Teaching Intolerance
- Shanzay (21020142)
- May 9, 2021
- 1 min read
Intolerance is learned behavior; in Pakistan the states takes up this responsibility by using education as a means to uphold the notion of Islamic supremacy. This is an excerpt from textbooks highlighting the disdain that the Pakistani state feels for its minorities. By using equating Hindus to Indians it systemically engrains within student's minds that minorities are not to be trusted simply because they do not share the same faith. Ironic considering that a) it is also taught that Pakistan was made for the minorities (perhaps just Muslim minorities?) b) Currently, the government is rallying against Islamaphobia in the West in the name of minority rights but fails to see its own treatment of minorities.
It's really awkward in a way, that our government tries to fight the suppression of Muslims by suppressing other groups and minorities. Lol. We've all heard of reverse racism, and this may seem to be an analogy for that... Im not even sure they realize its intolerance. I feel like they think theyre teaching their generations to "hate" them so they can fight them later, fueled by that hatred. What do you think is their motivation? I feel like generally people don't go out motivate to spread intolerance, it's usually misplaced and a result of convoluted intentions.
Thank You Shanzay for highlighting such an important issue pertaining to education and curriculum that leads to conflict starting from schools and leading to the whole society. Our educational curriculum and even modes of formal and informal teaching are constructed in ways that promote Islamic ideologies and nationalist vision. I had to analyze all 9 educational policies of Pakistan to understand their role in promoting, altering, and maintaining certain popular visions, ideologies, and narratives in Pakistan. It revealed that all those policies have played a role in constructing the "other" who we all are supposed to hate. the other includes anyone who sways from the popular, what I call, Sunni Muslim male narrative. Hindus are especially portrayed to be our…
The upsurge of religious extremist groups in the country is because children are not taught tolerance within the schools. They are not taught to respect other cultures and religions. History textbooks present such a biased point of view that people don't even consider looking at the other side of the story. I feel that along with changing the content's perspective in our history textbooks, we must also teach children critical thinking so that they are able to think with an open mind.