- Public school textbooks used by all children often had a strong Islamic orientation, and Pakistan’s religious minorities were referenced derogatorily or omitted altogether;
- Hindus were depicted in especially negative terms, and references to Christians were often inaccurate and offensive;
- Public school and madrassa teachers had limited awareness or understanding of religious minorities and their beliefs, and were divided on whether religious minorities were citizens;
- Teachers often expressed very negative views about Ahmadis, Christians, and Jews, and successfully transmitted these biases to their students;
- Interviewees’ expressions of tolerance often were intermixed with neutral and intolerant comments, leaving some room for improvement.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
USCIRF Issues Study On Education and Religious Discrimination In Pakistan
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom yesterday issued a 139-page study (full text) titled Connecting the Dots: Education and Religious Discrimination in Pakistan-- A Study of Public Schools and Madrassas. As summarized by USCIRF release on the report, the study found:
