Source: ET
“These are not textbooks as much as propaganda brochures which have closed off our children’s minds,” said Irfan Mufti of South Asia Partnership Pakistan, speaking at the conference on ‘Biases in textbooks and education policy’, organised by the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP).
“Discrimination is a national issue and these discriminatory texts are a constant threat to our society,” he said. “I believe that all the primary schools in our country are factories fuelling extremism in our children.” Peter Jacob of the NCJP said that school textbooks painted non-Muslims as the enemy. “We want our teacher to tell our children that minorities or people from other religions or countries are not our enemies,” he said.
“People here who used to deny that Pakistan was an extremist society no longer deny it after Gojra and the Asia Bibi and Rimsha [blasphemy] cases.” Other speakers said that the best way to counter the extremism was through good teachers and good schools. “Educationists must play their role in changing minds through education. I believe our generation needs values more than anything else,” said Dr Christy Munir, the principal of FC College.
A wonderful article. Hope will not be wasted to routine deaf approach. I remember when we were in schools the Islamic studies (DINIAT) contained just main features about religion. In fact it is the house from where child should learn the basics of religions. For first 12 years of schooling, excluding KG or Nursery, text books should completely be free of any religious teaching. During these 12 years, in addition to normal school text books on various subjects, only moral and ethical character building should get the importance. In European and other developed countries same is the procedure. Ethics and social behaviour of child is given lot of importance during 12 years of schooling. Thereafter the gown up child is given the freedom to chose what ever filed he or she wants. At this stage if some one wants religious studies can opt to do so and should get the opportunity for it. Adoption of this policy will eliminate all the religious Madrassas of the country which, in addition to poisonous text books, also causing the spread of extremism. In all countries religious education has importance and many go for it. But every where it starts after compulsory schooling of 12 year or more. As rightly pointed out in article the current text books containing fanaticism oriented religious texts will add only to the production of fanatic minds which will be of no use to the Pakistani society.
i have yet to meet a covert from the ivy league or convert from a madras, but in mean time i trust nonone because a green card buys you compost of any smell and devotion to contorted view of islam get you a peaceful life in ones own country as veteran of the irish hatred one mans extremist school is another mans academy of hate, but i have found the lowest common denominated in both ireland and pakistan is the british empire academy of greed and slavery .
Cannot say that I understand what you are saying, Michael.