I would like to quote a few excerpts of textbooks available and being taught in Pakistani schools.
KARACHI: This is with reference to Raza Rumi’s excellent article of April 15 titled “Our textbooks and the lies that they teach”.
I would like to quote a few excerpts of textbooks available and being taught in Pakistani schools. For example, a social studies book for class IV says the following: “India invaded Lahore on September 6, 1965 without any ultimatum. After 17 days, the Indian authorities laid down arms acknowledging the bravery and gallantry of the Pakistan Army and civilians.”
A social studies textbook for class VII says: “European nations have been working during the past three centuries, through conspiracies on naked aggression to subjugate the countries of the Muslim world.” This is ironic to say the least given Pakistan’s wide-ranging ties, trade as well as defence-related, with many European and western countries.
Furthermore, a textbook for Pakistan Studies taught to students in matric says the following: “In Islam, jihad is very important…. The person who offers his life never dies.... All the prayers nurture one’s passion for jihad.” That students should be taught this is astonishing given that the state is fighting extremism and militancy and those who train children to become suicide bombers used exactly this kind of language and logic.
Adnan Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, April 16th, 2011.
