US Govt Panel Also Finds Bias Against India
Washington: Text books in Pakistani schools foster hatred and intolerance of minorities, the Hindus in particular and teachers view these groups “as enemies of Islam”, a US government report has said.
“Pakistan and social studies textbooks are rife with negative comments regarding India and Great Britain, but Hindus are often singled out for particular criticism in texts and in interview responses,” said the report.
This intolerance and prejudice also extends to other minorities like the Christians and Ahmadis, who consider themselves Muslims but are not considered so by the Pakistani constitution.”
The Islamization of text books, the commission has said began under the army rule of late dictator Zia-ul-Haq who courted Islamists to support his rule. Though in 2006 the government announced plans to reform the curriculum, this has not been done under apparent pressure of hardliners, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom said in a report on Wednesday.
The commission in its 139-page report said that though Pakistan was envisaged as a moderate state where minorities would have full rights, but three wars with India and appeasement of hardline clerics by successive weak governments had led to steady radicalization of the society.
The chairman of the commission Leonard Leo warned “the teaching discrimination increases the likelihood that violent religious extremism in Pakistan will continue to grow, weakening religious freedom, national and regional stability, and global security. Although an unbiased review of history would show that Hindus and Muslims enjoyed centuries of harmonious co-existence, Hindus are repeatedly described as eternal enemies of Islam. Hindu culture and society are portrayed as unjust and cruel, while Islam is portrayed as just and peaceful,” panel said in its report. PTI
Protesting killings of 3, Hindus observe indefinite strike in Sindh province
Angry over killing of three Hindus, the community members on Wednesday observed a shutdown in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh as part of an indefinite strike to protest the deaths, as police arrested 13 people in the case. The Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) which had initially said that four Hindu doctors were gunned down on Eid day later clarified that three Hindus were killed in the attack. “It is now confirmed that those killed included a doctor, Dr Ajit Kumar and two of his relatives who were businessmen, Naresh Kumar and Ashok Kumar,” said Ramesh Kumar, a former lawmaker and chief patron of the PHC. He said a fourth person, Dr Satia Pal, was badly wounded in the attack and is now under intensive care in a Karachi hospital. “He is still struggling for his life,” Kumar said. Police have so far arrested 13 people in connection with the killings, an official said. PTI
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