UNITED STATES, November 12, 2011 (by Aziz Haniffa for Rediff.com): Reacting to a report funded by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom that textbooks in Pakistan foster hatred and intolerance of minorities, especially Hindus and their faith, the head of the influential Hindu American Foundation Suhag Shukla, said, “It’s about time!”
The study conducted by the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy found that Pakistan’s public schools and madrasas negatively portray the country’s religious minorities and reinforce biases that fuel acts of discrimination, and possibly violence, against these communities.
Leonard Leo, USCIRD chair, said, “This study – the first-ever of its kind – documents how Pakistan’s public schools and privately-run madrasas are not teaching tolerance but are exacerbating religious differences.”
“Education reform incorporating religious tolerance is critical to the development of a society that values human rights, including religious freedom, for all its citizens. Teaching discrimination increases the likelihood that violent religious extremism in Pakistan will continue to grow, weakening religious freedom, national and regional stability, and global security,” he warned.