For a long time, observers in the West have been concerned that Islamic extremism and terrorism have been aided by extremist teachings at Muslim schools around the world - many, if not most, of which are funded by Saudi Arabia. Finally, the government in Pakistan is taking steps to monitor those schools and do something about what they teach.

The Afghan News Network reports:

There are thousands of religious schools across Pakistan, mostly run by Islamic groups which strongly oppose any government regulation. They are popular with the poor, because they offer free education and sometimes free board. The schools supplied thousands of recruits for the hardline Taliban militia in Afghanistan, and Afghan officials say madrassahs in Pakistan are still used to recruit militants to fight for the ousted militia.

Just as important as the schools themselves, however, are those who fund them - they don't exist in a vacuum, after all. If the people who pay for extremism can be stopped, then the schools themselves may be forced to change. Those who fund extremism cannot be allowed to remain in the shadows and continue what they are doing without consequences.

Read More:

• Recent Books on Islam
• Islam
• What is Jihad?
• Islam, Violence, and Terrorism
• Islamic Extremists
• The Taliban
• Wahhabi Islam
• Religion in Saudi Arabia
• Religion in Pakistan