Back to its bad old content

The KPK curriculum

During 2006 prejudicial texts were replaced out of the official KPK curriculum by the ANP government in favour of content more tolerant and peaceful. That curriculum is now being given a makeover so it can look more like the way it used to. However, despite the grand debate taking place between the undeterred PTI apologists and the persistent liberal lot, the fact remains that whether or not Jihad is a part of the curriculum is more or less irrelevant. It’s just one piece of a bigger puzzle, and the puzzle remains unsolved.

Whether it’s a page from an English book, a chapter out of Pakistan Studies or multiple chapters in Urdu syllabus, there’s one common thread that runs between them all: how those from a different faith have been painted. It is by no coincidence that the Hindus are seen in a particular light and the Christians join them in their lowly characterization. The Muslim superiority complex in Pakistan is not without premise: it is something that has largely been taught through the very curriculum we’re all lamenting about at the moment. And it is not the part about jihad that actually teaches anyone any of this – for jihad merely tells you how to fight against the infidels, but who these infidels were is decided elsewhere on pages that tell us stories (often nothing more than fables) which our young and impressionable imbibe as real truth.

While this flawed and detrimental context is mostly propagated through English, Urdu, Pakistan Studies etc. if we had our way we’d probably alter other subjects too. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone could provide a volume on the chemicals in a Hindu’s blood that makes him despicable or discuss the physical properties of holy water that makes a Christian a lost cause. In a country where an ‘inventor’ can present a car run on water and receive accolades from far and wide, such topics should be a piece of cake for the scholars who’re trying to now bring jihad back to KPK’s text books. The KPK, along with Punjab, was making headway with remarkably tiny steps aimed at eliminating racist and violent elements from the curriculum. While we were looking at the long road ahead of us, the PTI’s provincial government reminded us of the ‘Naya Pakistan’ we so desperately needed.

Even if the argument is restricted to jihad being reintroduced into the curriculum, we’re in a lose-lose situation. An apologist, and in fact many uninformed liberals, will tell you that jihad merely refers to a struggle for the divine. That’s absolutely fine as a personal belief, but in a larger context (which is supported by the holy book and Hadith itself) jihad does refer to struggle, albeit one that’s aided with a sword. Pretending that the curriculum will be teaching children a diverse range of options for struggle is the equivalent of blindfolding yourself before you jump into a bees’ nest and then wondering what went wrong. It’s not fair, not only to the entire province, but to the children who are quite literally taught violence.

No child is born with prejudice; we help them find their way to it with what they’re being taught. Hatred and intolerance are cancers. We start with small doses and they spread out into everything else. When hristians/Hindus/Shias/Sunnis/Whatever are attacked and you hear arguments such as “well they hurt Muslims in such and such place in the world, so doing this is okay” where do you think that mindset is coming from? The superiority complex of being a Muslim, and, of course, the absolutely ‘right’ kind of Muslims whose faith ranks higher than other Muslims is what helps perpetuate the problem. Why are we surprised when people fail to raise a voice for the dying Hazaras? Why are we shocked at the glee on a bigot’s face as he burn’s a Christian’s house down?

The most heartbreaking part is what we’re willing to give up to cultivate this mindset. Instead of stories of the medieval age, the curriculum in the KPK had included our own people, like Rehman Baba, Khushaal Baba, heroes, sufis, poets and celebrities with whom our children can identity better.

It took four years to make such a small measure of progress, but its back to square one in the deeply troubled KPK. The key to ending extremism does not lie in simply getting rid of one concept that seems to stand out. The intolerance and hatred that is obvious in our books will not wash itself away simply by taking out jihad and giving it a reboot. To suggest that KPK, and the entire nation in fact, take a look at the curriculum and remove all traces of hatred at this point seems like a joke that went a little wrong.

Pakistan is facing a dire situation where saying “it’s about time we get our act together” is an understatement. The KPK is already sinking into the quicksand of militancy and extremism. The rest of the country is no different. There are two paths we’re looking at right now as a nation. One leads us down a path where we remove inflammatory texts from syllabi and all other government institutions and move towards progress. Much like Turkey did in the past to emerge as a secular nation which comprised mostly of Muslims. Its present turmoil at the hands of the popularly elected leadership that wants religious element fitted into society and polity is proof that it actually should be kept at bay. The second path leads us down a road where the inclusion of jihad makes no difference, because with or without jihad our books preach enough hatred to keep the wheels of intolerance spinning.

The writer is a journalist based in Lahore. She can be emailed at [email protected]. She tweets @luavut