Al-Qaeda uses unregulated madrassas to indoctrinate children in Afghanistan, Pakistan

Al-Qaeda is exploiting weaknesses in the education systems of Afghanistan and Pakistan by establishing informal and unregulated madrassas, experts say.

Poverty, instability, and a shortage of public schools leave many families with little choice but to send their children to these institutions, unknowingly exposing them to extremist indoctrination.

Al-Qaeda deliberately targets children during their formative years through these shadow schools and religious networks, said Ibrahim Osmani, a former Islamic studies professor at Kabul University based in Islamabad.

"With extremist ideology and specific curricula, they create an environment for brainwashing and instilling violent beliefs in children," he said.

Osmani said that these schools use multi-dimensional teachings, propaganda booklets, lectures, and online media to glorify jihad and convince youth that joining al-Qaeda is a sacred duty.

"One of al-Qaeda’s biggest survival tools is exploiting educational gaps in Afghanistan and Pakistan," he said. "When education falls into extremist hands, not only is the academic and social future destroyed, but society is also pushed toward backwardness and violence."

Islam does not permit such manipulation of its teachings, said Maulwi Muhammad Zahir Muslim, an Islamic researcher based in Tehran.

"Terrorist groups manipulate religion for political and military goals," he said. "By establishing unofficial schools, they mislead innocent children. This is not only a betrayal of Islam but also a betrayal of nations’ futures."

"Religious education must remain under the supervision of respected scholars and institutions to prevent distortion and extremism," he said.

Children’s future under al-Qaeda’s influence

Analysts also warned that al-Qaeda’s presence in unregulated madrassas is not only a danger today but a looming threat for generations.

By depriving children of proper education, the group turns them into instruments of violence rather than future builders of their societies, they said.

Al-Qaeda has long exploited education gaps in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and beyond to use schools as recruitment hubs, said Muhammad Tahir Qayoumi, a human rights researcher based in Germany.

"In these schools, children are not taught academic subjects but indoctrinated with hatred, jihadism, and enemy-making," he said. "This diverts an entire generation from its natural path and deprives them of essential life and work skills."

Atiqullah Ahadi, a South Asia analyst based in New Delhi, called these schools "factories" for producing militants.

"When a 10-year old child is raised with extremist narratives from the start, the chances of becoming violent and even a suicide attacker in the future are very high," he said.

Ahadi stressed that Afghanistan and Pakistan must adopt joint strategies for school reform, teacher training, and strict oversight.

"Without such reforms, the next generation will once again fall victim to terrorism. Educational reform is not only an academic need but also a political and security priority," Ahadi said.