ISLAMABAD: ‘Respecting religious diversity and promoting harmony among different faith is essential to promote peace and development’.
This was the theme under discussion at the opening session of the three-day training held by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and Minority Right Group (MRG), UK, on Monday. The event is being attended by teachers, of different faiths, from the schools of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Speaking on the occasion, Senior Advisor SDP Ahmed Salim said, “Text books taught in schools can play a pivotal role in this regard and SDPI would keep on contributing to the cause of strengthening religious harmony through curriculum reform.”
He said that all citizens of Pakistan irrespective of their faith should be treated equally, without any discrimination.
Introducing the training modules, Ahmad Salim mentioned that the existing text course in our schools was ‘highly predisposed’, which was the root cause of increasing prejudice in the society about various religions.
Meanwhile, Humaira Ishfaq, lecturer at Islamic International University, said that the modules developed under MRG project were an attempt to curtail the ‘abhorrence among different religions’ and to bring tranquillity in the society.
She highlighted the changes required in the pedagogical methods and how these could be ‘constructive’ if implemented in the class rooms. Ishfaq also encouraged the steps of government to amend the ethics’ text in relation to these developed modules.
“The failure to provide adequate protection to ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities of Pakistan is an unfortunate aspect of country’s legal and political history,” said Afshan Ahmed, Research Associate at SDPI.
She said that the dilemma of our education system was meagre curriculum development and the inflexibility of most of the teachers. Similarly, the Executive Director SDPI Dr Abid Suleri appreciated the role of steering committee of MRG project for their guidance on development of multi faith educational modules for grade 1 to grade 10 children.
He assured that SDPI would carry on supporting all initiatives taken for religious harmony in the country. He also lauded Sherry Rehman for floating a bill for an amendment in blasphemy law and insisted that path of religious tolerance was ‘a must’ to curb extremism and militancy from the country.
According to Ahmed, lack of a proper definition for the word ‘minority’ in the constitution and absence of impartial governance in the affairs of religion was making the life of diversified religious groups miserable.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2010.
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