Thursday, July 19, 2012

“Curriculum on ethics” letter published in the Daily Dawn on September 08, 2008


http://www.dawn.com

I endorse the recommendation made by Dr Tahira Arshad on ‘World religions course’ (Sept 1). I would like to say that the curriculum in the subject of Ethics has been developed by the Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus and Zoroasters.
Unforunately, Bahai religion has been ignored in the curriculum. There has been concern from the Bahai community in this regard. Students of religious minorities will not only study 12 religions, 30 personalities of different religions and nine religious festivals of these religions but about ethics as well.
Muslim students will be deprived of this all. When 97 per cent of the population will not study, then religious harmony, tolerance and patience will not be possible? We demand the government of Pakistan that this curriculum be included in the other textbooks because they will study Islamic Studies instead of Ethics. They need to study ethics as well which is the need of every human being.Religions which are placed in the recommended curriculum of Ethics from Grades III to XII are Totemism, Fables and Myths, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Confu-cianism, Taoism and Jainism.
Students will study the following personalities: Abraham, Lord Krishna, Gautama Buddha, Moses, Jesus Christ, Prophet Muhammad, David, St. Paul the Apostle, Baba Guru Nank Dev Ji, Mother Mary, Ashoka, St. Thomas Aquinas, Hazrat Rabia Basri, Zarathustra, Mira Bai, Ibn Miskawayh, Abraham Lincoln, Mahavira, Aristotle, Kant, Imam Ghazali, Florence Nightingale, Sri Arubindu, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Abdul Sattar Edhi, Dr Muhammad Younas, Nagaib Mehfouz and Gool Minawal/Nusswanji Mehta and about the following religious festivals:
Eidul Fitr, Christmas, Birthday of Baba Guru Nank, Eidul Azha, Easter, Holi, Nouroz, Lord Krishna’s birthday and Baisakhi.

PROF ANJUM JAMES PAUL
Faisalabad

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