Parents pull children out of pondok (Islamic boarding schools)

Many parents have rushed to shift their children out of Islamic boarding schools in the deep South, fearing the pondok may be perverting the Muslim faith and turning students towards terrorism.

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The morale of teachers and students had plunged after police arrested Maisuri Hayeeabdulloh, the school's owner, on charges of involvement with the Jemaah Islamiyah regional terrorist group, she said.

Other schools have been searched by the police after it was found that students and alumni of Dhamma Witthaya School were involved in attacks in Yala. The school was alleged to be a meeting place for militants ahead of last week's attacks, in which 108 Muslim militants were killed.

Suwet Tepi, district chief of Saba Yoi, said parents who had withdrawn their children from pondok had done so because they feared that teachers or other students might secretly be terrorists. "They are afraid that their children will be taught a perverted version of Islam that will lead them to commit wrongful acts, as happened on April 28," Suwet said.

Parents pull children out of pondok....