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Our textbooks and the lies they teach
Pakistani textbooks have preached falsehoods, hatred and bigotry.
The writer is consulting editor, The Friday Times
Due to the 18th Amendment, a momentous shift in Pakistan’s governance arrangements is taking place through a politically mediated and largely consensual manner. The federal government is being trimmed and 10 ministries have already been devolved to the provinces. A key development pertains to the devolution of education — lock, stock and barrel — to the provinces. Most notably, the odious era of setting poisonous, centralised curricula in the name of a ‘martial’ nationalism is finally over. Whether the past practices of turning Pakistan into a jihad project will end is uncertain, unless the provinces take the initiative and reverse the regrettable trajectory of the past.
Pakistani textbooks have preached falsehoods, hatred and bigotry. They have constructed most non-Muslims, especially Hindus, as evil and primordial enemies, glorified military dictatorships and omitted references to our great betrayal of the Bengali brothers and sisters who were the founders and owners of the Pakistan movement. It is time to correct these wrongs.
However, this shift will be daunting for many reasons. The provinces are not well-prepared and would need to build capacities at their end. Similarly, generations of pseudo-historians, inspired by state narratives, exist who are willing to perpetuate the culture of weaving lies. Other than the ideological issues, bureaucratic slovenliness has also marred past performance. While the Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa textbook boards have been updating curricula, those in Sindh and Balochistan have not done so for nearly a decade.
So it is heartening to note that the Sindh government has finally made some headway now on the issue. The education department is working to update and align textbooks with the 2006 guidelines agreed to by all provinces. In addition, efforts are underway with the expertise of civil society to introduce critical modes of teaching, with supplementary learning material for both teachers and students.
The Sindh education department and the textbook board under the 2006 policy will be following a transparent process, inviting private publishers to submit books for subjects such as English, Mathematics, General Knowledge and Social Studies. For the first time, private publishers will be submitting transcripts for approval. The draft textbooks will then be reviewed by a committee comprising government and private experts and will finally be published in time for the April 2012 academic year.
What are the chances of this brilliant idea being implemented? Despite the odds, there is a strong likelihood that it may work. Largely, because the ruling coalition has an agreement over this issue and the 18th Amendment give full powers to the province. It is critical that other provinces also take note of Sindh’s initiative and set up similar reform committees.
Extremism in Pakistan has grown beyond belief and radicalisation of the young minds is a great challenge for Pakistan’s future. The provinces need to move quickly and undo the wrong committed by central authorities in the past.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 15th, 2011.
Reader Comments (211)
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BTW Pakistan or Pakistani textbooks is/are not alone when it comes to teach lies and fabrications.
Everyone cold watch the Documentary titled ‘Reel Bad Arabs’ too which was made by Russia Today. The documentary explains how Hollywood kept on showing a negative image of Arabs through their movies and cartoons for the past many decades, brainwashing a huge population of United States. So if someone call Pakistan a terrorist nation or so,then its better if they watch he following videos and see the hatred and stereotypes, Disney and others have injected into the minds of childen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1-Bbz_TBMc&playnext=1&list=PLC6BC33C2E29C087C
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee4mHeLn-Q&feature=mfuin_order&list=UL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WliVrRvXiOM&feature=mfuinorder&list=UL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyzrTPzmoAs&feature=mfuinorder&list=UL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkxFTn1AQd4&feature=mfuinorder&list=UL
Here are the lines from the Opening song of Aladdin
” where they’ll cut of your ears if they don’t like your face, it’s barbaric but hey, it’s home!”.
Just imagine what a kid would think about Arabs after listening to such BS. All these mega companies that provide entertainment to little kids, are somehow as good as those lunatics who train kids and teenagers in becoming a suicide bomber. All such corporations have played their role as the ones who encourage genocide in different parts of the globe. Disney itself is filled with Zaid Hamid kinda people who teach negative perceptions about Arabs,Chinese and don’t know who else via their shows and movies. After watchin Reel Bad Arabs one will get yet another reason to believe Dr. Zakir Naik that presently USA is the greatest terrorist nation on the planet.Recommend
@mind control
“Please answer the main question, what should people of Iraq or Afghanistan do if their country is invaded by another nation.*
Find out what did the Budhists(I hope you remember the Bamiyan Budhas, the greatest sculpture of its kind) and Hindus of Afghanistan do once their land came under Muslim occupation, do the same for Jews (Bagdadi Jews for example) and Christians of Iraq. I would recommend the same for present day Afghanistan and Iraq. In fact they should be used to it by now.”
when did Bamiyan Buddha become the “greatest sculpture of its kind”? You only knew the existence of the statue when Taliban blew it up and before that it was standing for 1200 years under the Muslim rule. It is indeed very funny to hear you dictating what Afghans and Iraqis must do when their lands are occupied especially when you are coming from a country where Shivaji (the defender of Hindus) is elevated to such a high status.Recommend
@Syed Ali
In case you are having some difficulty in finding out what happened to the Afghans and Iraqis of yore, here is a helping hand.
A. Afghanistan– princes of Herat and Seistan gave way to rule by Arab governors but in the east, in the mountains, cities submitted only to rise in revolt and the hastily converted returned to their old beliefs once the armies passed. The harshness and avariciousness of Arab rule produced such unrest, however, that once the waning power of the Caliphate became apparent, native rulers
once again established themselves independentThe Mongols resulted in massive destruction of many cities, including Bamiyan, Herat, and Balkh, and the despoliation of fertile agricultural areas. Large number of the inhabitant were also slaughtered. All the major cities and towns became part of the massive Mongol Empire, except the isolated hidden mountainous southern regions where the mountain tribes lived.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HistoryofAfghanistan#Islamic_conquest
B. Iraq- The intention was that the Muslims should be a separate community of fighting men and their families living off taxes paid by the local inhabitants. In the north of the North eastern Iran, Mosul began to emerge as thepossessions. most important city and the base of a Muslim governor and garrison. Apart from the Persian elite and the Zoroastrian priests, who did not convert to Islam and thus lost their lives and property, most of the Mesopotamian peoples became Muslim and were allowed to keep their possessions
.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HistoryofIraq#ArabconquestandAbbasidCaliphateRecommend
@Raza Rumi:
If SDPI report’s Secondary sources were to be used then , what is new in this article ,except raising the issue again?
The report is around 4-5 years old. Syllabuses have been changed many times since then.
Updated information does matter.Recommend
@salahuddin:
Please do read Chankiya’s Arth shastra. Recommend
Pakistan is not going to change its narrative. It has been built on an edifice of lies, distortion, and make-believe and trying to correct it now will only result in unraveling of the Islamic Republic. Besides, Pakistan was fought for an obtained as a separate nation for a separate religion, so the progression of this narrative is natural. The more likely scenario is Raza Rumi, Pervez Hoodbuoy, Irfan Hussain, Kamran Shafi and other such right-thinking, well-meaning “Pakistanis” should migrate back to India, which will be most happy to have such men of honor, distinction, and sense of justice and fairplay. Leave Pakistan to the real Pakistanis.Recommend
Thank you for bringing this to our notice. We all have a responsibility to make sure that history is not distorted in our textbooks. We hope that all province will show responsibility and maturity and try to clear up the many distortions.
May I take this opportunity to say that we need to re-assess the role of Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan. He was the one to put Pakistan in the western camp – lock stock and barrel. Also his relations with Mr. Jinnah were not as rosy as painted. Why can we not ask questions about these issues and why are there no straight-forward answers from people who know? I feel that Mr. Liaquat thru his policies (literally begging for an invitation to the U.S. etc.) caused a lot of problems for us and he also started to think of himself as greater than Mr. Jinnah. The latter was well aware of this it seems. So why is he called a Shaheed-e-Millat?Recommend
There is a lot wrong with our textbooks, and enough evidence to support Raza’s view. We also know that every country teaches a self-serving version of “facts”. I still have a 1967 British childrens’ history that refers to “the abominated Turk” and disparages Germans.
Looking back, at least through the 60′s, our textbooks taught a national narrative that began with the Indus Valley, through the advent of the Aryans, to Ashoka and Chandragupta Maurya, continuing on to the Muslim invasions, right up to the Raj and Partition. Chapters extolled the beauty of the northern mountains as it did of sunsets in the riverine east. Buddha and Taxila appeared along with Sufi saints. Mangla was mentioned along with Karnaphuli. References to non-muslims, even when less than appreciative, weren’t insulting. All this information didn’t make students any less patriotic. A far cry from what we have now.
But that doesn’t mean it was a “balanced” narrative, because it served to consolidate Pakistan’s nationalist aspirations as interpreted officially. Just as it does today. What we see over the past few years therefore, is a manifestation of this progressive distortion of the official narrative. Are we ready quite yet to fix that?
Raza has reason for hope because he sees the 18th Amendment loosening the straitjacket of so-called ideology. Lets also hope the provinces can make a better job of it, considering the same people who wrote the earlier stuff will be asked to write new textbooks.
The question to ask, perhaps is: Having been through the same educational experience as so many of his age, what made Raza and others like him begin to see things differently from what was reflected in textbooks? One would guess this perspective crystalized as a result of what was learnt outside the classroom: Exposure to alternative narratives, meeting people from other cultures who helped dispell stereotypes, and other liberating circumstances.
Hence, crucial as it is, just fixing curriculum may not suffice: How do we rig it so we let our young people challenge stereotypes, ask awkward questions, derive their learning from experience, and generally feel less threatened by criticism on our “ideology” or our official narrative? And perhaps most important, how do we make our teachers empower rather than suppress?
With the way the system is configured, this all seems rather humbling, and a long walk home. Until we are well on our way, we should be prepared for condescending remarks from people who think they know better.Recommend
@mind control:
I do not know what is your source of history. Alexander, invaded Inida in 326/327 BC and even before his invasion, ruler of Texala (King ambhi) had become loyal to his kingdom. After fighting bloody wars in Aghanistan, Swat and Potohar, his army almost revolted and Alexnder had to return with his ” half baked” victory.Symbolically, his rule over very limited area of India lasted for less than three years as he died in 323 BC. You can call Inida as colony of Alexander, if you extend it boundaries to babylyon. For marxists, it will be nice to study what really happened to Alexanders empire shortly after his departure. Do not amke yourself a laughing stock by calling Inida a colony of Alexander…Sorry but you are not even aware of the difference between simple occupation and colonial occupation.
Reading few books about marx, here and there does not make you an intellectual or a historian. You continue to see history through your tunnel vision.
Your logic about the reponse of afghnas or Iraqis is in direct contradiction to the charter of United Nations which gives right to the oppressed nations, wheter it be jews, christians, muslims or Hindus to stand up and reisist the aggression.Since you are allergic of the word resistance or Jehad, you chose to be rescued by maligned logic and utterly unstainable reasoning.Recommend
@observer:
I do not know what is your source of history. Alexander, invaded Inida in 326/327 BC and even before his invasion, ruler of Texala (King ambhi) had become loyal to his kingdom. After fighting bloody wars in Aghanistan, Swat and Potohar, his army almost revolted and Alexnder had to return with his ” half baked” victory.Symbolically, his rule over very limited area of India lasted for less than three years as he died in 323 BC. You can call Inida as colony of Alexander, if you extend it boundaries to babylyon. For marxists, it will be nice to study what really happened to Alexanders empire shortly after his departure. Do not amke yourself a laughing stock by calling Inida a colony of Alexander…Sorry but you are not even aware of the difference between simple occupation and colonial occupation.
Reading few books about marx, here and there does not make you an intellectual or a historian. You continue to see history through your tunnel vision.
Your logic about the reponse of afghnas or Iraqis is in direct contradiction to the charter of United Nations which gives right to the oppressed nations, wheter it be jews, christians, muslims or Hindus to stand up and reisist the aggression.Since you are allergic of the word resistance or Jehad, you chose to be rescued by maligned logic and utterly unstainable reasoning.
.Recommend
@observer,
A wonderful helping hand from wikipedia entries indeed. I am just curious why Iraqis and Afghans didn’t return to their “original peaceful” faiths? I wonder what role did Iraqis and Afghans themselves have in spreading Islam in their own lands and elsewhere.
The point being how quick Indians point to the brutality of Arabs when their own kings were giddy mass murderers who wiped towns and cities. It was the same Afghans/Persians/Mongols that came to defeat your valiant Kshatriyas. I am pretty sure that part of the history has been repeated again and again and planted in your mind by your nationalists. Refresh it with some wikipedia entries.Recommend
@Adil:
Can you deny that for centauries Arabs have been cutting throats of just about everyone they came across? Ever heard of Bin Qasim or Tariq Bin Ziyad for instance? Even today the human rights situation in most Arab countries is among the worst in the world and not least in Saudi Arabia the centre of many’s affection and one of the largest spreader of extremism in the world in general and in Muslim countries in particular.
Heck, Arabs even treat their Muslim brethren from Pakistan and third world very baldy.Recommend
@Suarabh Shahi – Twisting the facts to your benefits doesn’t make you a good “self proclaimed” journalist. And being a journalist doesn’t make you right and wise and know it all person. Your choice of words and opportunistic behavior to drive away from the point ( which is text books lies in pakistan) to whats wrong in India is a proof that you are carrying your own agenda to appease few people here and participating fairly in discussion. If it makes you feel better I am from Gujarat and know the ground reality far better than wherever warm journalist hut you were prejudicing the situation from. Not many right minded gujaratis so to speak support the action against Muslim, but it was a retaliation action and its always ugly. We definitely have Hidnu hot heads who are as worse as terrorist and we need to eliminate them. But these hot heads havent succeeded in radicalizing entire nation. Thats the difference number one between India and Pakistan. My in laws are Pakistanis and my first rude shock came when I heard that they believed all three wars were started by India. And these are the ellite and educated cream class people I am talking about. Atleast our ellite class is not so ignorant. About caste kilings, its a law and order situation. It is not supported by common people . Against this the hatred against Hindu is widespread amongst all class of Pakistan. That is the difference number two for you. We are below Pakistan and Sri Lanka in poverty ? And you call yourself a journalist ? My dear having a fake Indian name and calling yourself a journalist doesnt make you one so. Even the pakistani journalist in true sense of mind will go and do research ( we have internet for god sake use it ) to see the facts. Let me correct you there. The ratio of poverty in India is bigger than Pakistan , yes cause the population is 4 times bigger then them and almost 10 times bigger than sri lanka. The poverty has dropped 17 % in last decade if you have missed the WTO articles which was published as recently as about two weeks ago. More and more rural projects are springing up to narrow the chasm between rich and poor and its a slow progress not an overnight change. So please Mr self proclaimed journalist get your facts right. Anti OBC reservation slogans ? well done in twisting the facts again. You conveniently ignored the fact that the anti-OBC was actually an anti reservation fight. The opponents were wanting to completely abolish reservation systems. In current reservation systems the OBC, muslims, females, and many other categories takes away 67 % of quato in government jobs, colleges, institution etc. Why would the open category suffer? Why not remove quota system and put merrit based system ? Reservation system itself is racist in nature. This kind of systems increases class hatrednes and infact reminds each of what class tehy belong. So in a way the reservation system is indeed increasing teh caste based fight rather tahn doing any justice. Which other nation in world will have 67 % reservation for summation of all minority ? So oh my self proclaimed un educated journalist from Pakistan who assumed the name of Saurabh Shahi, please go back to school and do real journalism. About Shivaji, hmmm, I dont like him much either especially thanks to bala thackrey who really mis used his name to the point that now I have started hating him, but yes about your “peeth peechey chura” dialogue. You are an audacious clown who seriously have no clue about history. Shivaji didnt stab teh commander on back he tored his guts out, please for god sake “read history” and I am not asking Indian history books , just any so called un biased books if you please. And that commander was actually assigned task to assisinate Shivaji in pretext of peace talks. So who was doing back stabbing hmm? My dear, dont be ashamed of calling yourself Pakistani. there is nothing wrong in it. Disguising yourself as Indian to drive your point is the new low. I respect more pakistani here who remains pakistani and put their hate remarks against India. I respect them for they speak their mind and do that keeping their identity. To hate is human nature. But hating to the point of ruining a genaration or killing people is ugly, seriously ugly. And to remind you again this blog is not about who is good Hindu or Muslim. But it is about how false history can mis guide a whole community and nation as such. And bring them to brink of radicalisation. Use your so called journalism for good use. Like our dear author here. Recommend
a very sub standard article. textbooks are easy to pick on so if you do not have any new ideas to write about – start bashing the textbooks. mr. rumi has not provide evidence to what he is saying. in my opinion it appears that mr. rumi may have done o/a levels and may never had read a single textbook that he is blaming. indeed there is much false hood in our textbooks but mr. rumi is doing no service with his useless blabbering. mr. rumi is a socialite and i am sure he wants everyone of us to become like him – a wanna be blind follower of the western culture. there have been many attempts by the governments to try to change the curriculum so that the schools churn out slaves to western civilization.
indeed our textbooks are a piece of crap. they are very very sub standard. the academics who devised them must be very incompetent. the topics that are taught and the rote system is not helping us to progress. quality of the topics taught must be improved. topics that are necessary to prosper in todays world must be taught. for example, in usa school kids learn about renewable energy in their middle school. they also conduct labs to actually see theoretical concepts in action.
in my experience of studying in usa, i found quite a few indian hindus very anti pakistan. so it appears to me that indian textbooks may also teach hate against muslim rulers of india and pakistan. this issue must also be considered.
in conclusion, mr. rumi is a loser and people like him are doing no service to the country. infact they themselves spread hatred against anything related to the religion that the prophet muhammad (pbuh) brought.Recommend
I agree. However, such measures should also be taken at the Indian side of the education system. It always works both ways. Perhaps teachers should be educated as well and given workshops to regulate and enhance the state of education in Pakistan. This is something the North American education board does often, quite successfully I believe. (Even though their textbooks are also biased, it is not to the extent that ours are). Recommend
Will the bloggers, esp those who disagree with this author, care to read the article in the Dawn
http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/15/the-alphabet-jungle.html Recommend
@Zeeshan
You only knew the existence of the statue when Taliban blew it up and before
This trick of projecting one’s own inadeqacies on the other is quite old. I take it to mean that you were quite unaware of the Budhas as your books never told you about the Hindu-Budhist past of Afghanistan and even Taxila.And you were not told about the Hindu-Budhist past because your ‘history’ begins only with Bin Kasim Do some day find out what happened to the Budhists. Their fate too was similar to the Bamiyan Budhas.
It is indeed very funny to hear you dictating what Afghans and Iraqis must do when their lands are occupied
Again big time ignorance finding expression as even bigger time self righteous anger. The fact is Mr Syed Ali asked this question, I refused to respond to it. He reiterated I kept quite. Then a third time he insisted. I have quoted him in bold,as you can see Mr Ali is insistent. He says, Please answer the main question.
This time I could not ignore his plea.
And I have merely pointed out that this is not the first time that Afghanistan and Iraq have been occupied by ‘Foreign Powers’ , therefore, they can simply see how they responded the last time around and repeat or may be not. The choice is theirs. I am only reminding Mr Ali of their history as this is what the debate between me and Mr Syed Ali was all about.
And now that you undersatnd the context, and think you have a better right to advise the Afghans and the Iraqis please proceed to do so. Better still please go there and execute your advice. Good Luck.Recommend
@Saurabh Shahi:
One mans terrorist is another mans freedomfighter janab. Yeh baat durust hai ke aap sahab …are one of us not one of them!
Kashmir ke log hamare liye freedom fighters hain unke liye terrorist. Shivaji unke liye hero hai hamare liye terrorist.
Bhagat singh dono hindustan aur pakistan keliye freedom fighter hai lekin bartania ke lihaz se dahshatgard.
Aap apnein mulk ki kitabion ka baren main soche…humein to yeh sikhaya gayatha ke Qaid-e-Azaam hamesha pakisna chahte the..lekin humeninen halahi main aswant Singh ki kitaab padhi isme mukammal taur pey yeh baat tay ho jaatio hai ke Jinnahsahab Pakistan 1946 tak nahi chahte the…lekin Nehru ki vajah se unhonein ghaliban tay kar liya abhi pakistan nban key rahhega.
Padho bhai aap bhi..aap to journalist hai!Recommend
The author would have done a great service if unlike others he had pointed exactly which books and articles preach hatred and lies.
It is amazing to find so many Indians fascinated by us and tempted to read the work of Pakistani authors and comment on these. I wonder if we can be allowed the same luxury in the world’s biggest democracy where there is a complete ban on Pakistani media. Some of the comments posted by them amply reflect that the case of “hate preaching” is more pronounced on the other side of the border. Recommend
Not a single nation on the surface of earth has its textbooks bias-free. I’d say that pakistani boards should get even more aggressive in preaching nationalism .
The author of the blog should complain about the biased history thats being taught in american european and indian schools first .
Red Indians are portrayed as savages, American Civil war is falsely depicted to be fought over the issue of slavery. Americans never spoke of the massacres that the “Democratic” armies of America and south korea did in 1950s korea. NobodY speaks about the 50000+ women n children dying whitin a week of american and british bombing of Hamburg.
So Mr Author should better shut the f up coz ultra nationalism is the only path left to us if we want to save whats left of the country Recommend
@No More Mr. Nice Guy:
Thanks for guiding me to the links. Yes, I am not good with computers, like many persons who blog here.
Nowhere in the Indian textbooks are Dalits degraded like Hindus are degraded in Pakistani text-books. If some text-book explains virtues of caste-system, it does not say Dalits are low beings, they should not be trusted e.t.c. Btw. Dalits have been given special reservations in government jobs, shows how much sacrifice is made by the (so called) upper castes.
That way even praising Islam should be objectionable, since Islam is inherently violent against other religions esp. Hinduism, because Hindus worship idols.
The Rajastan textbooks just state that ‘appeasement of minorities’ is responsible for terrorism. It is upto readers to judge how much an anti-minority statement that is.
Textbooks are fine as long as what they state are facts, and leaves making opinions to the readers.
Btw. have you wondered why people on DELL support are Indians not Pakistanis.Recommend
Adil:
I dont know whether you are trying to defend Aurangzeb. He may have had fights with tribes in the west. But we are complaining is his orders for destruction of temples and killing of his siblings and father . The wikipidea links I mentioned will throw more lights on bigots like AurangzebRecommend
@folkfiende:
Bhagat Singh or Shivaji never killed innocent citizens. You can check that information from independent resources. Militants and terrorists on other hand kill innocent civilians, do you really want to call them “freedom fighters” ? Please set your standards higher.
@bilal: Author is basing his article on concrete substance “your published text books”. You on other hand my dear are basing your “assumption” about indian text boks preaching hate by your mere interaction with few pakistani hating indian hindus? I am in USA, my workplace and neigborhood has quite a lot of pakistani muslim and indian hindus, we work, dine, play, party and even watched the world cup match together. I dont remember a single incident where one side has shown the other any slightest hint of despise or dis respect. Well in either case coming to our point, can you pick an indian text book and find any single evidence of indian texts preaching any hatred towards any nation or caste or religion? Do they use any derogatory remarks against any caste, country or religion ? Hatred of Indians towards Pakistani comes from incidents like Mumbai attack where innocent peoples were barbarically killed by terrorists from Pakistan. I fear for my family when they travel in train in India. Its natural I would hate Pakistani for this uncomfort. But I try to be rationale and remind myself that just because of few bad apples in Pakistan I cannot hold the entire Pakistan accountable. Surely there are many people there like in India who just want to live their daily life, enjoy time with family and be happy without messing with anybody. This is what is needed in broader scale today for Indian and Pakistani people to realise that there is not much difference between us. It is misguiding texts or preaching or speech of politicians that pits innocents against each other. By nature human are always defensive and seldom like to accept their fault. It is toughest thing to accept fault and bare the shame. The fear of shame is what makes many of us go into state of denial. You can put any mask you want but deep down you can see the rationale when someone speaks truth and you know that is true no matter how bitter it is. And it desn’t matter if you accept it or not. The truth will always remain.Recommend
Mr Raza Rumi, though what you are pointing out is very much valif but your argumentation is very weak. However, the strength of your piece is that it has inspired very enlightening comments from either side. One may hope you will learn how to write effectively and comprehensively, taking as many contexts in view as possible. ThanksRecommend
@adil
If you accept that the VP and Senrior Manager did run a riot under CEO aurangzeb, I think responsibility still lies with him isn’t it? If he couldn’t control operations in so many cities why bother expanding network. Actually he expanded the network with the help of same VPs and Managers and fullfilled his ambition of ruling whole continent. He was not really bothered about people living in the continent. He was not bothered about Islam as well but he knew if he destroys some tamples he will get support of religious bigots (Same VPs you are referring to). This is the exact reason why Taliban destroyed Bamian buddhas. As always all these steps have long term negative aspects and you cannot wish away the negative publicity you face because of these actions.
I agree with most here that every nation/ruling state have a narrative which suits their need to perpituate their rule. The narrative which are more close to reality, last longer than others. So it is upto citizen of Pakistan, how long they want their narrative to last.Recommend
@Light:
Dear friend U should name yourself HEAVY and not light. Please let Good people of two countries to unite citizens. Teaching hatred against India or Hinduism, will not help Pakistan or it’s ordinary citizens. It is a fact that last 2-3 generations of pakistan has been taught hatred in the name of history. India named one missile ‘Prithvi’ meaning Earth ( Pakistani rulers thought it is the name of Prithvi Raj Chauhan, the Rajput King ), another ‘Agni’ meaning Fire,another ‘Akash’ meaning Space, another ‘Nirbhay’ meaning without fear and so on.On the other hand, Pakistani rulers named their missiles ‘Gauri’, Ghaznavi’ , ‘Babar’, ‘Abdali’ who all looted India many times ( Remember muslim citizens were also looted by them ) . These names show Pakistani rulers try to link their generations with above invaders. It is this type of thinking they are putting in history being taught to Pakistani students. i.e. Developing a type of Anti- india phobia . Most of ordinary Pakistani people are loving people as I have met them, in a visit to Pakistan. Hatred will not solve any problem, but will lead to bomb blasts, killing of citizens, loot by politicians etc. etc.
Remember we cannot change the destiny of a country by Changing its history. Truth will remain immortal.Recommend
@Zeeshan
I am just curious why Iraqis and Afghans didn’t return to their “original peaceful” faiths?
For the same reason that they had to ‘convert’ to in the first place, fear of being killed. I am sure you know the punishment prescribed for ‘murtads’ , you see it being doled out to Ahmadis all the time.
Or is this further poof of your colossal ignorance.
It was the same Afghans/Persians/Mongols that came to defeat your valiant Kshatriyas
Did the Kshatriyas go to Afghan/Persian/Mongol lands or did they come to Kshatriya land? In short who was the invader? Recommend
@Syed Ali
Is it too much to ask you to find out
A. If Seleucus Nicator battled Chandragupt Maurya and if yes in what year?
B. If Seleucus Nicator offered his daughter in marriage to Chandragupt, if yes in what year?
C. If Seleucus Nicator sent Megasthanese as an ambassador to the court of Chandragupt, if yes in what year?
D. Did Megasthanese serve as an ambassador in Chandragut’s court, if yes till which year?
Now tell me what ended with the death of Alexander in 323 BC?
Go ahead, use any source of history, barring those that begin with Bin Kasim.
And for your kind information, even Afghanistan was considered to be part of India those days, which accounts for Afghanistan’s the Hindu/ Budhist past.
And inscidentally this whole aside started with your take on Raja Dahar being the first martyr against foreign invasion. Hopefully by now you know it to be not so. Thank me someday for enlightening you in howsoever small a way.Recommend
@observer
So you are one of those Indians who spent hours weeping for the destruction of the Nalanda library done by the barbarians (i.e., Muslims?)? The fact that the statue of Bamiyan stood there for 1200 years under the Muslim rule seemed to escape your mind. Or do you need to ignore that part of the history because it didn’t fit neatly with your wikipedia narrative?
Indians demand Pakistanis to revere the “Hindu-Buddhist past” while Indians viewed Muslim past in “India” with utmost hate. Why should we care about the “Hindu-Buddhist past” anyway? Our history as a collective people with the identity we carry today starts with the spread of Islam. We cherished that history while that history sent you berserk. The triumph of our history is the defeat of yours.
By demanding Pakistanis to care about our “Hindu-Buddhist past,” you are demanding us to emphasize with your identity (i.e., your “Hinduness”) that we never cared. We viewed Islam as an emancipating faith which shaped our identity. Muslims who were once oppressed during their “Hindu-Buddhist past” would be greatly thankful for the coming of Islam.Recommend
there are always two sides of coin if they are so good then what happen in babari masjid and in gujrat. What happen on 1971 pakistan did not do anything its the indian agents who do the brain washing and still we say its us no dear its not us. What u want wha should be history there were no crusades there is no occupied kashmir. Hindus are very good they were good when there was muslim rule but what happen when british came. Was there no train came from india full of dead bodies of women and children and men. And where this extremism start how this start who supply the weapon to afghans to fight with russia and in pakistan in which areas there is extremism in areas where people are educated or in areas where people are not educated decision is urs. Are you really an editor i dont think so. And the person who gave the references from books i dont think there is any hatred in those references its the hate within urself. And my humble request to editor that pleasr help the board to re writw the history in which there is no hate, no crusades, no occupied kashmir, no train full of dead bodies, no palestine problem where u kill palestine children without any fear and any isreali soldier killing is regretable, and full of horror stories about halucoust which not actually exist. One last thing change ur religion because in our religion it is told about jihad and heaven.Recommend
@Syed Ali
Your logic about the reponse of afghnas or Iraqis is in direct contradiction to the charter of United Nations……Since you are allergic of the word resistance or Jehad, you chose to be rescued by maligned logic and utterly unstainable reasoning
Sir jee, if you remember, you repeatedly asked for my opinion as to what Afghanistan and Iraq should do. And it is at your insistence that I have given my opinion based on historical facts complete with verifiable reference. On the other hand for all your rants you have not produced even the tiniest shred of verifiable reference.As Lenin said ‘each according to his ability’….
Now it seems you are keen to follow the UN, please do so by all means. Do remember,
A. The action in Afghanistan and Iraq is also mandated by the same UN.
B. As you have so persistently pointed out, I admit my knowledge is limited. So can you give me a reference to UN authorising a ‘jehad’ against the International Peace Keeping Forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, which according to you I am allergic to.Recommend
@Zeeshan
I wonder what role did Iraqis and Afghans themselves have in spreading Islam in their own lands and elsewhere.
And I wonder why are you left wondering when information is only a click away. Since you are too lazy to get information let me supply it to you.
A. In Iraq Islam is now ruling supreme as the remaining coptic Christians (did you know Saddam’s foreign minister was one) have been driven away.
B. Two other groups are busy bringing ‘pure Islam’ to Iraq by eliminating the followers of the impure variety. Soon we will know which one is purer and ‘most peaceful’.
C. In Afghanistan Purity was imposed and in the process a lot of impure ones in Mazar-e Shariff and elsewhere in Afghanistan have been eliminated. The task is still not complete.
D. Afghans and their ‘resistence sympathisers’ are also busy spreading pure Islam in Pakistan. They have already succeeded in FATA and are busy eliminating the impure ones whereever they are found. Recently the had some success in Data Durbar and Sakhi Sarwar.
E. It is expected that once their resistance duties in Afghanistan are over, they will purofy all of Pakistan.
Stop wondering my friend, start rejoicing.Recommend
Mr. Rumi might have highlighted some of the major portions to be touched and I do agree that the text needs to be changed but I would advocate a strong tilt towards teaching science and introducing research oriented studies in Pakistan. I would have loved this article if it was focused towards science and technology as it becomes plausible to be the part of curriculum now a days.
As far as the ‘hatred’ factor is concerned I never read any book in my whole entire life till I had formal Pakistan Punjab text education. None of the text, not a single line ever was meant to disgrace Bengolies.
As far as Indians are concerned we are sure of the fact that they were our enemies, are our enemies and will always be. I am a strong advocate of disapproval of so called ‘Aman ki Asha’. Pakistanis rather have always been a head in taking initiatives for extending a friendship hand to them but Indians have proved to be the snakes. The radicalization and fundamentalist minds are not the outcomes of education. Try to think about what is said in the above text.
Pakistan has many challenges to face and I agree on this fact produced by you.Recommend
Dear All
I am hugely encouraged by the some of the comments and the fact that this is an issue worth debating. We need to have an open-dialogue. Let there be a public debate and pressure for change should come from the people of Pakistan who have been forced to live with false or at best doctored narratives.
Those who disagree with me have the right to do so but ascribing motives is in bad taste.
RRRecommend
Same is the case in India but the degree of hate preached in India is much more than Pakistan. In Kashmir we are taught in “history of India” which demonizes Pakistan, though the contrary in true.Recommend
The subject is distortion of history in Pakistani education system and the impetus the same provides to terrorism. Let us stick to this subject. Raza Rumi has done a great job bringing in focus on this topic. Pakistan has to undo the mistakes in curriculum which is the cause of hatred in the Pakistani society and weel-meaning people like Rumi would like to modernise their country.Recommend
I went to pakistan in 2004. At a friend’s place at gujranwala, I had a chance to have a look at his daughters history book of class 11. Looking for the biasness , I turned to the chapter of medival india ,surprising for me there was mention of the atrocities committed by AURANGZEB and that his killing of innocent sons of tenth guru of sikhs made them fight with him. Honestly, I did not find that book biased as I had presumed before. Back home, a friend told me that he heard that in the urdu primers in pakistan, against the alphabet ZOE there is a picture of a sikh warrior to depict a ZALIM for that alphabet! Then I quoted the above incident to my friend also. As some of the readers have said, history is not like a video recording. Their would always be some bias infused by its writers Recommend
The author has provided no facts, no references, nothing in fact, except his own sensationalist, paper selling, soundbite. I was hoping for a more intelligently written article with some actual substance to it. Until then, this is just another pakistan bashing excercise.Recommend
@Raza Rumi: “Let there be a public debate and pressure for change should come from the people of Pakistan”
If the readers of this blog represented an average Pakistani, yes, it would work. But, unfortunately, that is not the case. Furthermore, the militants have figured out a very smart and highly effective way to silence the reformers – just bomb them out. If the armed forces can’t provide security as they are a part of the nexus, then where is the hope? Recommend
@Saadia:
The author has done an amazing job in bringing out the point that everyone knows just from commonsense. What proof do you want? Does someone have to show you a picture of the sun to prove it is day time? Yours is a politician’s way to side step the issue. Recommend
@Saadia – Clearly you conveniently ignored that the author did provide links and references to his claims. Better , just look at your text books you will get all the proofs you need my dear :).
@Sallh – Time to prove what you just stated. Anything to back what you commented about indian text books preaching hate?
@Raza Mahmud – Operation Gibraltor, Invasion of kashmir by pushtun in 1947, kargil war, mumbai killings should tell you enough of who is the snake and back stabber. If Pakistan’s credibility in world is close to zero, it is purely by far the history of mis-adventurism and terrorsim support by Pakistanis. So stop spreading more lies. Recommend
@Avanti
Don’t patronize Pakistanis. I am pretty sure you know the fates of courageous people in your land who speak against atrocities, hate, brutality committed by your own people. Go and rescue Binayak Sen before turning at Pakistani feet with your patronizing tone. And the thugs and criminals who mass murder informers seemed to escape your mind: :http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/world/asia/23india.htmlRecommend
@mustafa – One more article for you of how much lies you have been fed.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/15/the-alphabet-jungle.htmlRecommend
raza rumi, you deleted my comment, which shows that you are a coward loserRecommend
@observer:
I am talking about soviet occupation of Afghanistan when ” Jihad” was started and was endorsed by most of the westren world.
Please learn the difference between imperialism and colonialism and stop being a cut and paste scholar.Recommend
I am not amazed how many Indians are supporting this blog, It is their national duty to ridicule the Pakistanis. By all this time I saw the linked report which is causing all the hue and cry about the syllabus.of our youth. I am glad to see some people have also posted their analysis by reading the report.
I think its the US aid through Kerry Luger Bill materializing in front of us in the from of the foreign funded NGOs like this one, again trying to promote this 7 years old “Enlighten Moderation” in our syllabus. This report was drafted by Sustainable Development Policy Institute in 2003 according to its preface :
“After completion, the first draft report was shared with some friends for review and
improvements, and the draft report released on 16 June 2003.”
So this what west wants with Pakistan to let us forget why over a million of its elder generation lost their lives and gave our blood for. It was for a Place to practice and preach and practically implement Islamic civilization model for the world.
Now we admit we were carried away from it and were put in the battle for our survival from the inherit enemy No 1 “India”. The chanakkiya followers wanted the territory back and west never wanted us to implement what we wanted so wars of 1948 , 65, 71, 1999 were commenced from time to time to eradicate this country. After 1965 they saw the way is to make use of political ignorance and egos by manipulating our bengali brothers who were dejected by the long distance of both geography and psychology of east Pakistan. They were invted to conspire in AGARTALA and when caught politically harassed to be released by the government then. Thus Indians succeeded in separating Pakistan.
I emphasis that it was due to lack of political will in the first place to make Pakistan ISLAMIC ROLE MODEL which caused us a catastrophe like this.
Now again i see Enlighten moderates trying The Subtle Subversion to harness our young minds for their cause.
It is painstaking to see all of us stirred up by this “incomplete” blog but “completed” agenda of The Subtle Subversion for the benefit of Indians and pro western interests.
To RAZA RUMI only
I rightly though of FOX NEWS. You know what GLENN BECK is fired may be you can fill in the slot. This time you’ll get the Chalk board as well. Make US Proud there.
Lord Almighty Guide us on your path in this our age of Disinformation.
Farhan Kazmi Recommend
@Mir Agha:
it’s true that there needs to be greater access to this type of education but I think Rumi’s right on the money. While it’s true that many people don’t have access to education, and are *illiterate, the students that do go through school are taught very poorly and this breeds as much conflict as illiteracy does. An education that doesn’t teach you how to think critically, how to assess the merits of a statement or book or politically charged statement from a local leader, isn’t an education at all, and this is what breeds national horrors like murdering ahmadis and bombing shia mosques. Recommend
The reality is actually the opposite, the writer has tried to implement his thinking on the readers without giving any sound proof of what he is saying, the writer seems to be a pseudo-journalist actually,
First of all, I agree that there are some problems in our textbooks but not the way writer has presented it, Our textbooks are trying to brainwash the minds of the youth systematically by teaching them about every odd personality of the past. If you see some history textbooks, written by peter moss of the Oxford University Press, which are taught in many of our schools, you will see that instead emphasizing Islam , he has emphasized Christianity and other cultures, which is not acceptable, our children need to be taught about the pioneers of Islam, such as Sultan Fateh, Salhuddin Ayyubi, Nurruddin Zangi, Qutbuddin Bakhtiya kaaki, Khalid bin waleed, but unfortunately most of our children don’t even know the names, because they are taught about polytheist people like Akbar!! Recommend
@Raza Rumi:
Thank you for the link. This is really atrocious! One fails to understand how could such things be allowed to be prescribed and taught in our schools. Just imagine the mental level of the people who did this; I think they should be hanged for treason! This means that any student who tried to read history beyond his textbooks and wrote the ‘correct’ and real history of events would actually fail even though the purpose of a good education is to open up ones mind! It is probably in response to your article and the one by Mr. Nadeem Paracha in ‘DAWN’ that the Sunni Ittehad Council has said only yesterday that it ‘would not tolerate any negative change in the textbooks of various educational institutions of the country”.
One is heartened, however, by the great response to your article from both sides of the border barring of course the blame game played by some. I think there is an overwhelming majority who would like to see history as it is being taught in our educational institutions. This is something that gives us hope. A request to all those who write comments: Please confine your comments on the issues and do not get personal. Some magnanimity is in order from across both sides of the border.Recommend
@Arindom:
I have studied in an Indian school for 8 years and I have to say the text books were ridiculous, infact the language used for muslims is unbelievable.. no wonder most of the youth in India do not even know about the truth of Kashmir because they lie that it was a majority of hindus! It’s the limit! I am now studying in America and here in my history class when we talked over it.. Indians knew the wrong story.. so whose curriculum is what.. it SHOWS.Recommend
@Reza Mahmud:
Your feelings about us are appreciateda and reciprocated with same feelingsRecommend
@all of you
this is about narrative in Pakistani curriculum
so please caste your biases aside and stick to the spirit of the article……and just be polite to each other
for heaven’s sake……..lets make our respective countries better places to live in…..remember we the common people are the losersRecommend
Great article – But rather than waiting for governments to do something we the people should – lets us together help Pakistans future, let us do something NOWRecommend
@Farhan kazmi –
Indians dont feel it a “national duty” to ridicule Pakistan. That was taken care long ago by Zia and is continued by people like you. If some one honestly points you fault in your system, u get too religiously and nationally sensitive and start blowing steam. Is it really hard for you guys to understand that there are concrete proofs to substantiate what the author has written here. While you guys just cry foul about Indian history text books instead of producing a single reference of proof to your claims. Indians like me are just trying to put a constructive discussion of understanding what went wrong in our past that things are so bad today. And your constant ranting about Indians want to try gaining back Pakistan supports what the author claimed here, that you and your generation and next is clearly brainwashed by your text books. You prove how much damage lies in primary education can do. Grow up and start memorizing what I am going to say. A failed or troubled Pakistan is not what Indians need. Why would India inherit trouble by trying to annex Pakistan. Its a strategic, economic and whatsoever-ic disaster. Instead we want Pakistan to thrive, extremists in both countries ( underline both ) to be disbanded and borders to be porous enough so both can work and live with each other for more prosperous southern Asia. We can do miracles together or do the worst horror for mankind. Identifying the anomalies in history text book is just the beginning of honest self evaluation. And I commend our author here. I wish India too does more of such kind of self evaluation and fix the system instead of negative comparison with Pakistan. But as far as history text books goes, sorry to say but dude you loose hands down. And I am not saying this with sense of pride.
……………………………
@A – Oh please dear your knowledge says it all that you never studied in India and never in USA. If you are man ( or woman ) enough, please provide this forum a proof of what you said and shut the Indian bloggers mouth. Are you feeling good about typing lies here in the blog ? I bet that was the highest moment in your life :)Recommend
It is just a biased opinion of a writer and nothing else. Who can guarantee the authenticity of this article, and sincerity of the author. Ask those who were the part of Pakistan movement that who were hindus and ask them about Bengali brothers and sisters. We have learnt much from our ancesstors not from text books. Only these kind of Pakistan can state these facts as wrong to poison young minds and fulfil their agenda. Instead of criticizing each and everything in Pakistan try to play your own role for the betterment. This is what people are doing now a days using media for their own purposes. That’s itRecommend
Hey friend can i publish some paragraph of your article on my little blog of university.I have to publish a good articles out there and i really think your post Fits best into it.I will be grateful to give you an source link as well.I have two blogs one my own and the other which is my college blog.I will publish some part in the university blog.Hope you do not mind.Recommend
@Raza Rumi:
Thank you very much for this informative article. Though we Indians knew that Pak curriculam taught in school and colleges had some descrepancies but to this extent is beyond one’s comprehension. Though some biases may exist in curriculam in histories of many countries of the world but in Pakistan distortion of history is a FLIGHT OF WILD IMAGINATION and written WITHOUT APPLICATION OF MIND.The sermons of immense hatred towards other communities especially Hindus and importance of jihad has resulted in spread of religious intolerance and violence throughout the country. Although enough damage has already been done yet it is never too late to undo this grave blunder for betterment of future generation of Pakistan. Recommend
its not only hatred, also the useless extra stuff we are being taught which is never implemented in so-called practical life.Recommend
As I see, it is part of power game that was started since the time immemorial. It was on at the time of independence in 1947 and it still continues. The difference is that in the ancient past the religion(s) were not that significant to be used as effective tools, as they are now in the contemporary world.
All the invaders and all the rulers have been playing the game of power. So they do today. To inculcate love or hatred through text books or through other media is only one of the numerous ways to continue to rule.
No matter whether it is Pakistan, India or West power jugglery is a common thing. It is the mastery of some of the jugglers that they play the power game without their hidden agenda being exposed. The problem is with those who are not that expert. They get exposed rather easily and are subjected to criticism. Eventually they fall when their criticisers overpower their supporters (people whose interests are limked with them).
Uniting the sub-continent, dividing the sub-continent and continuing to rule the different parts of the sub-continent are all for the sake of enjoying power. Be it through nationalism, democracy, dictatorship, terrorism, religious bigotry, love, hatred, war mongering and for that reason any thing that is most handy and most suitable according to available circumstances.
This will go on because the really good people in the silent majority are not interested to rule. May be they are incapable. With the result that the silent majority is being ruled by the power-gamers who frequently fight for booty and the members of silent majority suffer unmindful of the game of power seekers. They call them leaders, reformers and gods and their one group blames another group. Alas, all this is but natural.Recommend
I am a textile technologist, 1972-76, I understand that 100 % material taught to us other then particular technology is nothing to do with the professional job, but no body want our feed backRecommend
i just want to thank the author for doing the job many more Muslims shuld have been doing, being critical to the jihad propaganda and all related to it. when we \Indians and Hindus do it, we are all too often put in the category of real communals. our secularist friends do not like any critic of our minorities, even though when and wherever we Hindus became a minority, nobody raised eyebrows against the injustices we suffered from e.g. in Kashmir and Bangladesh. ashaRecommend