ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net -- E-mail: assistnews@aol.com Thursday, October 24, 2013 The Pakistani Minorities Teachers’ Association Is Planning a Boycott of Ethics Textbooks in Their Country Their leader, Prof. Anjum James Paul, has written to the Prime Minister of Pakistan saying that they discriminate against non-Muslims  By Dan Wooding Founder of ASSIST MinistriesFAISALABAD, PAKISTAN (ANS) -- A Pakistani leader of a minority’s teacher’s group, Professor. Anjum James Paul, has written to the Prime Minister of his country, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, claiming that ethics textbooks discriminate against non-Muslims.
He said, “There is Islamization of textbooks as Islamic prayer is written almost on each and every textbook while these books are for all the students regardless of any creed”. In his letter to the Prime Minister, Paul says that article 25 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees equal citizenship to all Pakistanis as it describes, ‘All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law’”. He went on to say, “It is a sorrowful state that there is the violation of the constitution in this regard. There is discrimination with the fundamental rights of the students of the religious minorities. There are biases and propagation on the religious basis against Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs in the contents of the present curriculum and the textbooks.
“They feel insecure to send their children even to the public sector educational institutions because anything wrong can happen to them. The minority students have to suffer due to the biased curriculum, biased textbooks and biased environment of the educational institutions. “Sir, the subject of Ethics has been introduced only for the minority students though it is the utmost need of all the students to have the human values such as tolerance, patience, human dignity and human rights. The minority students have to study mythology and comparison study of religions from grade 3 to grade 11 which is a master level course while the majority students have to study only the fundamental teachings of their own religion. The subject of Ethics is like a poison for these innocent minority students of the age 6 or 7. This is the age for them to know their own religion/s but they are going to be confused in the forthcoming textbooks.
He then said that the Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association has the following demands on behalf of the religious minorities of Pakistan. 1. The subject of ‘Ethics’ must be replaced into the subject of ‘Religion’. 2. There must be separate textbooks and teachers for Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Baha’i, Parsi and other minority students as it is in the case of the majority students. 3. The curriculum and textbooks in the subject of ‘Religion’ must be developed by the educationists and the theologians of the relevant religion/s. 4. The biased and hate promoting material against Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and other religions must be abolished from all the textbooks. 5. Comparison between or among religions must be abolished from all the textbooks as it is described in the instructions of the Curriculum Wing, but deliberately violated while the textbooks are developed by the publishers. 6. There must be chapters on peace, human rights, human dignity, social and interfaith harmony at all levels. 7. The role of all the Pakistani heroes in different fields must be included in the textbooks without the distinction of race or creed as all the Pakistanis have played their role in the creation and construction of Pakistan.
He then said that PMTA he would like to present a brief description of the Articles that safeguard the rights of the child in this regard which included Article 22 of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973, which says, Article 22: Safeguards as to educational institutions in respect of religion, etc. (1) No person attending any educational institution shall be required to receive religious instruction, or take part in any religious ceremony, or attend religious worship, if such instruction, ceremony or worship relates to a religion other than his own. (2) In respect of any religious institution, there shall be no discrimination against any community in the granting of exemption or concession in relation to taxation. (3) Subject to law (a) no religious community or denomination shall be prevented from providing religious instruction for pupils of that community or denomination in any educational institution maintained wholly by that community or denomination; and (b) no citizen shall be denied admission to any educational institution receiving aid from public revenues on the ground only of race, religion, caste or place of birth He concluded his letter to the Prime Minister by saying, “Sir, we request you to kindly address the demands of the Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA) and provide the constitutional, fundamental and legal rights to bring the minority students from oppression and depression. There must be the supremacy of law and all citizens must be treated equally as guaranteed in the Article 25 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan. There will be good a gesture to the community of nations as Pakistan is already signatory of the above mentioned Covenants and Conventions and has ratified them. “It is utmost need of the time to promote the culture of peace, harmony, tolerance, human rights and social justice. Such a culture can only flourish when education system is fair and unbiased and according to the guidelines of UNESCO. Secure minds can secure the nation but not the arms”. Professor Anjum James Paul also sent ANS a brief introduction to the efforts and achievements of the Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA), in which he said, “The Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA) was established on August 28, 2005 by Professor Anjum James Paul. PMTA is constantly struggling with a dream to make Pakistan a role model state where people of religious minorities will one day live as a part of Pakistani nation and where they will not be judged by their faiths but by the content of equality. “PMTA feels pleasure to share with you its role and achievements and expects more positive changes in the near future. Though it is a way to Calvary but we know that way to Calvary is a way to victory. The achievements are the results of our reservations and recommendations that have been brought to the notice of the esteemed offices of the government of Pakistan through correspondence, raising voice through electronic and print media, the support of minorities politicians ,religious leaders of the minorities and the civil society. “Though much has to be achieved yet but we are hopeful that we shall surely be able to achieve our destination someday. The reservations and recommendations have also been placed in the end so that the readers may come to know for our unending efforts to abolish all sorts of discriminations from the Pakistani educational system and to make this land according to the vision of its founder Quaid-i- Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that he presented in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on August 11, 1947”. To contact Professor Anjum James Paul by e-mail, please send your message to:info.pmta@gmail.com  See all ASSIST News articles at www.assistnews.net
** You may republish this story with proper attribution. Send this story to a friend.  |
Friday, October 25, 2013
The Pakistani Minorities Teachers’ Association Is Planning a Boycott of Ethics Textbooks in Their Country
Thursday, October 24, 2013
"Jinnah’s vision and social harmony" by Professor Anjum James Paul
"Jinnah’s vision and social harmony" by Professor Anjum James Paul
Dated: August 14,2013
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/article/33293
The nation is celebrating the 66 Independence Day of Pakistan. It is so sad that the Pakistani nation has forgotten the vision of the Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah the founder of Pakistan that he presented to the Constituent Assembly in Karachi on August 11, 1947 on his election as the first President of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.
The Pakistani nation has not been faithful to the vision of the Quaid-i-Azam that is why the entire nation is lacking the golden principles of unity, faith and discipline. We are scattered and have not yet become a nation due to forgetting his vision the entire nation is under the shadow of terrorism, extremism and intolerance. No one can claim to be safe in this part of the world. There are internal threats from one corner to the other.
Let us learn lesson from this serious situation. No one can be blamed. These are the last moments to handle the grave situation. The time is passing very fast. The rulers have to take a quick action. At the first stage it is the responsibility of the Parliament of Pakistan to include the speech of the Founder of Pakistan as the Ideology of Pakistan in the Constitution of Pakistan on prior basis. The same speech must be the part of the curriculum on all levels with the content “Ideology of Pakistan according to the Quaid-i-Azam.” Controversial and hate based material which is damaging social and interfaith harmony must be excluded from the textbooks. The contents on human rights and human values must be the part of the curriculum.
The word ‘minorities’ must be excluded from the Constitution because the Quaid-i- Azam did not use this word in his entire speech. According to the Article 25 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan ‘All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law.’ So, there is the violation of the Constitution as well by dividing the Pakistani nation on the basis of majority and minority.
The implementation on the vision of the Quaid-i-Azam can bring peace, harmony tolerance, acceptance, religious harmony, social harmony and prosperity in Pakistan.
I am presenting here some of the extracts of the speech of the Quai-i-Azam that he delivered to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on August 11,1947 that promote social and interfaith harmony.
“…The first duty of a government is to maintain law and order, so that the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected by the State…”
“…If you change your past and work together in a spirit that everyone of you, no matter to what community he belongs, no matter what relations he had with you in the past, no matter what is his color, caste or creed, is first, second and last a citizen of this State with equal rights, privileges and obligations, there will be no end to the progress you will make...”
“…You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the State…”
“…We are starting in the days when there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed and another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State...”
“...Now, I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal and you will find that in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the State.”
Dated: August 14,2013
http://www.thefrontierpost.com/article/33293
The nation is celebrating the 66 Independence Day of Pakistan. It is so sad that the Pakistani nation has forgotten the vision of the Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah the founder of Pakistan that he presented to the Constituent Assembly in Karachi on August 11, 1947 on his election as the first President of the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan.
The Pakistani nation has not been faithful to the vision of the Quaid-i-Azam that is why the entire nation is lacking the golden principles of unity, faith and discipline. We are scattered and have not yet become a nation due to forgetting his vision the entire nation is under the shadow of terrorism, extremism and intolerance. No one can claim to be safe in this part of the world. There are internal threats from one corner to the other.
Let us learn lesson from this serious situation. No one can be blamed. These are the last moments to handle the grave situation. The time is passing very fast. The rulers have to take a quick action. At the first stage it is the responsibility of the Parliament of Pakistan to include the speech of the Founder of Pakistan as the Ideology of Pakistan in the Constitution of Pakistan on prior basis. The same speech must be the part of the curriculum on all levels with the content “Ideology of Pakistan according to the Quaid-i-Azam.” Controversial and hate based material which is damaging social and interfaith harmony must be excluded from the textbooks. The contents on human rights and human values must be the part of the curriculum.
The word ‘minorities’ must be excluded from the Constitution because the Quaid-i- Azam did not use this word in his entire speech. According to the Article 25 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan ‘All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law.’ So, there is the violation of the Constitution as well by dividing the Pakistani nation on the basis of majority and minority.
The implementation on the vision of the Quaid-i-Azam can bring peace, harmony tolerance, acceptance, religious harmony, social harmony and prosperity in Pakistan.
I am presenting here some of the extracts of the speech of the Quai-i-Azam that he delivered to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on August 11,1947 that promote social and interfaith harmony.
“…The first duty of a government is to maintain law and order, so that the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected by the State…”
“…If you change your past and work together in a spirit that everyone of you, no matter to what community he belongs, no matter what relations he had with you in the past, no matter what is his color, caste or creed, is first, second and last a citizen of this State with equal rights, privileges and obligations, there will be no end to the progress you will make...”
“…You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the State…”
“…We are starting in the days when there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed and another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State...”
“...Now, I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal and you will find that in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not in the religious sense, because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as citizens of the State.”
Letter to Prime Minister of Pakistan on " Subject of Ethics for the Minority Students"
Ref.No PMTA/41/13 Dated:
October 24,2013
To
Mr. Mian Muhammad Nawaz
Sharif
Prime Minister of
Pakistan
Minister for Law, Justice
& Human Rights
Prime Minister’s
Secretariat
Islamabad.
Subject: SUBJECT OF RELIGION FOR THE MINORITY
STUDENTS
Honourable Sir,
Greetings and peace from Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA).
Pakistan Minorities
Teachers’ Association would like to draw your kind attention on the subject
cited above.
Sir, Article 25 (1) of
the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees equal citizenship to all Pakistanis as
it describes” All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal
protection of law.” It is a sorrowful state that there is the violation of the
constitution in this regard. There is discrimination with the fundamental
rights of the students of the religious minorities. There are biases and
propagation on the religious basis against Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism,
Christians, Hindus and Sikhs in the contents of the present curriculum and
the textbooks. Muslim students have been
provided the facility of the subject of Islamic Studies and of the teachers but
the minority students have been have been deprived of their fundamental right
to study their own religion/s. It is the responsibility of the state to provide
equal opportunity to all citizens without any discrimination. Due to this the
parents and students from the minorities are in oppression and depression. They
feel insecure to send their children even to the public sector educational
institutions because anything wrong can happen to them. The minority students
have to suffer due to the biased curriculum, biased textbooks and biased
environment of the educational institutions.
Sir, the subject of
Ethics has been introduced only for the minority students though it is the utmost
need of all the students to have the human values such as tolerance, patience,
human dignity and human rights. The minority students have to study mythology
and comparison study of religions from grade 3 to grade 11 which is a master
level course while the majority students have to study only the fundamental
teachings of their own religion. The subject of Ethics is like a poison for
these innocent minority students of the age 6 or 7. This is the age for them to
know their own religion/s but they are going to be confused in the
forthcoming textbooks. The
curriculum in the subject of Ethics is biased and even there has not been any
role of Christians, Hindus, Sikhs to develop the textbooks according to their
beliefs. The subject of Ethics is being imposed on the minority students. The
minorities have always demanded the subject of “RELIGION” for their children as their constitutional and
fundamental right but unfortunately no government has paid heed on this genuine
demand.
Sir, Pakistan Minorities
Teachers’ Association has the following demands on behalf of the religious
minorities of Pakistan.
1.
The subject of ‘Ethics’ must be replaced into the subject of ‘Religion’.
2.
There must be separate textbooks and teachers for Christian, Hindu, Sikh,
Baha’i, Parsi and other minority students as it is in the case of the majority
students.
3.
The curriculum and textbooks in the subject of ‘Religion’ must be
developed by the educationists and the theologians of the relevant religion/s.
4.
The biased and hate promoting material against Christianity, Hinduism,
Sikhism, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and other religions must be abolished from
all the textbooks.
5.
Comparison between or among religions must be abolished from all the
textbooks as it is described in the instructions of the Curriculum Wing, but
deliberately violated while the textbooks are developed by the publishers.
6.
There must be chapters on peace, human rights, human dignity, social and
interfaith harmony at all levels.
7.
The role of all the Pakistani heroes in different fields must be included
in the textbooks without the distinction of race or creed as all the Pakistanis
have played their role in the creation and construction of Pakistan.
Sir, the rights of child
are guaranteed not only in the Constitution of Pakistan but also in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Convention on the Rights
of the Child, International Covenant on the Civil and Political Rights, International Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and Declaration on the Elimination of
All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief .
PMTA would like to
present a brief description of the Articles that safeguard the rights of the
child in this regard. We are sure the there must be proper implementation on
the voice of the religious minorities of Pakistan.
Constitution of Pakistan 1973
Article 22: Safeguards as to educational
institutions in respect of religion, etc
(1)
No person attending any
educational institution shall be required to receive religious instruction, or
take part in any religious ceremony, or attend religious worship, if such
instruction, ceremony or worship relates to a religion other than his own.
(2)
In respect of any
religious institution, there shall be no discrimination against any community
in the granting of exemption or concession in relation to taxation.
(3)
Subject to law
(a)
no religious community or
denomination shall be prevented from providing religious instruction for pupils
of that community or denomination in any educational institution maintained
wholly by that community or denomination; and
(b)
no citizen shall be
denied admission to any educational institution receiving aid from public
revenues on the ground only of race, religion, caste or place of birth
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Article
26 (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the
human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship
among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities
of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of
education that shall be given to their children.
Convention on the Rights
of the Child
Article 2
States
Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child is
protected against all forms of discrimination or punishment on the basis of the
status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the child's parents,
legal guardians, or family members
Article 14
1. States Parties shall respect the right of the child to
freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
2. States Parties shall respect the rights and duties of the
parents and, when applicable, legal guardians, to provide direction to the
child in the exercise of his or her right in a manner consistent with the
evolving capacities of the child.
3. Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs may be subject
only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary to protect
public safety, order, health or morals, or the fundamental rights and freedoms
of others.
International
Covenant on the Civil and Political Rights
Article 18
1. Everyone shall have the right to
freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include freedom
to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either
individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest
his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.
2. No one shall be subject to coercion
which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his
choice.
3. Freedom to manifest one's religion or
beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and
are necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the
fundamental rights and freedoms of others.
4. The States Parties to the present
Covenant undertake to have respect for the liberty of parents and, when
applicable, legal guardians to ensure the religious and moral education of
their children in conformity with their own convictions.
Article 27
In those States in which
ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such
minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members
of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own
religion, or to use their own language
International Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
Article 7
States Parties undertake
to adopt immediate and effective measures, particularly in the fields of
teaching, education, culture and information, with a view to combating
prejudices which lead to racial discrimination and to promoting understanding,
tolerance and friendship among nations and racial or ethnical groups, as well
as to propagating the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United
Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations
Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and this
Convention.
Declaration On The Elimination Of All Forms Of Intolerance
And Of Discrimination Based On Religion Or Belief
Article 1
1.
Everyone shall have the
right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include
freedom to have a religion or whatever belief of his choice, and freedom,
either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to
manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching.
2.
No one shall be subject
to coercion which would impair his freedom to have a religion or belief of his
choice.
3.
Freedom to manifest one's
religion or beliefs may be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed
by law and are necessary to protect public safety, order, health or morals or
the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.
Article 2
1.
No one shall be subject
to discrimination by any State, institution, group of persons, or person on grounds
of religion or other beliefs.
2.
For the purposes of the
present Declaration, the expression "intolerance and discrimination based
on religion or belief" means any distinction, exclusion, restriction or
preference based on religion or belief and having as its purpose or as its
effect nullification or impairment of the recognition, enjoyment or exercise of
human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis.
Sir, we request you to
kindly address the demands of the Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association
(PMTA) and provide the constitutional, fundamental and legal rights to bring
the minority students from oppression and depression. There must be the
supremacy of law and all citizens must be treated equally as guaranteed in the
Article 25 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan. There will be good a gesture to
the community of nations as Pakistan is already signatory of the above
mentioned Covenants and Conventions and has ratified them. It is utmost need of
the time to promote the culture of peace, harmony, tolerance, human rights and
social justice. Such a culture can only flourish when education system is fair
and unbiased and according to the guidelines of UNESCO. Secure minds can secure
the nation but not the arms.
With best regards
Prof. Anjum James Paul
Chairman
PMTA
Latif Nagar, St.2,
Qasim Road
Samundri
Distt. Faisalabad
Copy to:
1.
Mr. Mamnoon Hussain,
President of Pakistan, President’s House, Islamabad.
2. Mr.
Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Federal Minister for
Religious Affairs & Inter-faith Harmony
3.
Minority Members of the National Assembly and the Senate of Pakistan
4.
All the Governors of the provinces of
Pakistan
5.
All the Chief Ministers of the provincial
governments of Pakistan
6.
All the Human Rights Ministers of the
provincial governments of Pakistan
7.
All the Secretaries( Schools) of the provincial
governments of Pakistan
.
Letter to Mr. Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Minister for Law, Justice & Human Rights, Prime Minister’s Secretariat, Islamabad, Dated October 24,2013 Subject” Subject of Religion for the minority students” Copy to: (i) Mr. Mamnoon Hussain, President of Pakistan, President’s House, Islamabad (ii) Mr. Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs & Inter-faith Harmony (iii) Minority Members of the National Assembly and the Senate of Pakistan (iv) the Governors of the provinces of Pakistan (v) All the Chief Ministers of the provincial governments of Pakistan (vi) All the Human Rights Ministers of the provincial governments of Pakistan (vii) All the Secretaries( Schools) of the provincial governments of Pakistan
+1.jpg)
+2.jpg)
+3.jpg)
+4.jpg)
+5.jpg)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)