Role of textbooks in promoting social and interreligious harmony

ROLE OF TEXTBOOKS IN PROMOTING SOCIAL AND INTERRELIGIOUS HARMONY

Written by: Professor Anjum James Paul
Chairman: Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association

The Founder of Pakistan the Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in his presidential address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on August 11, 1947 said, “You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State………Now I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal and you will find that in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the State. “
King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia in his address to the participants of the Interfaith Conference organized by the United Nations Organization in New York on November 12, 2008 said,” We should step forward to make relations. Existence of all religions will have to admit because it is necessary for peace in the world. We should respect the religion of everyone. All religions give the lesson of peace.”
Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan in his address to the participants of the Interfaith Conference on November 13, 2008 said, “To maintain global harmony, politics and policies based on hatred will have to be changed.”
The Quaid -i- Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah who was much concerned about the education of Pakistani nation. In his message to the first Educational Conference in November 1947 he said, “If we are to make real, speedy and substantial progress, we must bring our educational policy and programme on the lines suited to the genius of our people, consonant with our history and culture having regard to the modern conditions and vast developments that have taken place all over the world. The future of our state will and must accordingly depend upon the type of education we give to our children, and the way in which we bring them up as future citizens of Pakistan. We should try, by sound education, to instill into them up the high sense of honour, integrity, responsibility and selfless service to the nation. There is an immediate and urgent need for giving scientific and technical education to our people in order to build up our future economic life and to see that our people take the science, commerce, trade and particularly well planned industries. We should not forget that we have to compete with the world which is moving very fast in this direction.”
If we deeply evaluate the past 61 years of Pakistan, I am sorry to say that we have violated the above mentioned ideology of the founder of Pakistan. There cannot be change in the attitudes until there is formulation of education policy according to the national needs. Politics and education is still on the Ad hoc basis in Pakistan. Negative impacts of politics have affected education field as well. Our education field has failed to create national integrity and social harmony. Our education policies have produced extremists, warriors and suicide bombers instead of intellectuals and scientists. This is all the result of the biased education policies .Teachings on hatred, bias, sectarianism; religious intolerance and extremism have been placed in the textbooks. We can practically observe that the students become intolerant, extremists, prejudiced and biased against humanity in general after reading these textbooks.
There is promotion of a particular ideology and on the other hand bias against other faiths in the Pakistani textbooks. A full detail is in the White Paper prepared by Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association 2007. This is a document to debate religious bias, general standard of textbooks and education policies in Pakistan. There is research on 52 textbooks in the subjects of Civics, English, Ethics, Islamic Studies, Pakistan Studies, Social Studies and Urdu from class I-XII. Only in the subject of Urdu language from class I-XII, 235 chapters and poems out 409 consist of a particular ideology through various means in 12 textbooks. So the ratio of preaching a particular through is 57.45%.
There is a bird’s eye view of the bias under the following headings followed by recommendations.
• Preaching of Islam through textbooks
• Dignity of Muslims
• Bias against the other faiths in general
• Bias against Christians
• Bias against Jews
• Bias against Hindus
• Bias against Sikhs
• Bias against Zoroasters
• Bias against other civilizations
• Misunderstanding of terms
• Wrong information
• Recommendations

PREACHING OF ISLAM THROUGH TEXTBOOKS
• “Why did the old lady become a Muslim? Ref. English Step 6,Edition Ist ,Impression 10th ,Code No XLV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 2, Line 14
• “We, as Muslims should follow the noble example of the tolerance of our Holy Prophet (Peace be upon Him).” Ref. English 8,Date of printing January 2006, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 21, Line 9
• “Which is the best book to read and teach?” Note: The answer of this question is the ‘Holy Quran.’ Ref. English 10, Edition Ist, Impression 7th, Code No XLV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 4, Line 6.
• “Write a letter to any of your non-Muslim friend, conveying the message of Islam.” Ref. Islamic Studies 7,Edition Ist ,Impression 23rd,Code No XLV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 21, Line 14
• “You know that Islam is our religion.” Ref. Social Studies 4,Edition Ist , Code No XLV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 108, Line 2
• “Hindus in Sindh were converting to Islam by their own will to see the good behaviour of Muslims.” Ref. Social Studies 5, Edition 2nd, Impression 13th, Code No XLV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 118, Line 17
• “Students! Discuss the importance of Islam in the presence of teacher in the class.” Ref. Social Studies 6, Edition Ist ,Impression 9th,Code No XLV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 82, Line 22
• ”Organize two teams in the class, each team asking questions about our dear Prophet (PBUH).”Ref. Urdu 2, Date of printing January 2005, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 4, Line 15
• “Allah has addressed the Muslims, men of Allah! Be brothers among yourselves. We all Muslims are brothers of one another.” Ref. Urdu 2,Date of printing January 2005, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 32, Line 7
• “Start your every morning reciting the Holy Quran and receive uncountable virtues.” Ref. Urdu 3,Edition Ist ,Impression 23rd,Code No XLV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 69, Line 11
• “2. Write any of your favourite naat (poem written in praise of Prophet Muhammad) in your note book taken from any book or magazine.” Ref. Urdu 4,Edition 3rd ,Impression 21, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 22, Line 15
• “As a Muslim it is an obligation of us all to act upon the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).Try to adopt the morals of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Our worldly and hereafter success lies only in it.” Ref. Urdu 8,Edition Ist ,Impression 23rd,Code No XLIV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 7, Line 6
• “Write two paragraphs the way Muslims spread Islam.” Ref. Urdu 8,Edition Ist ,Impression 23rd,Code No XLIV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 125, Line 14
• “We the Muslims have been made the successor of the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).Now it is our responsibility to introduce the whole world about his sacred personality and kindness.” Ref. Urdu 8,Edition Ist ,Impression 23rd,Code No XLIV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 215, Line 12
• “We should not take any such step for which we shall have to be shameful before God and his messenger Muhammad (PBUH).” Ref. Urdu 10,Edition 2nd ,Impression 3rd,Code No XLV/AD Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 10, Line 8




DIGNITY OF MUSLIMS
• “Before the advent of Islam not to punish the dishonest and powerful but to punish fragile was common but after the advent of Islam justice was glorified.” Ref. Pakistan Studies 9,Edition 5th ,Impression 5th, Code XLIV/AD, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 13, Line 4
• “How did the Muslim women show their bravery when they were prisoners of war by the Christians?” Ref. Urdu 5,Edition Experimental ,Impression Ist, Code No XLV/AL, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 70, Line 14
• Once a battle was on its peak. Christians and Muslims were busy in showing their bravery. An arrow hit the mare of the Christian commander and that died.” Ref. Urdu 6,Edition 2nd ,Impression 3rd, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 34, Line 19
• “Sultan got back mosques from the occupation of the Christians and gave to Muslims.” Ref. Urdu 6,Edition 2nd,Impression 3rd,Date of printing, February 2005, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 35, Line 19
• “He was a great conqueror of Crusades. He conquered Jerusalem.” Ref. Urdu 6,Edition 2nd ,Impression 3rd, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 36, Line 3

BIAS AGAINST THE OTHER FAITHS IN GENERAL
• “Followers of other religions are often busy in garrulous manners on their festivals. They do not express their relation or devotion with Allah. On the contrary, on one hand these two festivals of Islam provide an opportunity of entertainment and joy to Muslims and on the other hand they become a source to meet one another and to help the needy. Besides this they are a source to have a strong contact and relationship with Allah. That is why Muslims specially arrange for prayer on the day of festival.” Ref. Islamic Studies 5,Edition 5th ,Impression 5th, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 18, Line 4
• “How do the followers of common religions celebrate their festivals?” Ref. Islamic Studies 5,Edition 5th ,Impression 5th, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 20, Line 3
• “Allah sent Prophets for the followers of the previous religions. And there was revelation of His Books on many of them. But the teachings of those Prophets and the Books revealed on them are not safe in original form.” Ref. Islamic Studies 10,Edition 2nd ,Impression 14th,Code No XLV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 96, Line 12
• “Some previous Books of revelation consist of such discourses which are not only against reality but in many Books there are very much indecent and immoral discourses. (It is evident that these are fake discourses which have been added by someone himself).” Ref. Islamic Studies 11,Edition 2nd ,Impression 16th,Code No XLIV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 29, Line 18
• “Before the advent of Islam not to punish the dishonest and powerful but to punish the fragile was common but after the advent of Islam justice was glorified.” Ref. Pakistan Studies 9,Edition 5th ,Impression 5th, Code XLIV/AD, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 13, Line 4
• “Various non-Muslim nations in the world have been against Muslims and have often been cooperating to harm Muslims.” Ref. Social Studies 8,Date of printing ,January 2006 ,Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 126, Line 12
• “And now, no other religion is popular in the eyes of Allah. Whole humanity is destitute to follow the path of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the teachings of the Holy Quran for the welfare of religious and worldly affairs.” Ref. Urdu 4,Edition 3rd ,Impression 21st,Date of printing January 2005, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 60, Line 15
• “Every person must abstain drugs but especially the Muslims.” Ref. Urdu 8,Edition Ist ,Impression 23rd,Code No XLIV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 128, Line 18

BIAS AGAINST CHRISTIANS
• “They (Muslims) were forced to become Christians.” Ref. Civics 12,Edition 2005 ,Impression 12, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 1, Line 19
• “Christian preachers openly attacked their (Muslims) religion. Priests entered their religious conventions and started preaching Christianity”. Ref. Civics 12,Edition 2005 ,Impression 12, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 2, Line 1
• “So to stop the attacks of the Christian missionaries. Sir Syed saved many children becoming Christians by establishing orphan houses. Sir Syed had seen that time when orphans had been sent to Christian institutions at the time of famine in 1837.” Ref. Civics 12,Edition 2005 ,Impression 12, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 12, Line 17
• “Ummad-ud-Din was martyred by the conspiracy of Christians.” Ref. Social Studies 7, Edition Ist, Impression 34, Code No. XLV/AL, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 17, Line 6
• “On the contrary when 90 years ago Prince Gaudphrey conquered Jerusalem, there was so much execution that the horses of the victorious army slipped from the blood of the Muslims.” Ref. Urdu 6,Edition 2nd ,Impression 3rd, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 35, Line 12
• “Christians changed the shape of Al Aqsa and other mosques after occupation. Christians have always harmed the Muslims. They even executed them.” Ref. Urdu 6,Edition 2nd,Impression 3rd,Date of printing, February 2005, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 35, Line 19
• “Friends, highness is not of colour or race. In the Middle Ages. London and Paris were unknown places. There was filth. People who took bath were lashed by the order of the priests that they have become Muslims and have started taking bath on every Friday.” Ref. Urdu 8, Edition Ist. Impression 23rd, Code No. XLIV/AL, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 181, Line 18




BIAS AGAINST JEWS
• “In a battle Hazrat Ali sat on the chest of a Jew after falling him on the ground. He wanted to behead him off. Jew spat on his face. He at once released the Jew. The Jew asked the reason of his deliverance surprisingly. He said that a Muslim fights for Allah but not for personal revenge. By spitting on my face you tried to create personal revenge in my heart. That is why I released you. Hearing this Jew became a Muslim” Ref. My Book Urdu 3, Edition Ist, Impression 4th, Code No. XLV/AL, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 71, Line 9
• “In 1949 Jews tried to set on fire the Al Aqsa mosque in the occupied Bait-ul- maqdas(Jerusalem).” Ref. Urdu 6,Edition 2nd,Impression 3rd,Date of printing, February 2005, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 109, Line 15

BIAS AGAINST HINDUS
• “Many good girls are deprived of getting married. We have adopted this un- Islamic ritual from Hindus.” Fundamental Civics (For non-Muslim students) Intermediate level, First Impression December 1984, Publisher: Amin Book Depot, Urdu Bazaar, Lahore Page 38, Line 1
• “Pakistan came into existence on the very same day when the first Hindu was converted to Islam.” Ref. Pakistan Studies 9-10,Edition 5th ,Impression 5th,Code No XLIV/AD, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 7, Line 10
• “Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi belonged to the Deoband sect. According to him Hindus were the worst enemies of Muslims.” Ref. Pakistan Studies 9-10,Edition 5th ,Impression 5th,Code No XLIV/AD, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 19, Line 8
• “According to him (Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi) Hindus can never be sympathetic and well wishers of Muslims whether there may be the Day of Judgment. They are more enemies of Muslims and Islam than that of English.” Ref. Urdu 8,Edition Ist ,Impression 23rd,Code No XLIV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 152, Line 19
• “He knew that the Hindus try to merry ‘Kali Mata’ (Black Mother) flowing the blood of innocent people of other religions. They consider all untouchables except themselves.” Ref. Urdu 8,Edition Ist ,Impression 23rd,Code No XLIV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 221, Line 13

BIAS AGAINST SIKHS
• “Sikhs empowered in Punjab and destroyed the peace of Punjab.” Ref. Pakistan Studies 9,Edition 5th ,Impression 5th, Code XLIV/AD, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 10, Line 8
• “Sikhs flourished their influence on weakening the government of Punjab and started looting the big cities of Punjab………At last Sikh ruler Ranjeet Singh established his government in Punjab. Sikhs were cruel with Hindus and Muslims. Sikhs destroyed the worship places, various tombs and particularly the educational institutions of Muslims.” Ref. Social Studies 4,Edition Ist ,Code No XLIV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 82, Line 11
• “Sikhs and the rulers of the Sikh states of Punjab helped British through weapons, army and money.” Ref. Social Studies 4,Edition Ist ,Code No XLIV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 83, Line 11
• “Ranjeet Singh’s regime was a cruel one for the Muslims and Hindus, Describe in detail.” Ref. Social Studies 4,Edition Ist ,Code No XLIV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 87, Line 9
• “In this regard for the achievement of religious freedom in 1826 he started the movement of religious jihad against Sikhs.” Ref. Urdu 12,Edition 5th ,Impression Ist, Date of printing ,August 2006,Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 8, Line 14

BIAS AGAINST ZOARSHTERS
• “This was the day……..when temples of the worshippers were extinguished.” Ref. Urdu 8, Edition Ist, Impression 23rd, Code No XLIV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 213, Line 12

BIAS AGAINST OTHER CIVILIZATIONS
• “English people sent the precious books of Islamic religious institutions to England. English people destroyed the religious institutions of Muslims. They did not want flourishing of Islam.” Ref. Social Studies 6,Edition Ist ,Impression 9th,Code No XLV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 75, Line 11
• “Being fed of religion, Western mind has excluded religion from its system many centuries ago.” Ref. Urdu 9, Edition Ist ,Impression 7th,Code No XLIV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 50, Line 13
• “After that, attacked on another British and slaughtered him too.” Ref. Urdu 9, Edition Ist ,Impression 7th,Code No XLIV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 73, Line 15
• “Westerners are expert in spoiling the names of Muslims. They remember Abu- Al -Qasim Zahravi by the names of Abulcasis, Albucasis and Alzaharawius.” Ref. Urdu 11,Experimental Edition Ist ,Impression 5th,Code No XLIV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 24, Line 17

MISUNDERSTANDING OF TERMS
• “Negation of Theocracy. There is no place of theocracy in an Islamic state.” Ref. Civics 11,.Edition Ist ,Impression Ist, Date of impression January 2006, Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 69, Line 17 Note: Where there religion is declared a state religion is called a theocratic state. Most of the Muslim states have declared Islam as the state religion.





WRONG INFORMATION
• “In Hebrew Jacob’s name is Israel that stands for Man of Allah.” Ref. Ethics 11-12, Edition Ist, Month & Year of Publishing July 1999, Publisher: Sindh Textbook Board, Jam Shoroo, Page 54, Line 1 Note: The meaning of Israel is ‘Selected Prince.’
• “Hindus laid the foundation of Congress.” Ref. Social Studies 6, Edition Ist, Impression 9th, Code No XLV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 94, Line 18
Note Mr. A. O. Hume laid the foundation of Indian National Congress in 1885 who was a British.
• “In the beginning the Quaid- i- Azam joined the Congress Party. Muslim political party Muslim League had not yet established.” Ref. Social Studies 7, Edition Ist, Impression 34, Code No XLV/AL Publisher, Punjab Textbooks Board, Lahore, Page 29, Line 1
Note: Muslim League was established in 1906 while Quaid- i- Azam joined it after 7 years in 1913.

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