Afghan boys read the Quran at the Abdullah ebni-Abas madrassa – school – in Ghazni province, 05 August 2007. The formation of madrassas can probably be traced to the early Islamic custom of meeting in mosques to discuss religious issues when people seeking religious knowledge tended to gather around certain more knowledgable Muslims. AFP PHOTO/SHAH Marai (Photo credit should read SHAH MARAI/AFP/Getty Images)