Examining Diversity in Islamic Schools

Abstract

In this chapter, I examine the varieties of Islamic schools in Karachi and the ways in which they cater to the sectarian, ethnic, communal, and political ideologies of various communities. Knowledge is conditioned by the situation of its producer. The production of knowledge and the validity of its contents are intimately connected with the social position of its producers.¹ The interests to which Islamic schools cater depend on the ideologies and educational outlook of the schools’ diverse entrepreneurs. I examine how the backgrounds of Islamic school entrepreneurs change the meaning of Islamic education, how these affect pedagogies and the environment for Western-style, modern secular education in these schools, and how they create varied class, ethnic, religious, and national subjectivities.