International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 3, 2012 29
A well-known quotation by Bertrand Russell
comes to mind: “The trouble with the world is
that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent
are full of doubt.” The only difference here is
that these students are not stupid because this is
not an issue of intelligence. It is more a
maladaptive personality trait that makes them
appear ignorant and stupid. There are millions
of Tablighees (men who spread Islam) in
Pakistan, many of whom I have come across,
and they all say the same thing: “This is the right
path. If you follow it, you will go to heaven if
you don’t, you will go to hell. Come with us so
that you also spread this word.” In the past 25
years of my adult life, having received hundreds
of such dawats (invitations [to Islam]) by
Tablighees, I have yet to hear anything different.
We also have to keep in mind the energy of
sexual drive during puberty, which challenges
the psyche of the teenager. We must remember
that teenagers are very prone to guilt, and if guilt
is induced for innocent child’s play, sexuality
becomes impossible to deal with. The children
and adolescents in madrassas are segregated as
males and never get to see or interact with
females. Any sexual thoughts, feelings, and
masturbation are absolutely forbidden. I know
from clinical experience that even nocturnal
emissions and associated dreams are difficult for
these youth to deal with. Their absence of a
sexual outlet leads to sexual energy that needs to
be discharged.
Unfortunately, sexual abuse of children in
madrassas* also is very common. Many times,
when they are older, these youth in turn sexually
abuse younger children or resort to situational
*There is no data available for the incidence of child sexual abuse
in madrassas. Understandably, because of the secret nature of
abuse, vulnerability of the victim, and lack of awareness in the
society, there is hardly any reporting of such cases. However,
having served on the Board of Directors for Sahil (sahil.org), the
largest nongovernmental organization (NGO) working on raising
awareness and prevention of child sexual abuse in Pakistan, I know
many such cases were reported. Sahil publishes a report called
“cruel numbers” but these numbers depend on media reports,
which do not even touch the tip of the iceberg in this case. I also
worked with patients in the clinical setting for 10 years and was the
founding board member of another NGO, Rozan (rozan.org),
which registered in Islamabad in 1998 part of Rozan’s mission
was prevention of child sexual abuse. In that context, I saw and
heard of dozens of such cases. It is fair to say that child sexual
abuse is common in madrassas, as it has been in the churches and
other sacred places of worship.
homosexuality, which in itself results in very
guilt-ridden individuals. They often have
significant guilt about being sexually abused, or
sexually abusing others, or experiencing
situational homosexuality. This deranged
experience of puberty and adolescence often
leads to identity foreclosure.
Unsettling Reality of Mortality
A fourth factor that can contribute to the making
of a Pakistani Muslim suicide bomber is the
inability of many madrassa students to accept
mortality.
All animals are instinctually hardwired to avoid
death, but they do not cognitively understand the
phenomenon of death. Only the human species
has become aware, through evolution, of its
mortality and the phenomenon of death. For
children between the ages of 5 years and 7 years,
cognition has developed to the extent that they
begin to understand death’s three main
components: irreversibility, nonfunctionality,
and universality (Speece &Brent, 1984). When
existential issues begin to arise, the human
psyche is challenged in a troubling manner,
particularly in the early teenage years, at the
stage of formal operations (Piaget &Inhelder,
2000).
I don’t think there is any mechanism in the
evolutionary process that prepares us as humans
for this new, unsettling awareness. We have to
deal with it in some adaptive or maladaptive
manner. There are many symbolic ways to
become immortal. The two most common and
healthy ways are passing on the genes through
procreation, and leaving behind some
memorable word or deed. Sublimation of the
sexual drive usually leads to the latter. For
example, Sigmund Freud continues to “live” not
only through his children but also, and even
more so, through the theory he developed. At
best, these examples represent symbolic
immortality and are not absolute.
Therefore, the issue of one’s immortality
continues to be troubling, in some way, over a
lifetime. The most common way to achieve
what many humans consider “absolute”
immortality and find so appealing is through
religion and the concept of life hereafter that is
A well-known quotation by Bertrand Russell
comes to mind: “The trouble with the world is
that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent
are full of doubt.” The only difference here is
that these students are not stupid because this is
not an issue of intelligence. It is more a
maladaptive personality trait that makes them
appear ignorant and stupid. There are millions
of Tablighees (men who spread Islam) in
Pakistan, many of whom I have come across,
and they all say the same thing: “This is the right
path. If you follow it, you will go to heaven if
you don’t, you will go to hell. Come with us so
that you also spread this word.” In the past 25
years of my adult life, having received hundreds
of such dawats (invitations [to Islam]) by
Tablighees, I have yet to hear anything different.
We also have to keep in mind the energy of
sexual drive during puberty, which challenges
the psyche of the teenager. We must remember
that teenagers are very prone to guilt, and if guilt
is induced for innocent child’s play, sexuality
becomes impossible to deal with. The children
and adolescents in madrassas are segregated as
males and never get to see or interact with
females. Any sexual thoughts, feelings, and
masturbation are absolutely forbidden. I know
from clinical experience that even nocturnal
emissions and associated dreams are difficult for
these youth to deal with. Their absence of a
sexual outlet leads to sexual energy that needs to
be discharged.
Unfortunately, sexual abuse of children in
madrassas* also is very common. Many times,
when they are older, these youth in turn sexually
abuse younger children or resort to situational
*There is no data available for the incidence of child sexual abuse
in madrassas. Understandably, because of the secret nature of
abuse, vulnerability of the victim, and lack of awareness in the
society, there is hardly any reporting of such cases. However,
having served on the Board of Directors for Sahil (sahil.org), the
largest nongovernmental organization (NGO) working on raising
awareness and prevention of child sexual abuse in Pakistan, I know
many such cases were reported. Sahil publishes a report called
“cruel numbers” but these numbers depend on media reports,
which do not even touch the tip of the iceberg in this case. I also
worked with patients in the clinical setting for 10 years and was the
founding board member of another NGO, Rozan (rozan.org),
which registered in Islamabad in 1998 part of Rozan’s mission
was prevention of child sexual abuse. In that context, I saw and
heard of dozens of such cases. It is fair to say that child sexual
abuse is common in madrassas, as it has been in the churches and
other sacred places of worship.
homosexuality, which in itself results in very
guilt-ridden individuals. They often have
significant guilt about being sexually abused, or
sexually abusing others, or experiencing
situational homosexuality. This deranged
experience of puberty and adolescence often
leads to identity foreclosure.
Unsettling Reality of Mortality
A fourth factor that can contribute to the making
of a Pakistani Muslim suicide bomber is the
inability of many madrassa students to accept
mortality.
All animals are instinctually hardwired to avoid
death, but they do not cognitively understand the
phenomenon of death. Only the human species
has become aware, through evolution, of its
mortality and the phenomenon of death. For
children between the ages of 5 years and 7 years,
cognition has developed to the extent that they
begin to understand death’s three main
components: irreversibility, nonfunctionality,
and universality (Speece &Brent, 1984). When
existential issues begin to arise, the human
psyche is challenged in a troubling manner,
particularly in the early teenage years, at the
stage of formal operations (Piaget &Inhelder,
2000).
I don’t think there is any mechanism in the
evolutionary process that prepares us as humans
for this new, unsettling awareness. We have to
deal with it in some adaptive or maladaptive
manner. There are many symbolic ways to
become immortal. The two most common and
healthy ways are passing on the genes through
procreation, and leaving behind some
memorable word or deed. Sublimation of the
sexual drive usually leads to the latter. For
example, Sigmund Freud continues to “live” not
only through his children but also, and even
more so, through the theory he developed. At
best, these examples represent symbolic
immortality and are not absolute.
Therefore, the issue of one’s immortality
continues to be troubling, in some way, over a
lifetime. The most common way to achieve
what many humans consider “absolute”
immortality and find so appealing is through
religion and the concept of life hereafter that is
