Impact of Radical Islamisation of Education on Pakistani Society

Abstract

The radicalization of Pakistani society has invoked international security concerns in this age of global terror. However, few analysts have delved into the real causes of how a culturally diverse and tolerant society came to be radicalized to such an extent that almost all trails of terrorist attacks end up in this country of 180 million people. This article traces the history, rather briefly, of how the national educational policies and curricula in social sciences and humanities have been changed to serve the jihadist ideology in Pakistani society. The crumbling social order in Pakistan is not only an indication of the bad governance but also the systemic inculcation of ideologies of hatred and extremism among a whole generation of school children and college graduates. It is a society where extremism, not only of the radical Islamists but also of the common man, is on the rise. Many Pakistani social scientists blame the flawed educational policies, framed since Independence in 1947, for the rise of nationalist, religious and sectarian ideologies that have been eating the vitals of state and society in Pakistan. Instead of creating a humane and just society, the national educational policies, particularly the one promulgated during the Zia era, have contributed to the radicalization of the youth. Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of this scenario is that the policymakers have not yet realized the gravity of the situation as is evident in the attitude and policies of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan towards the state of social sciences and humanities in the country, and reflected in the statistics given in its own annual reports.