An investigation by The Associated Press (AP) in 2020 found police reports, known in Pakistan as First Information Reports, alleging sexual harassment, rape and physical abuse by Islamic clerics teaching in madrassas or religious schools throughout the country.
It is in these schools - known as Madaris-e-Deeniya in Urdu - that many of the country’s poorest, and most vulnerable, study. There are believed to be as many as 40,000 such establishments in Pakistan - including those that are unregistered - with some, particularly those funded by Saudi Arabia, being associated with Islamic radicalisation.
AP documented a number of cases of abuse through interviews with law enforcement officials, abuse victims, and their parents.
"There are more than 22,000 registered madrassas in Pakistan, teaching more than 2 million children. But there are many more religious schools that are unregistered. They are typically started by a local cleric in a poor neighbourhood, attracting students with a promise of a meal and free lodging. There is no central body of clerics that governs madrassas. Nor is there a central authority that can investigate or respond to allegations of abuse by clerics, unlike the Catholic Church, which has a clear hierarchy topped by the Vatican." -- Associated Press (May 11th, 2020)
Whilst the government has promised to modernise the curriculum and make the madrassas more accountable, police say the problem of sexual abuse of children by clerics is pervasive and the scores of reports they have received, none of which have resulted in the conviction of a cleric, are just the tip of the iceberg.
Religious clerics are a powerful group in Pakistan and AP describes them as closing ranks when allegations of abuse are brought against one of them. They have often been able to hide the widespread abuse by accusing victims of blasphemy, defamation of Islam, or defamation of the prophet, which carries a mandatory death sentence.
"It is the hypocrisy of some of these mullahs, who wear the long beard and take on the cloak of piety only to do these horrible acts behind closed doors, while openly they criticise those who are clean shaven, who are liberal and open minded. In our society so many of these men, who say they are religious, are involved in these immoral activities." -- Deputy Police Superintendent Sadiq Baloch.
In such a scenario, the family of any young girl - or boy - alleging sexual abuse by a cleric, faces two options.
To report the offence, knowing that no action will be taken against the cleric, who will invoke Pakistan’s draconian and internationally condemned blasphemy laws, and stigmatising the victim for life, or worse: those accused of blasphemy often face the wrath of the mob.
"The threat of violence follows many people accused of blasphemy, with groups or individuals taking the law into their own hands to threaten or kill the accused and other people associated with them, including their lawyers, members of their families, and members of their own community." -- Amnesty International (Pakistan: How the blasphemy laws enable abuse ( 21st Dec 2016)).
Or they can say and do nothing.
In either scenario, the cleric will be untouched and free to continue the cycle of abuse. “A pall of fear also hangs over those working in Pakistan’s criminal justice system, preventing lawyers, police, prosecutors and judges from carrying out their jobs effectively, impartially, and free of fear,” -
Amnesty International report.
On April 28th, 2021, the European Parliament adopted a joint motion, supported by all major political groups, for a resolution on the blasphemy laws in Pakistan, calling for more comprehensive approaches to address such abuses of the laws as described above in Pakistan.
The motion called for, amongst other sanctions to be taken against Pakistan, the European Commission and the European External Action Service to immediately review Pakistan’s eligibility for GSP+ status, which allows developing nations to export tariff-free to the EU, and if there is sufficient reason to initiate a procedure for the temporary withdrawal of this status and the benefits that come with it.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry responded to the move by releasing a statement saying the European Parliament resolution “reflects a lack of understanding in the context of blasphemy laws and associated religious sensitivities in Pakistan — and in the wider Muslim world”.
"The law is frequently used to make despicable and multiple human rights violations, including physical violence, loss of property and livelihood, evictions and even loss of life. It is not only the accused but sometimes entire families and communities who experience suffering after allegations are levelled.” Centre for Social Justice Executive Director Peter Jacob.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has previously called for the elimination of blasphemy laws throughout the world - globally, 84 countries have such laws, although few if any are as far-reaching, draconian, or as open to abuse as those of Pakistan.
Of these 84 states, 70% declare Islam as the official state religion.
Pakistan has the highest rate of enforcement of the blasphemy laws, with Iran the second highest.
Only Brunei, Iran, and Mauritania also impose the death penalty, which is mandatory in Pakistan for the offence of defaming the Prophet Mohammed.
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Investigating child sexual abuse in Pakistan's madrasas
Experts think several factors are behind the incidents at Pakistan's religious schools. "The children will not speak against clerics out of fear, and clerics will definitely not admit anything," one commentator told DW.
A recent sexual abuse case involving a madrasa student and a high-profile religious leader in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore rocked the country.
Sabir Shah, a student at the madrasa, told DW that Mufti Aziz ur Rehman sexually abused him for over a year.
Rehman belonged to Jamiat Ulema Islam, an organization of religious scholars that adheres to an extremely conservative interpretation of Islam.
It was not an isolated incident. Shortly after, a video of child sexual abuse involving a Shiite cleric emerged. In May 2017, a nine-year-old boy was raped by a cleric in Pak Pattan; in 2018 a Lahore-based cleric was booked for raping a minor; and in 2019, a 13-year old disabled girl was sexually assaulted by a cleric in Multan.
The cases have given rise to calls for accountability in Pakistan. Many are blaming religious seminaries. But clerics vehemently reject that their educational institutions are at fault.
More than 2.2 million children study in over 36,000 registered and unregistered madrasas in the South Asian country. An overwhelming majority of the students are from impoverished parts of Pakistan's northwestern, western and eastern provinces.
'Pious' clerics pick on vulnerable children
Experts told DW that a number of factors contribute to sexual assaults in seminaries.
"I have come across a number of cases where young children were sexually assaulted by clerics," Dr. Naila Aziz, a Lahore-based clinical psychologist, told DW.
She said the clerics were generally under mental stress and often sexually frustrated, trying to suppress their sexual desires as a demonstration of their devout faith.
Some clerics then target vulnerable children because they know that children's claims of sexual abuse are much less likely to be believed. This "prompts them [the children] to not report such cases of sexual assaults," she said. "This in turn encourages clerics to go on doing what they do with impunity."
Little accountability for Pakistan's powerful clergy
Some critics in Pakistan think that the Islamic clergy's powerful political position leads to a lack of accountability at madrasas.
Nasreen Jalil, the former chairperson of a Senate committee on human rights, said clerics used their political power to cover up their sexual abuse crimes. If you open an investigation against a madrasa, religious leaders would call by telephone, requesting that the investigation stops, Jalil explained to DW. She added that lawmakers self-censor when it comes to investigating sexual assault cases in religious schools and other issues related to clerics, as a result of this.
This culture of power and intimidation means that "there is no accountability for these clerics," Jalil said. "They teach the syllabus of their choice, collect funds and use them in their own ways. This lack of accountability has encouraged them to commit crimes against children, as well."
Mumtaz Gohar, the national Coordinator of Pakistan's Child Rights Movement told DW that it is difficult to look into sexual abuse claims. If any group tries to probe the matter, the clerics could use their powerful position to accuse them of blasphemy or of being a "foreign agent."
If a team succeeds in gaining access to a madrasa, then there will be no cooperation. "The children will not speak against clerics out of fear, and clerics will definitely tell you nothing," Gohar said. "It is this sense of impunity that encourages them to keep on engaging in such activities."
Parents are under pressure to not report the abuse
Social pressure can also prevent parents from reporting cases when they become aware of the abuse, allowing it to continue.
Noor Muhammad Fazli, whose nephew was assaulted by a local cleric in Punjab's Chakwal district, said the parents of four girls who were molested by the same cleric withdrew allegations because of mounting social pressure.
This was despite the fact that the accused had confessed to the sexual assault.
It is this social pressure that emboldens these clerics, he said, asserting that, if society stands against them, they cannot target "our kids."
Lahore-based analyst Ahsan Raza said clerics were often revered in villages. Even if found to be guilty, a cleric is often pardoned or the matter is covered up on the order of traditional village consultative council where clerics have supporters and backers, Raza told DW.
Pakistan has just one forensics lab
Pakistan is further hampered by a dire lack of modern facilities that could expedite the collection of evidence and the verification of allegations that are made.
The country has only one forensic laboratory, and it took four months for the lab to investigate one case, a police investigator told DW on the condition of anonymity.
"The lab is flooded with cases and it takes months to prepare reports," she said. "This delays the proceedings, creating problems for the victims' family, prompting them to withdraw the cases, encouraging the perpetrators."
Clerics dispute claims
Religious parties and clerics assert that madrasas are the target of defamation by NGOs and secular organizations.
A torrent of criticism has been unleashed by some elements against religious schools, but, in reality, sexual assaults rarely happen in such places, Jalal Uddin, the leader of Jamiat Ulema Islam, said.
Mohammad Nazir Farooqui, who belongs to Maroof ul Quran madrasa in Islamabad, told DW that there was a strict system of accountability and that it would be wrong to think that such incidents are widespread.
Most of the madrasas are performing their religious duties by imparting education, he said, adding that these religious educational places have their own system of accountability, which does not tolerate such crimes.
"All clerics and religious parties have condemned such acts and demanded that those who are involved should be brought to justice. Despite all that, some elements continue to tarnish the image of seminaries," Farooqui said.
Source:
dw.com, S. Khan, June 29, 2021
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