| Because in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa no Muslim is properly educated unless he understands that jihad, a duty incumbent on every Muslim, is conquest to expand Dar al-Islam, not mere self-improvement. |
... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central...
elementary and secondary education minister Atif Khan on Friday said his government would rectify the mistake of removing Koranic verses on jihad from the curriculum.
He was speaking during a meeting at the Textbook Board of Beautiful Downtown Peshawar
...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire.
offices, where Zakat and Usher minister Habibur Rehman and local government minister Inayatullah Khan from Jamaat-e-Islami
...
The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka
The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an
independentbranch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
, officials of the provincial elementary and secondary education department and educationists were in attendance. PTI is in alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government.
JI has been very vocal in its opposition to changes to the curriculum.
After becoming partner in the PTI government, it demanded that PTI consult it before making changes to the curriculum.
According to a news release issued by the Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is
Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
Media Cell, the participants were briefed on 'lacunas and mistakes' in the curriculum.
Mr Atif Khan, who belongs to Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf, said Islamic teachings would be the basis of his government's steps regarding curriculum.
He said his government would accept no bar on religious education and would not tolerate any external interference.
The minister said no foreign NGO would be allowed to interfere in matters relating to curriculum.
He said the mistakes in the curriculum, including mention of Kashmire as an undisputed area and eating with the left hand, and removal of Koranic verses on jihad, would be rectified.
Mr Atif also talked about long and short-term steps for reforming the education system.
According to the news release, the JI ministers appreciated the PTI government's steps in the education sector and expressed satisfaction about them.
However,
there's more than one way to skin a cat...
an educationist, who has worked on curriculum in the province, said previously, changes were made to the curriculum to indirectly promote peace since violence had badly affected children in the region.
He said instead of Arabs, heroes and celebrities of the land and people like Rehman Baba, Khushaal Baba and others had been included in the textbooks.
The educationist said the process of changing curriculum, which began in 2006 at the federal level, trickled down to the provincial level after the devolution of education ministry under 18th Amendment to the Constitution.
He said textbooks were printed in the province in the post-devolution regime.
"Reversing these changes will do away with all the effort meant to bring more topics of peace and local heroes to textbooks," he said.