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has strongly criticized what he described as a “coordinated campaign” to malign religious seminaries across Pakistan, accusing certain national and international forces of conspiring to weaken Islamic institutions and undermine the religious fabric of society.
Addressing a large public gathering in Bhakkar, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that propaganda against madrasas (religious schools) is being deliberately spread to portray them as breeding grounds for extremism and to pave the way for their disintegration. He warned that the move is part of a larger ideological war aimed at distancing the new generation from Islamic values and traditional learning systems.
“Madrasas are the backbone of Islamic civilization and the guardians of faith and morality,” he declared. “Those who conspire to destroy them are, in reality, working to destroy the identity of this nation.”
Defending Madrasas as Centers of Peaceful Education
The JUI-F leader said that for centuries, seminaries have provided free education to millions of poor students who could not afford modern schooling, and have played a vital role in preserving the Arabic language, Islamic jurisprudence, and religious unity.
“Today, when the West fails to compete with our moral strength, it resorts to propaganda,” he added. “They call our scholars extremists and our students radicals, but the truth is that these seminaries have produced saints, scholars, and reformers who have served humanity.”
He urged the Pakistani government not to bow to international pressure and resist any foreign-driven agenda seeking to reform or regulate madrasas under the guise of counterterrorism. “No external power has the right to interfere in our religious institutions,” he said. “If any reform is to take place, it must come from within our own scholars and in accordance with our faith.”
Comments on the Palestinian Issue and Global Injustice
Turning his attention to international politics, Maulana Fazlur Rehman also expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, declaring that the Muslim world must not remain silent in the face of Israel’s continued occupation.
“The Palestinians are not terrorists — they are freedom fighters demanding their homeland,” he said. “To even suggest recognizing Israel is to betray Palestine and negate the sacrifices of thousands of martyrs.”
He criticized Islamic countries that have hinted at normalizing relations with Israel, saying such actions would weaken the collective stance of the Muslim Ummah. “The world must understand that Jerusalem belongs to the Muslims, and no Muslim leader has the authority to hand it over,” he asserted.
