Corporal punishment

Clerics in madressahs brutally beat children who fail to memorise their lesson. Children who stutter while reading the Holy Quran are also not saved from clerics’ wrath. It is essential for parents to sternly ask these clerics not to hit children even if they are in the wrong. All complaints should first be sent to parents. Instead of beating children, clerics should come up with another way to punish children. The most important thing for both clerics and parents is to analyse the root problem of the situation. Some children cannot learn the lesson because they have difficulty in understanding a concept and they need time and extra attention of their teachers.

A few days back, a video went viral on social media, in which a cleric can be seen brutally beating a child inside a masjid. While the Sindh government has taken action and arrested the cleric, there is immediate need of creating safe spaces for children where they can get religious education peacefully.

Faisal Ansar

Karachi