Posted on 11/09/2011 9:47:15 AM PST by MBT ARJUN
ISLAMABAD: Text books in Pakistani schools foster prejudice and intolerance of Hindus and other religious minorities, while most teachers view non-Muslims as ”enemies of Islam,” according to a study by a US government commission released on Wednesday.
The findings indicate how deeply ingrained hard-line Islam is in Pakistan and help explain why militancy is often supported, tolerated or excused in the country.
”Teaching discrimination increases the likelihood that violent religious extremism in Pakistan will continue to grow, weakening religious freedom, national and regional stability, and global security,” said Leonard Leo, the chairman of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Pakistan was created in 1947 as a homeland for the Muslims of South Asia and was initially envisaged as a moderate state where minorities would have full rights.
But three wars with mostly Hindu India; support for militants fighting Soviet-rule in Afghanistan in the 1980s; and the appeasement of hard-line clerics by weak governments seeking legitimacy have led to a steady radicalisation of society.
Religious minorities and those brave enough to speak out against intolerance have often been killed, seemingly with impunity, by militant sympathizers.
The commission warned that any significant efforts to combat religious discrimination, especially in education, would ”likely face strong opposition” from hardliners.
The study reviewed more than 100 textbooks from grades 1-10 from Pakistan’s four provinces.
Researchers in February this year visited 37 public schools, interviewing 277 students and teachers, and 19 madrases, where they interviewed 226 students and teachers.
The Islamisation of textbooks began under the US-backed rule of army dictator Gen. Zia-ul-Haq, who courted Islamists to support his rule.
In 2006, the government announced plans to reform the curriculum to address the problematic content, but that has not been done, the study said.
Pakistan’s Islamist and right-wing polity would likely oppose any efforts to change the curriculum, and the government has shown no desire to challenge them on the issue.
The report found systematic negative portrayals of minorities, especially Hindus and to a lesser extent to Christians.
Hindus make up more than one per cent of Pakistan’s 180 million people, while Christians represent around two per cent. Some estimates put the numbers higher.
There are also even smaller populations of Sikhs and Buddhists.
”Religious minorities are often portrayed as inferior or second-class citizens who have been granted limited rights and privileges by generous Pakistani Muslims, for which they should be grateful,” the report said.
”Hindus are repeatedly described as extremists and eternal enemies of Islam whose culture and society is based on injustice and cruelty, while Islam delivers a message of peace and brotherhood, concepts portrayed as alien to the Hindu.”
The books don’t contain many specific references to Christians, but those that ”that do exist seem generally negative, painting an incomplete picture of the largest religious minority in Pakistan,” the report said.
Attempts to reach Pakistan’s education minister were not successful.
The textbooks make very little reference to the role played by Hindus, Sikhs and Christians in the cultural, military and civic life of Pakistan, meaning ”a young minority student will thus not find many examples of educated religious minorities in their own textbooks,” the report said.
”In most cases historic revisionism seems designed to exonerate or glorify Islamic civilisation, or to denigrate the civilisations of religious minorities,” the report said.
”Basic changes to the texts would be needed to present a history free of false or unsubstantiated claims which convey religious bias.”
The researchers also found that the books foster a sense that Pakistan’s Islamic identity is under constant threat.
”The anti-Islamic forces are always trying to finish the Islamic domination of the world,” read one passage from social studies text being taught to Grade 4 students in Punjab province, the country’s most populated.
”This can cause danger for the very existence of Islam. Today, the defense of Pakistan and Islam is very much in need.”
The report states that Islamic teachings and references were commonplace in compulsory text books, not just religious ones, meaning Pakistan’s Christians, Hindus and other minorities were being taught Islamic content.
It said this appeared to violate Pakistan’s constitution, which states that students should not have to receive instruction in a religion other than their own.
The attitudes of the teachers no doubt reflect the general intolerance in Pakistan.
The 2011 Pew Research Center study found the country is the third most intolerant in the world, but because of the influence they have, they are especially worrisome.
Their views were frequently nuanced and sometimes contradictory.
Since you have written extensively for the last 20 years on south asian issues, please post a few links to your writing. We would love to read what you have to say. This since all your posts having anything to do with India or Hindus is pure venom.
Well TBP, I *am* from India and I *am* a Christian. You “may have written about S Asia issues for 20 years”; I have lived there for 30 years.
Yes, there have been incidents against minorities in India. However these incidents cannot hold a candle to what happening in Pakistan. And you can stop the bullshit about Hindus being taught minority-hatred. Here’s some news for you, the minority haters themselves are in a minority!. I wonder how in the “20 years of your experience” you could have missed that.
That’s nothing but the party line, and it’s not accurate.
What party line? What are you talking about? I didn’t say there are no incidents in India. Orissa, Mangalore etc have had incidents. What I am saying is its nowhere near as that of Pakistan, as you claim.
The problem is that modern Pakis can watch indian movies and can watch the news and see how India is progressing while Pakiland is regressing. I wonde why they don't think what they've been taught is a lie...
We should finish it off. Nuke Mecca and Medina
Guys - a shill for the failed Khalistani movement remains a shill even after that movement is dead. the Indian Christians I know talk of the stray incidents that have occured but there is no government persecution, no cross-national persecution and definitely most Hindus themselves condemn atrocities against Christians
Christians are pretty well integrated in India, pretty acculturised and part of the landscape -- they no longer stick out.
moslems on the other hand are getting increasingly Saudised -- thanks to Saudi money. They're not as bad as Pakis who now state that they are actually Arabs (ha, ha ha!), but getting that way.
"Hindus" in general will never trust "Moslems" in general because of the centuries of history and warfare. But even the hardline RSS Hindus I met never preached violence against Christians -- they have their own agenda and assimilation yes, but they realised that preaching violence against Christians doesn't get them far politically or socially -- violence against Moslems on the other hand....
To TBP it totally doesn't matter if you are Christian. If you are not toeing the line he has been paid to toe by his pay masters then even your first hand experience is worthless compared to his “20 years” basement research.
Pinging you to post #28
The most vocal proponents of the Khalistan movement are no longer in Punjab. The Sikhs in Punjab have moved on and are actually quite content with the way things are. A handful of Sikhs diaspora living in Vancouver or Southall,London are the most vocal Khalistan ideologues. The have severed ties with India and have no hopes of ever seeing Punjab again in their lifetime. And they haven’t quite been able to assimilate in UK or Canada. They are living in a time warp and refuse to face the reality that Sikhs of Punjab don’t support the idea of Khalistan. Every now and then some obscure Canadian or British politician making noises about Khalistan gets the whole community upbeat and rejuvenates the movement. The fact that they are still latching on to straws is a projection of their own issues. and bad choices made by them.
Not true, as you know. Leaders like Simranjit Singh Mann, the Dal Khalsa folks, former Member of Parliament Atinder Pal Singh, and others continue to hold pro-Khalistan events that are very well attended. Somehow, the Indian government feels the need to arrest and prosecute oeple simply for making speeches, marching, and raising the Khalsitani flag.
Add in the Sikh diaspora and its advocates for Sikh freedom and you have a strong political force.
India is unsustainable. Like countries from Austria-Hungary to the Soviet Union, it cannot hold together because it is not one country. The massive force that it is having to use on Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and so many others shows you how unstable it is.
Not true, as you know. Leaders like Simranjit Singh Mann, the Dal Khalsa folks, former Member of Parliament Atinder Pal Singh, and others continue to hold pro-Khalistan events that are very well attended. Somehow, the Indian government feels the need to arrest and prosecute peopleoeple simply for making speeches, marching, and raising the Khalsitani flag.
Add in the Sikh diaspora and its advocates for Sikh freedom and you have a strong political force.
India is unsustainable. Like countries from Austria-Hungary to the Soviet Union, it cannot hold together because it is not one country. The massive force that it is having to use on Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and so many others shows you how unstable it is.
I had a good laugh at that. That line alone tells me you have no idea about the country. There have been people saying that about India ever since we got Independence and you know what? Its just a wet dream. You have absolutely no clue about how Indians think because you are not one so don't presume to know.
"The massive force that it is having to use on Christians, Sikhs, Dalits, and so many others shows you how unstable it is. "
What are you high on? Seriously. It must be some good stuff.
"The Massive force"?
lol yea that why we have a Sikh Prime Minister. In fact he's the man who reformed our economy back in the 90's
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