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| Salman Ali |
[I
recently went through with some textbooks and it was really depressing
to find that Pakistani textbooks cannot mention Hindus without calling
them cunning, scheming, deceptive or something equally insulting]
A
few days back I had the opportunity to meet up with some school,
college and university students. I asked them about Pakistan-India
relations and, sadly, all of these students believed that people living
in other countries, especially India, were the enemies of Pakistan. A
grade seven student belonging to a private school in Lahore said that
she loved her country and hated all enemy countries, especially India. I
asked her why she held such a firm opinion that other countries,
particularly India, were enemy countries and she replied confidently
that it was all written in her textbooks and that her teachers also say
so. When she was asked to point out specifically where it was written,
she failed to do so. However, her assertions could not be rejected
fully.
While
discussing with educationists we find that they, too, say our textbooks
carry content that implicitly implies that India and western countries
are enemy countries. Many of the educationists sitting on the boards and
bodies assigned the task of setting up the curricula religiously
believe that such textbooks should be taught in schools, colleges and
universities to develop Islamised or traditional citizenry. They believe
that Islamisation and various forms of traditionalism are the only
solution to Pakistan’s problems, even to terrorism and violence.
In
2012, a nongovernmental organisation released a research report in
English and Urdu languages on Religious Discrimination in Education
Policy and Syllabus, including specimens from Punjab textbooks. The
report claimed that the curriculum and education policy in Punjab
specifically, and throughout Pakistan generally, disregards Article 22
of the Constitution “when it comes to hundreds of thousands of
non-Muslim students attending schools in the country”. The study said
that the content of textbooks was visibly discriminatory against
non-Muslim citizens. It is a violation of Article 20 and 25 of the
Constitution of Pakistan, guaranteeing religious freedom. Article 22 of
the Constitution states, “No person attending any educational
institution shall be required to receive religious instruction or take
part in any religious ceremony or attend religious worship if such
instruction, ceremony or worship relates to a religion other than his
own.” However, on the other hand, Islamiat has been made a compulsory
subject for all students from grades one to eight in public schools by
all five education policies since 1972. The report alleges that history
books are poisoning and brainwashing young minds with systematic and
institutionalised lies and bigoted teachings. A class five Social
Studies textbook teaches: “India is our traditional enemy and we should
always keep ourselves ready to defend our beloved country from Indian
aggression.”
Also,
class three students are taught that, “Muhammad Ali Jinnah felt that
Hindus wanted to make Muslims their slaves and since he hated slavery,
he left the Congress.” In another place it says, “The Congress was
actually a party of Hindus. Muslims felt that after getting freedom,
Hindus would make them their slaves.”
I
recently went through with some textbooks and it was really depressing
to find that Pakistani textbooks cannot mention Hindus without calling
them cunning, scheming, deceptive or something equally insulting. In
Social Studies textbooks it is mentioned that Hindus are extremists and
the eternal enemies of Islam whose culture and society are based on
injustice and cruelty, while Islam delivers a message of peace and
brotherhood, concepts portrayed as alien to the Hindu.
I
believe that biased material in textbooks is promoting prejudice,
bigotry and discrimination towards other religions and nations.
Non-Muslims are addressed as kafirs (infidels) in textbooks along with
statements like “heaven is only for Muslims”. Other religions are
portrayed as false and their believers as antagonists. Many history
scholars have mentioned in their writings (and I agree with them) that
Pakistani textbooks have preached falsehoods, hatred and bigotry against
minorities and, so, unless we start a process of settling curriculum
and textbook debates in the political arena, we cannot end disquiet
within the curriculum and textbooks. Of course, universities should
support this process by conducting independent research, for it will
help in eliminating the domination of so-called experts and consultants
of the curriculum and textbook reform debate.
However,
other educationists believe that salient features of the Constitution
of Pakistan should be made part of the curriculum of schools, colleges
and universities. They feel the need for revising the civic education
syllabus and expanding it to inculcate the rule of law and responsible
and active citizenship in the youth. The curriculum should be revised
after every four or five years and necessary changes should be made to
upgrade it in accordance with the fast changing world, especially in the
fields of science and technology.
The
biased material in our syllabi is one of the major aspects for growing
religious intolerance and extremism. It is in contradiction to the
Constitution of Pakistan. Any material considered ‘inflammatory’ or
‘discriminatory’ to religious minorities should be removed from the
syllabus. Unless and until young minds are encouraged to develop
critical thinking and the willingness and ability to research and reach
for the truth and facts, a country’s national ethos cannot become
progressive with social justice and economic development of the citizen
as the primary priorities.
The writer is a social and political activist based in Lahore ands can be reached at salmanali088@gmail.com
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