Thread by @DrJavadTHashmi

Al-Qaeda/ISIS is to Wahhabism as the Taliban is to Deoband. But, whereas everyone now knows about Wahhabism, few know about Deoband.

A thread. 1/

The Deobandi movement started with the establishment of a madrassa in the northern Indian town of Deoband in 1866. This was during the British Raj. (FYI, Saudi/Wahhabism also grew under the protection of...you guessed it, the British). 2/

The early founders were concerned about Western encroachment & sought to create an independent space in which to operate. This was, of course, a feature of secular modernity, as previously the ʿUlamāʾ had been ensconced in the state. 3/

Deobandis established a string of madrassas across India (& eventually in many parts of the globe). They trained muftis & found a way to adjudicate religious law without the state. This was the birth of fatwa culture: believers would seek answers in mullahs, not the state. 4/

Their madrassas borrowed administrative aspects of the Western university system & were thus "modern"; yet, their outlook was decidedly anti-modernist. Indeed, in addition to the rival traditionalist movements they competed against (Barelvis & Ahl-e-Hadīth)... 5/

Deobandis have had an ongoing battle with the Islamic modernists, who were very prominent in South Asian history (until they waned in the 1970s/80s). The Deobandis clinged to tradition ("bite down on it with your molars"), understood as regressively as possible. 6/

Deobandis are Sunnīs & follow a strain of Ḥanafī thought, but they established their own subtradition. To their credit, Deobandi madrassas have established hundreds of seminaries & they not only pump out graduates but many of them are highly learned in the tradition. 7/

In this way, the Deobandi traditionalists actually outcompeted the modernists, the latter who relied on a handful of intellectuals (with at times spotty training). The modernists failed to establish seminaries or institutions in which they could spread & develop their thought. 8/

Deoband, meanwhile, established itself into the "Al-Azhar" of South Asia. In some ways, I think, their influence is far greater: there are literally hundreds & hundreds of Deobandi madrassas across the globe, constantly pumping out millions of mullahs. 9/

Also, to their credit, their growth has been less "petro-dollar based" as Wahhabism & grew as a grass-roots movement based on local donors. It is a highly effective model of spreading the movement's ideology. This we must admire. 10/

Unfortunately, Deobandism is ultra-conservative in religious orientation--just as regressive as Wahhabism. The two movements bicker amongst each other as religious zealots tend to do but they are both as terrible when it comes to women's & minority rights, etc. 11/

The word "Taliban" means "students"; they were students trained in Deobandi madrassas. Their teachers were ʿUlamāʾ, mostly in neighboring Pakistan. (This is the gift that Pakistan gave Afghanistan... the gift that keeps on giving.) 12/

Deoband was initially established at a time in which British power was seen as insurmountable, so the goal at that time had been to reform Muslims on an individual religious & social basis, with the thought that they would then be able to establish a true Islamic society. 13/

In India & the West, Deoband takes this quietest approach... But, with the establishment of Pakistan, the mullahs could not resist the urge to become the regulators of society & to seize the levers of power using street power & demagoguery as their means. 14/

However, the religious parties could never win in Pakistan. It was only in Afghanistan that the Taliban were able to establish a Deobandi state. This was thanks to the chaos created by Soviet & US military interventionism in the region (& UK/Saudi/Pak meddling of course). 15/

The ultraconservative views of the Taliban are in line with the wider Deoband movement. Although we cannot discount a range of views, the things that rile us up are all bread & butter issues for *most* Deobandis, even if they have to compromise when they are not in power. 16/

For example, it is absolutely mainstream for the Deobandis to push purda (extreme segregation), with women confined to the house & wearing a burqa to go out--absolute head-to-toe (including face) cover for women. 17/

The opposition to girls' education is also not a fringe belief of the Taliban. The greatest Deobandi scholar, Ashraf ʿAlī Thānvī (d.1943), absolutely forbade girls from going to school. They should stay in their prison (home) & receive rudimentary religious training. 18/

Thānvī issued such gems as: "Girls are a soft and weak wood..." Therefore, "modern education is not at all appropriate for women." And: "It is only ignorance that is appropriate for women… Their safety lies in it… "
(all quotes cited in Moj, Deoband Madrassah Movement)
19/

"True perfection of a woman lies in the fact that she should be ignorant of the whole world except for her husband & home...Therefore, teach religion to women,but don’t teach geography, philosophy,[etc.]..As regards newspapers and novels, these are a killer poison for women." 20/

According to Thānvī, even learning to write could be dangerous & should be forbidden to "bold girls": "As for a girl who shows boldness and independence… [then] she should not be taught how to write… she should neither be taught nor allowed to write." 21/

Also according to Thānvī, "Women can never gain equality with men [because]: they are inferior intellectually… their physique & organs are weak… A woman possesses less intelligence... Therefore, it is safer to place her under someone who is more intelligent [i.e. a man]." 22/

In lieu of secular education, Thānvī wrote a book to gift young girls with, Bahishti Zewar, which Deobandi families are to teach their daughters. There are many disturbing things in this book, which I might create another thread for. 23/

This is the GREATEST scholar of Deoband, not Mullah Omar or some random Taliban figure. So, you can see now why the Taliban have the views that they have... & the connection to @Malala (& why they shot her in the head: she was just too "bold"). 24/

When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, Deobandi clerics celebrated & gave moral, religious, & apologetic cover for their actions. At worst, the Taliban were overzealous students who had erred here or there, but their project was just & to be supported by the teachers. 25/

Quite simply, the Taliban state is what Deobandis do when they & they alone are in power... when no compromises are needed to be made. The public stonings & all the public acts of brutality are absolutely accepted by Deoband & a sign of Taliban sincerity. 26/

Deoband is also guilty of spreading the most rancid sectarianism. Their mullahs preach anti-Shīʿa rhetoric & Deobandis have many terrorist outfits... There are too many to name: Sipah-e-Sahaba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Harkat-ul-JIhad-e-Islami, Jaish-e-Mohammad, & TTP. 27/

We often ask why it is that all these terrorist groups are offspring of Wahhabi ideology... But, for some reason, Deoband gets a free pass. What is it about Deobandi ideology that allows it to mutate into such terrorist & extremist outfits? 28/

Deoband cannot be defeated by US bombs. It is a movement that has spread its ideology far & wide (& is now even trying to enter the Western academy). It can only be countered with a counter-ideology/theology. 29/

This cannot be secular irreligion/atheism. The rise of the secularized elite has resulted, in fact, in the ceding of the religion to the mullah class. The only solution is to revive & reinvigorate the religious intelligentsia, the Islamic modernists, liberals, & reformists. 30/

Pakistan was actually founded by Islamic modernists, who believed in constitutional liberalism, equality, justice, minority rights, & liberty. But, Jinnah had to rally the masses using religion & so a deal was struck with the devil (i.e. the mullahs). 31/

The mullahs quickly took over in Pakistan, if not overtly like we are seeing in Afghanistan today,but through other means... If Pakistan tried to establish "strategic depth" & control Afghanistan, it fell victim to its own folly & was controlled by the very menace it created. 32/

madrassa* = madrasa (silly typo)

Let's post this for the Hindutva fascists who have joined us:

https://twitter.com/DrJavadTHashmi/status/1427494773011755029