'Islamic schools' curriculum needs review'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

An Islamic scholar from the Philippines has proposed that Muslim countries in South and Southeast Asia set up a study group to review the curriculum at madrasah (Islamic boarding schools) in these countries.

Carmen A. Abubakar, dean of the Institute of Islamic Studies at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, said on Tuesday that the study group would explore the possibility of setting up a standard curriculum and to evaluate the content of textbooks used at madrasah.

"I emphasize this because we have heard much about the way women have been much marginalized in the curriculum of madrasah. Perhaps this is a solution that we can address. The content of the curriculum and the methodology of madrasah would encourage critical thinking," she said.

She also said the group would examine the possibility of uniting madrasah across the countries under a federation of madrasah.

"This federation can work as a network for mutual support in terms of development and more for the enrichment of the madrasah system," she told a regional workshop on "Contemporary Islamic Movements in South and Southeast Asia: Roots of Fundamentalism, Networks, Policy and Trend" in Tangerang, Banten.

The workshop discussed Islamic movements in the two regions, and how these movements instigated the rise of radicals in Southeast Asia, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Abubakar also acknowledged that a madrasah served to strengthen a Muslim's identity and not all of them were breeding grounds for terrorists as claimed.

"Terrorism is not directly linked to madrasah in the Philippines as most of the members of the militant MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) did not graduate from madrasah. They are basically secularly educated."

She said that the study group could take over government's responsibility of reviewing the content of textbooks used at madrasah if the latter did not have the capacity to do so in the absence of funding or will.

"The study group should also look into the possibility of addressing the critical problem of textbooks: what would be the content, what do we want to teach our children, and not just in looking into the past, but more importantly to live in the present and having a vision for the future," she said.

"In this way, I say madrasah education throughout Muslim countries can be a source of genuine development for Muslims and a genuine legacy to leave to our grandchildren," she added.

Azman H. Awang, the director of the Foundation for the Future, an international think tank based in Malaysia, said that science and technology should be introduced to the madrasah curriculum.

"My recommendation would be to look at the knowledge, modern knowledge, science and technology to keep themselves (Muslim community) to the relevance of development," he said.

The two-day workshop, which was co-organized by the Ridep Institute, a research organization in Jakarta and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, a German-based non-governmental organization, ended on Tuesday.