When the protagonist of the classic Orwell novel 1984 is
asked during torture whether 2+2 equals 5, he wonders if the state makes it
true and everybody is made to believe it, does that make 2+2=5 true?
Used in a novel published in 1949, Orwell’s allegory for
totalitarianism, revisionism and the sheep like behavior of gullible citizens
still rings true.
Pakistan too suffers from this 2+2=5 syndrome. Does our
educational system produce a crop of students who are able to think out of the
box, challenge existing notions and have the courage to bring change? Is
creativity encouraged or discouraged. Sadly the answer to these questions is
no. Our educational system does not produce such a crop of students and yes,
creativity is discouraged. Barring the institutions that are located in our
apparently progressive and elite urban bubbles, curiosity and questioning is
discouraged, though putting the blame solely on the educational system would be
unfair.
Take a look at our culture, after all every institution that
exists in this country is derived from our culture. Does our culture promote
values of free speech, encourage curiosity and applaud change?
Years ago when studying biology in my 9th class,
our teacher skipped the chapter on evolution because it was un-Islamic. In my 2nd year, my physics teacher
spent two class sessions explaining to us in no less detail about the physical
and mathematical proofs of Shab e Mairaj. No questions were asked, nor were we
expected to ask. Who would have dared to ask?
Including religious content in school textbooks and
especially scientific textbooks discourages the student’s ability to think and
reason with an open mind. Recently, Maulana Sherani, chairman
of the Council of Islamic Ideology called for ‘introducing
a uniform system of education throughout the country, integrating religious teachings with the contemporary,
mainstream education’. In other words, he envisions a madrassafied educational
system of Pakistan while remaining completely oblivious to the rising sectarian
tensions, religious extremism and economic strife. But Maulana sahib is a
product of this system, what else he could have said?
Putting aside educational institutions, would questioning
our values be allowed in our culture? The images of Salman Taseer, Shahbaz
Bhatti and Sabeen Mehmud pop up as a warning. Question and you will share the
same fate. Many pens stop. Many cerebral cogs cease to work. The murderer of
Sabeen Mehmud was an IBA graduate, but more so he was the product of this
culturally constrained educational machinery. When confronted with facts which
threaten to bring down everything you have been taught to believe is true, turning
to violence is only but natural. What sort of educated aalim was Aamir Liaquat
Husain when he spewed vicious comments on the Ahmadi minority on live
television? Weren’t those who introduced Blasphemy law and laying foundations
of hatred towards no Muslims, products of this system?
Extremism is a product of this system and it exists on both
ends of our country’s religious spectrum. Moderation is but a wispy figment of
our imagination.
Look at the scenario unfolding on Pakistani social media.
The people either out rightly accept a news or out rightly reject it.
Everything is seen in a George Bush-esque black and white perspective. The
amount of vitriol that is spewed out, the amount of hate that is generated, the
number of unfounded accusations passionately advocated, give us an insight into
the mind of an educated and tech savvy Pakistani- the so called future. The
exploits of Imran Khan’s social media supporters have been discussed by every
respected journalist. Say anything about PTI and you would be harassed by
trolls who will insist on you to take your words back. Scratch that, you will
find many extremist organizations like ASWJ running their social media accounts
with ease and spreading their toxic ideology to the gullible and mostly young
social media users. Don’t forget the Rawalpindi sponsored ghairat brigade as
well. Criticize the ‘boys’ and you will face an onslaught of jingoist zombies
who will make you cringe with their indoctrinated wisdom.
Moderation has become
but a wispy figment of our imagination. The age old machinery continues to
churn out more obsolete products.
The practice of revisionism and adding religious hues to
textbooks that started in Bhutto’s time, intensified in Zia’s era and given an
added momentum in Musharraf’s years has put Pakistan on a path which only leads
to religious fascism.
No matter how much funds are reserved for educational
growth, it still won’t matter if the children are taught to believe in the superiority
of their own faith, suspect minorities and present faith inspired counter
arguments. Our textbooks glorify the battles between Muslims and Hindus. The
Hindus are introduced as uncultured folk who are shown the light of culture by
the Muslim invaders. And they always end up deceiving Muslims. Imagine being a
Hindu child in a Pakistani classroom. In our secondary level social studies
textbooks, Muslims of Pakistan are always told to be related to Arabs, Turks
and Persians. No link to South Asia is ever mentioned. One religion is taught
to be made up of a Master Race and other minority religions are taught to
consist of second class citizens. What sort of adults will our children become
after being fed with such drivel? Outside of academic institutions, people
around these children continue to inculcate them with ideas of segregation,
intolerance and being subservient to the existing moth eaten culture which has
brought Pakistan to this state where governance without patronage of criminal
activities is impossible and where vote is still given on caste, creed and
connections not on the manifesto and resume.
For these moth eaten societal structures to change we have to ask ourselves the ultimate questions
If your religion says that 2+2=5, would you accept it?
If your culture says that 2+2=5, would you accept it?
