And not just madrasas but even the education in Pakistan’s public institutions and schools is also very much radicalized by Islamic teachings.

In spite of all the efforts by Western news media to paint Pakistan as a ‘moderate Islamic society’, fact remains that Pakistani State has been ‘extremist’ from its inception when first Pakistani prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan declared that ’Pakistan has been created for Muslims and so no other religious minority has a right to live in Pakistan’ and then initiated policies that resulted in exodus of all religious minorities, reducing Pakistan’s minority population from 22% in 1947 to 2% by 1952.

The main-stream educational system in Pakistan is radicalized by Islamic teaching that projects Islam as the only savior in the world. Pakistan is suffering from ‘Saudization’ of its society by the education system that was revised in 1976 by the act of its parliament that, like Saudi Arabia’s system, provides an ideological foundation for violence and future jihadists. It demands that Islam be understood as a complete code of life, and creates in the mind of a school-going child a sense of siege and embattlement by stressing that Islam is under threat everywhere.

The promotion of militarism in Pakistan’s so-called “secular” public schools, colleges and universities had a profound effect upon young minds. Militant jihad became part of the culture on college and university campuses. Armed groups flourished, they invited students for jihad in Kashmir and Afghanistan, set up offices throughout the country, collected funds at Friday prayers and declared a war which knew no borders.

Not long ago, Pervez Hoodhbhoy, a professor in an Islamabad University wrote the following:

‘For three decades, deep tectonic forces have been silently tearing Pakistan away from the Indian subcontinent and driving it towards the Arabian peninsula. This continental drift is not physical but cultural, driven by a belief that Pakistan must exchange its South Asian identity for an Arab-Muslim one. This change is by design. Twenty-five years ago, the Pakistani state used Islam as an instrument of state policy. Prayers in government departments were deemed compulsory, floggings were carried out publicly, punishments were meted out to those who did not fast in Ramadan, selection for academic posts in universities required that the candidate demonstrate a knowledge of Islamic teachings and jihad was declared essential for every Muslim. Today, government intervention is no longer needed because of a spontaneous groundswell of Islamic zeal. The notion of an Islamic state – still in an amorphous and diffused form – is more popular now than ever before as people look desperately for miracles to rescue a failing state.’

I'll admit my bias up front. Hearing that Mr. Mortenson's story may not be true is like learning that Santa, the Easter Bunny and the tooth fairy have all died on the same day. I WANT to believe him.

But I do not see evidence in this article that he shouldn't be believed. The article seems to hold him responsible for the less than idea state of education in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The author also seems to know very little about the state of education in similar developing countries. It's far from ideal, which is why so many of us are concerned about it.

If you've found some evidence that Mr. Mortenson has done something wrong, then spit it out. If you just want to write an article underscoring the less than ideal or even less than adequate state of education in this part of the world, then it seems like you can do this without trying to blame some particular person for it.

I saw the 60 Minutes report. It accuses him, basically, of exaggeration, playing loose with facts about his earliest experiences in Pakistan, misrepresenting his experience in Waziristan, and extremely sloppy bookkeeping for his foundation.

But the pictures of schools in this photo essay look like the ones he has built, the only difference being he has focused on girls, because they are even more deprived of education than boys,

Indeed, education in both Pakistan and Afghanistan are in a parlous state. It's more understandable in Afghanistan that has always been poor and remote and now has been at war since 1979. Who is surprised that the millions who fled to Peshawar are poor and uneducated?

The low literacy in Pakistan is inexcusable. Other Muslim countries - Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, even Bangladesh, have invested in basic education and have much higher literacy rates than Pakistan and less difference between male and female literacy. Pakistan has put its meager resources into its perpetual conflict with India, and its people - except for the elite - have been ignored by their government.

Mortenson brought public attention to the region. If that's all he has accomplished it's more than anyone else has done.

The FP headline is at best misleading and at worst mean and dismissive.

I don't know why you are so eager to jump on the Mortenson-bashing bandwagon. Obviously his organization is mismanaged. In fact anyone who read the books could tell he had difficulty as a manager and many things were done in a slapdash way. On the other hand, his organization built schools in areas where no one else tried. I don't even care that half the money went to his speaking tours, because it's his speaking tours that are making the real difference, educating Americans, raising awareness and getting people involved. Other organizations focus on building schools and other services but don't do anything to change public awareness. I don't care very much that some of his stories were fabricated because unless individual people or organizations were libeled, it is not very important. I don't care that the book tours sold Mortenson's books because his books are important for the way they humanize people whom Americans demonize or know nothing about. Mortenson's organization needs to hire a professional manager but despite all the flaws Mortenson is still a better human being than the average person who writes for Foreign Policy.

I've usually admired the reporting in FP. But jumping on the caustic 60 Minutes piece by Krakauer before learning Mortenson's side is sleeze ball journalism. Get all your facts first.

The promotion of militarism in Pakistan’s so-called “secular” public schools, colleges and universities had a profound effect upon young minds. Militant jihad became part of the culture on college and university campuseslink wheels. Armed groups flourished, they invited students for jihad in Kashmir and Afghanistan, set up offices throughout the country, collected funds at Friday prayers and declared a war which knew no borders.

Militant jihad became part of the culture on college and university campuses. Armed groups flourished, they invited students for jihad in Kashmir and Afghanistan, set up offices throughout the country, collected funds at Friday prayers and declared a war which knew no borders.Not long ago, Pervez Hoodhbhoy, a professor in an Islamabad University wrote the following:
For three decades, deep tectonic forces have been silently tearing Pakistan away from the Indian subcontinent and driving it towards the Arabian peninsula. continental drift is not physical but cultural, driven by a belief that Pakistan must exchange its South Asian identity for an Arab-Muslim one. This change is by design. Twenty-five years ago, the Pakistani state used Islam as an instrument of state policy.

Militant jihad became part of the culture on college and university campuses. Armed groups flourished, they invited students for jihad in Kashmir and Afghanistan, set up offices throughout the country, collected funds at Friday prayers and declared a war which knew no borders.Not long ago, Pervez Hoodhbhoy, a professor in an Islamabad University wrote the following:
For three decades, deep tectonic forces have been silently tearing Pakistan away from the Indian subcontinent and driving it towards the Arabian peninsula. This continental drift is not physical but cultural, driven by a belief that Pakistan must exchange its South Asian identity for an Arab-Muslim one. This change is by design. Twenty-five years ago, the Pakistani state used Islam as an instrument of state policy.