Responding
to the rising threat of ISIS and few instances of youth from United Kingdom
joining the terrorist group, Prime Minister of United Kingdom David Cameron has
called a spade a spade and urged the people of the
Kingdom to come together in countering the threats of Islamist Extremism.
We need the
support of families and communities, and the Government will help where it can.
I know some parents are worried their children might turn to this ideology,
even seeking to travel to Syria and Iraq.
In a bid to
achieve the same, he has launched few initiatives:
We will
introduce a new scheme to enable parents to apply directly to get their
children’s passports temporarily cancelled.
Given UK’s
foreign policy worldview over the years, the Prime Minister’s decision is
being seen as a bold pro-active decision which distinguishes right from wrong.
We need to
tackle both violent and non-violent extremism. That means tackling groups and
organisations who may not advocate violence, but promote the extremist
narrative. We do this already – that’s why we ban hate preachers and have
redirected public funds away from bodies that promote non-violent extremism.
But we will
go further, for example in education with measures to guard against
radicalisation of children in so-called supplementary schools or tuition
centres. We will introduce new, targeted powers to deal with those who peddle
hatred. This is not just about changing laws – it is about all of us changing
our approach to challenge extremism, including universities.
Cameron’s
measures to guard against radicalisation in so-called supplementary schools in
United Kingdom contrast starkly with the manner in which Indian Left-Libs
reacted to the Maharashtra Government’s move to derecognize Madrasas
recently. While the UK faces a radicalization problem of a significantly
different nature, the Indian debate on modernizing Madrasas is no less
significant.
The
Maharashtra Government said that Madrasas which do not teach primary subjects
such as English, Maths and Science would be considered as “non-schools” and
children studying in them as “out of school” students. State Minorities Affairs
Minister Eknath Khadse said:
“Madrasas
are giving students education on religion and not giving them formal education.
Our constitution says every child has the right to take formal education, which
madrasas do not provide.”
“If a Hindu
or Christian child wants to study in a madrasa, they will not be allowed to
study there. Thus, madrasa is not a school but a source of religious education.
Thus we have asked them to teach students other subjects as well. Otherwise these
madrasas will be considered as non-schools.”
Parag
Amalnerkar argues that Madrasa-led education model adopted by a vast number of
Muslims is the very reason why majority of them are not part of the mainstream.
He explains the same:
The skills
& knowledge that modern education imparts provides jobs, careers and
stability leading to economic mainstreaming. This cannot be provided by Madrasa
education thereby creating a large young and restless population which does not
have economic prosperity, creating a fertile atmosphere for victimization and
predisposition to intolerance and extremism.
Religion
then becomes the sole world view which prevents the development of rational
understanding of other faiths and beliefs.
The
Maharashtra Government’s move on Madrasas and David Cameron’s initiative to
counter extremism, may seem politically incorrect to the Left-Libs, but
both need to be viewed from the prism of national interest to arrest and
reverse the process of radicalization
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