Jamia Hafsa

Jamia Hafsa (جامیع حفسہ) is a madrassa adjacent to the Lal Masjid complex in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. Known for its anti-government stance and fringe conservatism, it has been criticized for ignoring the main challenges faced by MuslimsFact|date=March 2008, and getting involved in publicity stunts like burning CDs and kidnapping Chinese nationals accusing them of running an undercover brothel.Fact|date=August 2007

Leaders of the mosque were said to be on very good terms with the ruling party chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and the minister for religious affairs Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq.Fact|date=August 2007 Shujaat Hussain also had good terms with General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, the longest serving military dictator in the history of Pakistan (and the father of Ijaz-ul-Haq).Fact|date=August 2007 The seminary, and the adjoining Lal Mosque, was owned by two brothers and clerics, Maulana Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid Ghazi,Fact|date=August 2007 until the Lal Masjid operation started and in the ensuing struggle, older brother Abdul Aziz was arrested and younger one Rashid Ghazi was killed.

History

Jamia Hafsa was built in Islamabad in 1992.Fact|date=August 2007 It was constructed on land said to be owned by the madrassa's administration,Fact|date=August 2007 and was affiliated with the adjoining central mosque of Islamabad, Lal Masjid (translated as Red Mosque).Fact|date=August 2007 The foundation stone of Jamia Hafsa was laid down by Maulana Muhammad Abdullah, the father of Ghazi brothers.Fact|date=August 2007 Jamia Hafsa houses approximately 6500 students.Fact|date=August 2007

Jamia Hafsa is the largest school in the Islamic world educating female students.Fact|date=August 2007 Although they are taught subjects like maths and geography, they are not tested on them. Their exams are only on matters relating to Islam. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4258224.stm Pakistan's Islamic girl schools] "BBC News", September 19, 2005]

Vigilantes

On February 21, 2007, the Hafsa students occupied an Islamabad children's public library.Fact|date=August 2007 The occupation was said to be due to the demolition of mosques in the capital by the CDA (capital development authority) due to their illegal construction and alleged security risk.Fact|date=August 2007

On March 28, 2007, a brothel house in the locality was raided by female students from the madrassa, the owner of the house, her daughter and her daughter-in-law were abducted by the students and held hostage at the madrassa.Fact|date=August 2007 Two policemen were also abducted after two female madrassa teachers were arrested in connection with the raid; the policemen were later released in return for the teachers.Fact|date=August 2007

Distancing of All the Notable religious scholars from this controversy

None of the notable Muslim scholars or pro-Taliban/Al-Qaeda lobbies associated themselves with the Jamia Hafsa administration, many raised questions about the motives of the administration behind certain acts, for example, ignoring controversy about the Knighthood of author Salman Rushdie, instead kidnapping Chinese nationals claiming they were running an undercover brothel.Fact|date=August 2007

Controversy

In April 2007, Maulana Abdul Aziz (Hifzulllah) announced that a Qazi court comprising of ten Lal Masjid Muftis (judges) would henceforth enforce sharia law over the area under its control, and threatened suicide attacks by his followers in the country in the event of a government intervention against the madrassa. [http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007