Pakistani 9th grade Islamic education textbook portrays jihad as a moral duty, India as enemy country

A new report from IMPACT-se, which stands for the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Culture Tolerance in School Education, accused the Pakistani school curriculum of promoting Jihadist ideology and fueling antisemitic narratives. The study by IMPACT-se shows that children are exposed to lessons showing jihad as a religious and moral duty; Pakistan's ideological rivalries with India and Israel are mentioned in detail. India, is described literally as ‘the enemy country.’

The study explored 86 government-approved textbooks across disciplines such as Islamic education, history, social sciences, English, and Urdu. It reveals findings that are concerning on multiple levels.

Portrayal of India

The textbooks are marred with historical distortions, cultural biases, and political agendas. The two-nation theory of Sir Seyed Ahmed Khan, and propagated by Muhammad Ali Jinnah as an antithesis to Mahatma Gandhi and unified India, had been glorified. The textbooks portray a selective history showing Hindus and India as oppressors of Muslims, justifying partition and Pakistan's creation. Hinduism is portrayed in a negative light, a narrative of the civilizational and religious incompatibility with India. It is shown as a threat to Pakistan's survival, to reinforce Pakistan's national identity. Jihad, as a physical struggle or armed defence, is glorified as a legitimate form of resistance with a broader obligation to religious and noble purposes without shedding light on the violence and negative consequences.

Portrayal of Pakistan

Pakistan is portrayed as a vanguard of the Islamic world. Its involvement in supporting Middle Eastern countries against Israel is presented as an attempt to create a unified Muslim front. Israel is depicted as a sole aggressor in the Middle East, a treacherous country. No mentions of the holocaust or Judaism in comparative religion studies. Jews are held responsible for the crucifixion of Prophet Isa (Jesus Christ) and the suffering of his mother. The textbooks portray Jews through the lens of interaction between the Prophet Muhammad and the Jewish tribes of Medina.