04/24/2021 Pakistan (International Christian Concern) – According to the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN), minority and education rights groups have expressed concern over a decision by Pakistan’s National Commission for Minorities regarding the inclusion of Islamic content in the Single National Curriculum.
A report by a Supreme Court appointed commission suggested that all Islamic content in the Single National Curriculum be exclusively placed in Islamic studies textbooks, a subject compulsory only for Muslim students.
“Islamic content in English and Urdu textbooks amounts to religious instruction, which no non-Muslim student can be compelled to study,” the proposal stated.
However, the National Commission for Minorities rejected this proposal, allowing Islamic content to be used across all topics, such as in English and Urdu. According to UCAN, church leaders in Pakistan have often complained about hate material in the curriculum and an overemphasis on Islam. Many feel these issues have created a bias against non-Muslims in the classroom and broader Pakistani society.
