Urdu language curriculum
even prescribes lessons.
A small sample follows:19
Class IV
Suggestions on preparing
textbooks
(3)
Topics of books
(a)
Events from the life
of the Holy Prophet(pbuh),
His family, and Islamic
leaders
(Imams)
(b)
Stories from the history
of Islam
(c)
True friendship (from
the life of Hazrat Abu
Bakr Siddique)
(j)
…, Islamic preachers,
…
(k)
Famous women of Islam
(l)
Golden quotes (sayings
of the Muslim thinkers,
religious scholars and
spiritual leaders)
Class V
(3)
Topics for lessons
(a)
Events from the life
of the Holy Prophet(pbuh),
His family and Islamic
leaders
(b)
Stories of Imams and
the Prophet's companions
(sacrifice: from the
life of Hazrat Usman)
(m)
Stories about the Pakistan
movement, eminent personalities
of Pakistan, and martyrs
of Pakistan
(m) Simple
stories to urge for
Jihad
(n)
Unity of the Islamic
world
It is worth noting
that the most recent
Urdu textbooks in Punjab
and the Federal Area
have religious (Islamic)
contents in the following
proportion:
Class
I 20
Class II 21
Class II 22
Class III 23
Class IV 24
Class V 25
Class VI 26
Class VIII 27
Class VIII 28
Class IX-X 29 |
|
4
out of 25 lessons
8 out of 33 lessons
22 out of 44 lessons
23 out of 51 lessons
10 out of 45 lessons
7 out of
34 lessons
14 out of 46 lessons
6 out of 53 lessons
15 out of 46 lessons
10 out of 68 lessons
|
Similarly, textbooks on
Social Studies, another
compulsory subject that
starts from Class 3, all
have at least 4 chapters
on personalities, which
are invariably Islamic
and other religious personalities.
Note the detail below:
Class III: Chapters on
the prophets Adam, Abraham,
Jesus and Mohammad (pbuh)
30
Class III: Chapters on
the prophets Adam, Abraham,
Moses, Jesus and Mohammad
31
Class IV: Chapters on
Prophet Mohammad (pbuh),
Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat
Umar, and
Hazrat Khadija
32
Class V: Hazrat Fatima
(ra), Mohammad bin Qasim,
Shah Waliullah
33
Thus, all non-Muslim
students in the mainstream
educational system are
forcibly taught Islamic
religious studies. In
fact, the most recent
national curriculum
document clearly vows:
To make the Qur'anic
principles and Islamic
practices as an integral
part of curricula so
that the message of
the Holy Qur'an could
be disseminated in the
process of education
as well as training.
To educate and train
the future generations
of Pakistan as a true
practicing Muslim who
would be able to usher
in the 21st century
and the next millennium
with courage, confidence,
wisdom and tolerance34
and requires the following
as objectives of teaching
Urdu language35
To create love for religion
and respect for personalities,
the students must:
a.
have belief in the Unity
of God, and know that
Allah is the creator
of the universe.
b. regard
Islamic ways as the
best of all
c.
have reverence for all
the messengers of God,
Prophet Mohammad (pbuh),
His family members,
His companions, the
Imams and the leaders,
and must try to know
their teachings and
adopt their ways
d.
maintain affinity (love)
with the Islamic world
e.
respect the leaders,
books, places of worship
of other religions
f.
be aware of the blessings
of Jihad, and must create
yearning for Jihad in
his heart.
The curriculum thus
shows itself to be grossly
insensitive to the existence
and need of non-Muslims
among the students.
Compulsory
Reading of Qur'an:
The second, and more
disturbing part of this
is to make the non-Muslim
students read Qur'an,
not in Islamiat which
they are not required
to learn, but in the
compulsory subject of
Urdu.
Urdu textbooks from
Class I to III, which
are compulsory for students
of all faiths, contain
lessons on learning
to read Qur'an. Progressing
from Class I where Arabic
alphabets are introduced
in a lesson titled Iqra,
to the lesson entitled
'E'rab' on punctuations
in Class II Urdu book,
to the lessons in Class
III Urdu book entitled
'Qur'an Parhna' (reading
Qur'an), which has seven
lessons (out of a total
of 51) on learning to
read Qur'an. The non-Muslim
students must learn
these lessons and prepare
them for examinations
also. Interestingly,
Urdu curricula of these
classes do not prescribe
this. This clearly violates
the rights of religious
minorities.
The National Curriculum
of March 2002 lays down
the following as the
first objective of teaching
English:
2.5.1: 'To make the
Qur'anic principles
and Islamic practices
as an integral part
of curricula so that
the message of the Holy
Qur'an could be disseminated
in the process of education
as well as training.
To educate and train
the future generations
of Pakistan as a true
practicing Muslim ….'
36
The
objective ostensibly
follows the National
Education policy, which
describes it as a constitutional
requirement.
Article 31(2) of the
constitution says:
The state shall
endeavour, as respects
the Muslims of Pakistan,
:
to make the teaching
of the Holy Qur'an and
Islamiat compulsory,
to encourage and facilitate
the learning of Arabic
language …;
Cleary, the learning
of Qur'an and Islamiat
is compulsory for Muslims
only, and making non-Muslims
learn them by including
them in compulsory subjects
violates the rights
of minorities assured
in Article 36 of the
Constitution of Pakistan,
which says:
The State shall
safeguard the legitimate
rights and interests
of minorities …”
If by this exercise,
the curriculum designers
thought that they were
popularising Islam among
non-Muslim students,
they were sadly mistaken.
The only thing they
have been able to achieve
is to the alienate non-Muslim
population, at a grave
cost to the national
integration.
C. Assertion
of the Ideology of Pakistan
Many scholars
have forcefully argued
with the help of historical
record that the term
Ideology of Pakistan
is a construction that
was non-existent at
the time of the creation
of Pakistan. Justice
Munir has very clearly
identified the first
time when the phrase
was coined. In his monograph
From Jinnah to Zia he
writes:
The Quaid-i-Azam never
used the words 'Ideology
of Pakistan' …
For fifteen years after
the establishment of
Pakistan, the Ideology
of Pakistan was not
known to anybody until
in 1962 a solitary member
of the Jama'at-i-Islami
used the words for the
first time when the
Political Parties Bill
was being discussed.
On this, Chaudhry Fazal
Elahi rose form his
seat and objected that
the Ideology of Pakistan'
shall have to be defined.
The member who had proposed
the original amendment
replied that the 'Ideology
of Pakistan was Islam',
…
Thus the phrase 'Ideology
of Pakistan' had no
historical basis in
the Pakistan movement.
It was coined much later
by those political forces
which needed it to sanctify
their particular brand
of politics, especially
by those who had earlier
been against the creation
of Pakistan. It is no
wonder that the Jama'at-i-Islami
and people akin to the
politics of the Jama'at
use this phrase extensively.
Although it is a historical
fact, as Justice Munir
has noted, that the
Quaid never uttered
the words Ideology of
Pakistan, yet the curriculum
documents insist that
the students be taught
that the Ideology of
Pakistan was enunciated
by the Quaid.
i)
To get acquainted with
the Ideology of Pakistan
as enunciated by Quaid-e-Azam37
Further, the same document
requires from the textbook
writers:
The chapter should present
the Ideology of Pakistan
as enunciated by Quaid-i-Azam
and should include relevant
documented references.
Needless to say that
no textbook has ever
been able to cite a
single reference to
Jinnah using the term
Ideology of Pakistan.
On the contrary, the
speech of Mr. Jinnah
to the Constituent Assembly
on the 11th of September,
1947, is completely
contrary to the so-called
'Ideology of Pakistan'
as it is presented.
It was during the Islamisation
era of General Zia-ul-Haq
that the use of the
term was consolidated
and made to appear in
every nook and corner
of the educational material.
In the present day curriculum
documents, it has been
sanctified and turned
into an article of faith,
as shown by the sample
of quotations from curriculum
documents below:
The Ideology of Pakistan
be presented as an accepted
reality, and should
never be made controversial
and debatable.38
Attempt is made to make
the curriculum more
representative and responsive
to the Ideology of Pakistan
and societal needs 39…
so that the Ideology
of Pakistan could permeate
the thinking of young
generation 40…
Demonstrate an appreciation
of the Ideology of Pakistan
41
Care be taken in the
composition and editing
of the essays that there
ought to come out an
angle of propagation
of Islam and the Ideology
of Pakistan. 42
For speeches, writings
and discussions, such
topics be chosen that
represent positive thinking
about Islam and Pakistan,
and those topics be
avoided that negate
or denigrate Islamic
values and the Ideology
of Pakistan.
43
Teachers must thoroughly
study the Ideology of
Pakistan ..44
Understand Islam and
Ideology of Pakistan,
and feel them deep in
heart45
Essays creating deep
love for Islam and Ideology
of Pakistan46
To develop a sense of
love for the Ideology
of Pakistan47
Enhance a sense of respect
for cooperation and
preservation of the
Ideology of Pakistan...48
Cognitive objective:
Knowledge of the Ideology
of Pakistan49
To create sentiments
for the protection of
the Ideology of Pakistan,
love for the country...50
Be able to propagate
the important values
and traditions of Islam
… and adopt national
values in accordance
with the Ideology of
Pakistan;51
To create sentiments
for love of the country,
safeguarding the Ideology
of Pakistan, …;52
deepening the awareness
of the Ideology of Pakistan;53
enable the students
to become responsible,
confident and patriotic
towards the Ideology
of Pakistan;54
To explain Ideology
of Pakistan; meaning
and nature of Ideology
of Pakistan. To demonstrate
the faith in Ideology
of Pakistan;55
While writing the textbooks,
material contrary to
the Ideology of Pakistan
which may injure the
feelings of different
sects, or which may
create hatred against
any Muslim leading personality
may be avoided.56
The only illegitimate
beneficiary of this
exercise have been the
orthodox Islamic political
forces.
It is to be granted
that any political force
has a right to define
the future of the country
as suits its political
ideology. In this respect,
the religious political
ideologues are quite
in their right to claim
that 'Ideology of Pakistan'
should be the basis
of all the policies
of the country. What,
however, is completely
unjustified is to present
it as a historical truth,
distorting history for
this purpose. The problem
with the Ideology of
Pakistan is not just
that it is historically
untrue. An emphasis
on it gives a message
to non-Muslim Pakistanis
that Pakistan is only
for Muslims and that
they do not have a place
in it.
Hate Material
Associated with the
insistence on the 'Ideology
of Pakistan' has been
an essential component
of hate against India
and the Hindus.
For the upholders of
the Ideology of Pakistan,
the existence of Pakistan
is defined only in relation
to Hindus, and hence
the Hindus have to be
painted as black as
possible.
That the pathological
hate against Hindus
is only because of adopting
the so-called Ideology
of Pakistan is borne
out by the fact that
the pre-Ideology textbooks
of Pakistan did not
contain this hatred.
Although a lot of animosity
towards Hindus should
have shown up in the
new-born Pakistan because
of the bloody riots
of the partition, the
early textbooks in Pakistan,
mostly written after
the partition, were
free of the pathological
hate that we see in
textbooks today. A few
examples prove this
point.
1. The
early history books
contained chapters on
not only the oldest
civilisations of Moen
jo Daro, Harappa, Taxila,
etc., but also the early
Hindu mythologies of
Ramayana and Mahabharata
and extensively covered,
often with admiration,
the great Hindu kingdoms
of the Mauryas and the
Guptas.
2. The
books indeed showed
biases when discussing
the more recent history
of the politics of independence,
but still one found
school textbooks with
chapters on Mr. M. K.
Gandhi, using words
of respect for him and
admiring him for his
qualities.
3.
Even in the somewhat
biased history of politics
of independence, the
creation of Pakistan
was reasoned on the
intransigence of the
All India Congress and
its leadership towards
accommodating the Muslim
League rather than on
'Hindu machinations'.
4.
Some books also clearly
mentioned that the most
prominent Islamic religious
leaders were all bitterly
opposed to the creation
of Pakistan.
Such was the enlightened
teaching of history
for the first twenty
five years of Pakistan
even though two wars
were fought against
India in this period.
The print and electronic
media often indulged
in anti-Hindu propaganda,
but the educational
material was by and
large free of hate against
Hindus.
Then came the time of
replacing Indo-Pakistan
History and Geography
with Pakistan Studies,
and defining Pakistan
as an Islamic state.
The history of Pakistan
became equivalent to
the history of Muslims
in the subcontinent.
Students were deprived
of learning about pre-Islamic
history of their region.
It started with the
Arab conquest of Sindh
and swiftly jumped to
the Muslim conquerors
from Central Asia. Simultaneously,
there started a trend
in the seventies of
stressing upon the so-called
Ideology of Pakistan.
This involved creating
an ideological straitjacket
in which history of
Pakistan, especially
that of the Pakistan
movement was to be re-written
with an utter disregard
for the truth. Pakistan
was told to have been
obtained to establish
a truly Islamic state
in accordance with the
tenets of Quran and
Sunnah. The Ulema who
had bitterly opposed
the creation of Pakistan
were, therefore, turned
into heroes of Pakistan
movement. The Quaid-i-Azam
was turned into a pious
practicing Muslim. And
hate and denigration
was created for Hindus.
A few examples of the
expression of this hate
in some recent curriculum
documents and textbooks
are given below.
Curriculum documents
ask the following as
the specific learning
objectives:
[The child should be
able to] understand
the Hindu and Muslim
differences and the
resultant need for Pakistan;57
Develop understanding
of the Hindu Muslim
differences and need
for Pakistan;58
Hindu-Muslim differences
in culture, .. India's
evil designs against
Pakistan (the three
wars with India);59
Identify the events
in relation to Hindu-Muslim
differences, which laid
the foundations for
Pakistan;60
The textbooks then
respond in the following
way to the above curriculum
instructions:
Hindu has always been
an enemy of Islam.61
The religion of the
Hindus did not teach
them good things --
Hindus did not respect
women... 62
Hindus worship in temples
which are very narrow
and dark places, where
they worship idols.
Only one person can
enter the temple at
a time. In our mosques,
on the other hand, all
Muslims can say their
prayers together.
63
'the social evils of
the Hindus'
64
‘The Hindus lived
in small and dark houses.
Child marriage was common
in those days. Women
were assigned a low
position in society.
In case the husband
of a woman died, she
was burnt alive with
his dead body. This
was called 'sati'. …
The killing of shudras
was not punished, but
the murder of a Brahman
was a serious crime.
… However, the
people of low caste
were not allowed to
learn this language.
The caste system had
made their life miserable.’
Muslim children of India
wear shalwar kameez
or shirt and pajama
and Hindu children wear
Dhoti also.
Hindus thought that
there was no country
other than India, nor
any people other than
the Indians, nor did
anyone else possess
any knowledge.67
[This sentence, meant
to denigrate Hindus,
describes the response
of the local people
to Al Beruni's visit
to India. It is obviously
a concocted lie because
of the fact that Alexander
the Greek had come to
this land many centuries
earlier, that the rule
of the Mauryas and the
Guptas stretched to
the lands from where
Al Beruni had come,
that the Arabs had conquered
Sindh before Al Beruni's
visit, that the Arab
conquest was also aimed
against the Ismailis
who had settled in the
area around Multan even
earlier, and that the
Arabic mathematics was
deeply influenced by
the Indian mathematics,
etc., etc.]
Hindu pundits were jealous
of Al Beruni. Since
they could not compete
against Al Beruni in
knowledge, they started
calling him a magician.68
[A story 'The Enemy
Pilot', about a captured
Indian pilot, presumably
of Hindu faith] He had
only been taught never
to have pity on Muslims,
to always bother the
neighbouring Muslims,
to weaken them to the
extent that they forget
about freedom, and that
it was better to finish
off the enemy. He remembered
that the Hindus tried
to please their Devi
Kali by slaughtering
innocent people of other
faiths at her feet;
that they regarded everybody
else as untouchables.
He knew that his country
India had attacked Pakistan
in the dead of the night
to bleed Pakistani Muslims
and to dominate the
entire subcontinent.69
The Hindus who have
always been opportunists
cooperated with the
English.70
The Hindus praised the
British rule and its
blessings in their speeches
The Hindus had the
upper hand in the Congress
and they established
good relations with
the British. This party
tried its best to safeguard
the interests of the
Hindus. Gradually it
became purely a Hindu
organisation. Most of
the Hindu leaders of
the Congress were not
prepared to tolerate
the presence of the
Muslims in the sub-continent.
They demanded that the
Muslims should either
embrace Hinduism or
leave the country.
The party was so close
to the government that
it would not let the
Government do any work
as would be of benefit
to the Muslims. The
partition of Bengal
can be quoted as an
example.71
…but Hindus very
cunningly succeeded
in making the British
believe that the Muslims
were solely responsible
for the [1857] rebellion.72
In December 1885, an
Englishman Mr. Humes
… formed a political
party named Indian National
Congress, the purpose
of which was to politically
organise Hindus.73
Therefore in order
to appease the Hindus
and the Congress, the
British announced political
reforms. Muslims were
not eligible to vote.
Hindus voter never voted
for a Muslim, therefore,
…74
[A shear distortion,
and a blatant lie that
the Muslims were ineligible
to vote]
The height of Hindu-Muslim
amity was seen during
the Khilafat Movement,
but as soon as the movement
was over, the anti-Muslim
feelings among Hindus
resurfaced.74
Nehru report exposed
the Hindu mentality.76
The Quaid saw through
the machinations of
the Hindus.77
Hindus declared the
Congress rule as the
Hindu rule, and started
to unleash terror on
Muslims.78
