Pak text books preaching Jehad against India: Report

Islamabad, Mar. 29 (ANI): The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) has urged the government to correct inaccuracies about religion and history in school textbooks, saying these provoke hatred of India, encourage militancy and violence through jihad, and are unfair on Pakistan's minorities.

According to the Daily Times, in the report titled 'The subtle subversion - the state of curricula and textbooks in Pakistan' compiled by AH Nayyar and Ahmed Salim, there is an urgent need to revise class I to XII textbooks and curricula.

The report notes that though Islamiyat is not compulsory for non-Muslim students, they are taught it through other subjects. Many non-Muslim students end up taking Islamiyat anyway because they have the incentive of 25 percent extra marks.

"One may get an impression from these textbooks that Pakistan is for Muslims alone because Islamiyat is taught to all students whatever their faith, including a compulsory reading of the Holy Quran," says the report.

It also says that the indoctrination of Pakistan's 'ideology' creates hatred against Hindus and India and that students are urged to take part in jihad and die as martyrs.

The curricula for all the compulsory subjects require every Pakistani, irrespective of his or her faith, to love, respect, be proud of and practice Islamic principles, traditions, customs and rituals, says the report.

"Thus all non-Muslim students in the mainstream education system are taught Islamic studies compulsorily," says the report.

Themes of Jihad and martyrdom clearly distinguished the pre and post-1979 educational curricula. There was no mention of these in the pre-Islamisation period, and the post-1979 curricula and textbooks eulogised jihad and martyrdom and urged students to become militants and martyrs.

The report says Pakistan's civilian and military government promoted militarism in society, which is now reflected in its textbooks.

"For 30 years in its 55-year history, Pakistan has had governments that were run by the military or put into office and sustained by the military. It is not a matter of surprise that the government-textbook connection has developed into a military-textbook bond" says the report. (ANI)

By Aamer Ahmed Khan BBC News, Karachi

Social studies was replaced with history and geography this year

The United States has described some of the material contained in Pakistani textbooks as "inciteful" and said it was an issue of "serious concern".

The US said it feared the material might "cause people to... lash out with violent actions".

Despite two government reviews of the textbooks, a leading Pakistan NGO says little has changed.

Pakistan's school curriculum has been in the spotlight since the 11 September attacks in the US.

Pakistan and the US are key allies in the latter's war on terror.

US State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack, was commenting on media reports that jihad, or holy war, was still a part of school curriculum in Pakistan.

"We have engaged the Pakistani government on... the issue of textbooks and language that... was clearly, clearly unacceptable and inciteful or would cause people to perhaps lash out with violent actions," he told a press briefing on Thursday.

He said the US had raised the matter with the Pakistani education minister during his visit to Washington in March.

Independent review

The administration of President Pervez Musharraf asked the education ministry in March 2002 to undertake a comprehensive review of all textbooks.

Textbooks have been accused of glorifying war

But the review recommended that no major changes were required in the existing curriculum.

This prompted one of Pakistan's most respected non-government organisations, the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), to undertake an independent review.

It examined textbooks for Urdu, English, Social Studies and Civics from grades one to 12 (5-18 years) and came out with its report a few months after the ministry's review. The findings created a furore.

It found "falsehoods, distortions and omissions" in all the textbooks, which it said defied Pakistan's declared objective of turning into a modern, dynamic state.

I don't think anything has changed in substance Ahmed Salim, Sustainable Development Policy Institute

It also found the books "full" of material "encouraging or justifying discrimination against women, religious and ethnic minorities and other nations".

The report said that most of the textbooks incited "militancy and violence, including encouragement of holy war and martyrdom".

There were repeated instances of "glorification of war and the use of force".

The religious parties in particular were incensed at the report and labelled it "paid Western propaganda".

Curriculum change

The report was taken seriously by the government which ordered another review.

Religious parties called the SDPI report 'Western propaganda'

The second review, completed in mid-2004, recommended that references to holy war and the use of force be deleted.

The ministry also recommended that the social studies subject be scrapped.

The recommendations were implemented for the school year starting 2005.

"I don't think anything has changed in substance," co-editor of the SDPI report Ahmed Salim told the BBC news website.

Bismillah irrahman irrahim

Assalamu alaikum

Hope this piece of information helps. Every body in UK has to take religious education in the first three year of secondary school. We are taught about almost all major religions and it is thought to be a good thing to understand others to minimize the misconceptions. Whats the fuss about anyway?

wassalam

Bismillah irrahman irrahim

Assalamu alaikum

I will let both of four year olds lock your horns and just PM me when one of you win in your personal vendetas and then i will hand you the big cup of 'Who is good in insulting and hurting others' championship

wassalam