Publication

This brief discusses the vulnerability of madrassa (religious seminary) students to extremist indoctrination in Pakistan. More specifically, the author observes that thousands of madrassas in Pakistan remain completely unregulated by the government, have unknown sources of funding, and often educate students who have bleak employment prospects, which increases their vulnerability to extremist propaganda. Given these problems, the brief's author closes by arguing that the Pakistani government needs to show greater interest in registering, regulating, and reforming the country’s religious seminaries if they are to escape the clutches of militant groups.