That students often fall prey to the pervasive menace of sexual abuse at madrassahs in Pakistan is a Polichinelle’s secret. Everyone knows the rape culture exists but then again, these cases are very scarcely discussed, let alone tried in the house of law. Call it a perk of the untouchable status our clerics enjoy; where questioning their authority is instantaneously tantamounted to a grave sin. Still, it is one thing to read about the harrowing experience of a young boy forced to live through the double tragedy of rape followed by blackmail (in Chiniot, early this year). The bleeding eyes of a 10-year-old victim (in Mansehra, 2019) and the heart-wrenching tale of him being raped 100 times may also stir many souls. But the fact that children lack agency makes them the perfect targets and their sob-tales easier to dismiss. It was only in the wake of a secret recording of an elderly cleric (in Lahore) abusing a grown-up student that our hidden shame became too noticeable to be swept under a rug. The horrors of paedophilia have become a part and parcel of the madrassah culture, where most victims do not have the confidence to defy their spiritual guide. After all, haven’t we all been raised with the notion that following teachers leads to great success? Even in the rare instances they do, there always remain the high chance of being taken with a pinch of salt. In the case of Jamia Manzoor-ul-Islamia’s sacrificial lamb, the molester (being a central leader of the rightwing JUI-F), corrupted his power to raise the heat. First, there were alleged death threats. Now, he has stepped in the open with a seemingly ridiculous clarification that hinges on drug use and madrassah politics. In doing so, he admitted (probably under no influence, this time) that he did have sexual relations with the said complainant. What a Banbury tale of cock and bull! It is simply hard to decide which of the two is a bigger tragedy: his distasteful manipulation to have his way or the fact that authorities only acted against him when crystal-clear video evidence left them with no other option. Thankfully, Punjab Police has come to its senses (better late than never) and booked him under Sections 377 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Though there has been no official denouncement from Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s quarters as of now, a termination letter is making rounds on social media. But is kicking out a man accused of sexually harassing a vulnerable for three years enough, Maulana Saab? Had you stood above appeasing of the few and become a plaintiff against one of your own, your party would have garnered unseen popularity overnight. The JUI-F should have spearheaded legal action against its black sheep to put a strong foot down. If these are the moral credential of their (esteemed) team members, how on earth can they defend the fool-proof security of their madrassah students? Alas! The mum games of the religious elite carry on! While it is fundamentally important to condemn and shame the crime, we cannot simply stop there. Even more important is the need to end the vicious cycle that feeds on the vulnerability of students; only to breed future abusers. Islamabad can also leap to action by making sexual education mandatory in seminaries. Many a time, students who have been abused are not aware of the gross violation of their bodies, their sanctity, their privacy. It is just as crucial to replace the “teacher-is-always-right” mantra with the supremacy of individual rights. Plainly put, a child should be equally honourable to the state as his teacher. Let us encourage the young to speak out lest they face any unwanted advances. With the discourse on sexual abuse usually centred on female cases, the unfortunate oppression faced by men and boys gets trivialised. A 2014 British documentary on the sexual abuse faced by small boys was, indeed, the “dark reality of a society living in denial.” Yet, darker and sadder is the dismal writing on the wall: nothing has changed in the last decade. We are still a long, long way from having even a roadmap for this arduous journey. *