Religious Bias in the Education in Pakistan

The Prime Minister,
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Islamabad

Subject: Substitute Syllabus for Minorities’ Students

You’re Excellency,

South Asian Research and Resource Centre (SARRC) want to draw you kind attention towards the discriminatory attitude with the students belonging to the religious minorities in Pakistan. It is said that Pakistan is a moderate state but on the other side it is a face that there is violation of fundamental rights of the students belonging to minorities. We hope that there would be some change in the new Educational policy, but it seems as if there would be the same traditional policy of discrimination against minorities.

SARRC would be highly thankful to you if you kindly reply the following questions:

1. Why Islamic, Arabic are compulsory subject for the minorities’ student from the Prep class instead of teaching their own religion/s?. If it is so then why not Hebrew, Hindi, Persian and Punjabi for the students belonging to minorities?
2. Is this not discrimination and violation of human rights that a student from majority religion studies ones’ own religion and minorities’ students have a study Islam to which one does not belong?
3. Why all students are taught Islam in Social Sciences such as in the subjects of Urdu and Social Studies in the text books. In which students belonging to minorities have to negate the teachings of their own religion/s?
4. What do you say about the first 6 chapters out of 18 of grade 1, subject Urdu, edition January 2008 which express all about Islam and Muslims but have to study by all the students?
5. Why there are not substitute subjects for the minorities’ students against Islamic Studies, and in this regard have the educations from the minorities been ever consulted?
6. Why the subject of Ethics is optional in the grade 9th and 10th while Islamic Studies compulsory to the post graduate level for Muslim Students?
7. Why Ethics are not religious studies prepared by the educationists from the minorities?
8. Is national integrity and social harmony possible when that is not created in the minds of the students who are the future and pillars of the nation?

Enclosed herewith please find attached the White Paper on “Education in Pakistan – A White Paper, Document to Debate Religious Bias, General Standard of Textbooks”. The purpose of this White Paper is to draw you kind attention on the biased educational policies in Pakistan. These educational policies are against the teachings of the Father of the Nation, who founded a moderate and democratic state of Pakistan on August 14, 1947. It is a Right of all Pakistanis to receive education for the progress of Pakistan but immediately after his death in 1948 there were some elements who opposed his ideas and weakened the foundations of Pakistan for their selfish motives. They did not even spare education and constantly brought hatred, bias and discrimination in the educational policies especially against the religious minorities in Pakistan.

This is the vision of the South Asian Research and Resource Centre to make Pakistan where there may be equality, unity, love, harmony and brotherhood among all Pakistanis. Let us have a brighter and prosperous Pakistan through our positive and constructive attitudes.

Leonard Dsouza and Nosheen Dsouza
Research Coordinator
South Asian Research and Resource Centre (SARRC)

Copy to:
State Minister of Minorities Affairs, Government of Pakistan
Federal Minister of Education, Government of Pakistan
Federal Secretary of Education, Government of Pakistan
Members of the Parliament (Minorities) of Pakistan