The government of Pakistan has decided that the study of the Islamic religion will no longer be compulsory for non-Muslim students. Christians will be able to study the Bible and the History of the Catholic Church
Newsroom (30/01/2024 20:00, Gaudium Press) Pakistan’s Ministry of Federal Education and Vocational Training has decided that non-Muslim students will no longer be obliged to study Islam at school.
The new curriculum of subjects will come into force in the next school year (2024-2025) and will mean that students from the first to the 12th grade of school, who are not Muslims, will study their own religion.
Not making Islamic studies compulsory represents a small victory for religious freedom in the country, as the International Christian Concern Association pointed out.
Pakistani Christians are often accused of blasphemy, beaten up, and subjected to forced conversions or forced marriages for Christian women. According to the latest report by the Protestant NGO Open Doors, Pakistan ranks seventh among the countries that most persecute Christians in the world.
The new curriculum provides for an in-depth study of the Bible, evangelical teachings, the history of the Catholic Church and the influence of Christianity in Pakistan, including the story of St. Thomas and his ministry in South Asia.
In addition, there are plans to study Christian values, such as martyrdom, and so the students will study the story of Shahbaz Bhatti, the Pakistani Catholic minister murdered in 2011 for denouncing the persecution of Christians and defending Asia Bibi.
Anjum James Paul, president of the Pakistan Minority Teachers’ Association, welcomed the news, which represents a victory after years of struggle for equitable education for the country’s Christians.
Despite the new curriculum, other challenges lie ahead. As Pakistan is a Muslim-majority country, teachers need to be properly trained to adapt to the new curriculum, as well as preparing appropriate teaching material for courses on the Catholic religion. (FM)
Compiled by Teresa Joseph