To the East of Pakistan, lies India, Pakistan's long time advisary. India is more than four times as large as Pakistan and is nuclear armed. The two have been in a conflict with each other for decades but in 2001-2002 the conflict intensified. To the West lies Afghanistan. Afghanistan produces more than 90% of the worlds Heroin and has been the epicenter for the Taliban, and the militant, fundamentalist group Al-Qaeda. Pakistan itself is a stones throw away from the gulf region and it has been an ally of the United States for decades. We need to form solidarity with the Pakistani people. We need to support institutions, such as schools, that will empower the local communities and provide opportunity and hope. Pakistan is at a critical juncture in its journey as one of central Asias burgeoning democracies. Pakistan’s population is poor, 25 % of its population lives below the poverty line and nearly 50% ( that’s fifty percent ) of its population is illiterate. The government of Pakistan spends less than 1.8% of there GDP on education. This expenditure ranks Pakistan 127 out of 132 countries world wide. As a comparison the USA spends 5.7% of its GDP on education and ranks 38 out of 132 countries. Northwest territories in Pakistan have little, if any, governmental influence. These are the locations where the Central Asian Institute is building community based schools to give the local population a choice other than the fundamentalist teaching of the madrasas. “Madras” roughly translates as a place where learning and teaching is done. Students follow a strict curriculum of committing the Qur’an to memory ( hafiz) including a rigorous study of the fundamentalist version of Islamic laws ( shari’ah). Some maddrasses offer limited education for women, but males and females do not share the same opportunities or facilities. Many madrasas in this part of the world teach a militant version of jihad that opposes Western ideals and democracy. The schools funded by the Central Asian Institute offer a broader educational curriculum including reading, writing, science, geography, history, math and skills. CAI also offers vocational opportunities within the communities for both children and adults.
I firmly believe that education is the most powerful tool in which to fight terrorism and ignorance in this most dynamic and volatile region of the world. Education will also expand opportunities, raise the literacy standards and become a long term stabilizing force in this region. Thank you for your help in our efforts to promote education.
