Daily Times

It seems that Pakistan’s universities are at risk of producing batches of extremists instead of well-rounded students. This naturally raises questions about the quality of education being taught within these institutions. It also makes many a parent think twice before encouraging their children to pursue higher studies.

Universities here in this country largely rely on rote learning. Meaning that students become indoctrinated; believing that this is all that is necessary to secure good grades. The fallout being that independence of thought falls by the wayside. All of which sets us on a precarious path; and it is one that this country can ill afford to tread.

What, therefore, is to be done?

A good first step would be to introduce critical thinking into the syllabi. Yet to do this, students need to have a basic foundation in philosophy and logic.Two disciplines in which universities today are unfortunately lacking.All of which makes it easier for extremists to pounce, as it were.

Why philosophy?

For the simple reason that this teaches us to study and analyse issues from different angles before forming well-balanced opinions. Philosophy encourages us to not pass judgement unless and until we get to grips with relevant facts. And a propensity towards tolerance is fostered as we learn to listen quietly and thoughtfully to viewpoints with which we don’t necessarily agree. This will go a long way towards countering the extremist agenda. Because students well versed in critical thinking will be well-equipped to debunk the right-wing agenda; whether this is promoted by way of hate-preaching religious sermons or social media. Thus the potential for ideological brainwashing is considerably reduced.

Yet it is not just the student mindset that is the problem here in Pakistan. Faculty, too, poses a risk. This is because professors across the country are affiliated with different political parties. Thus those sitting at the far right of the spectrum, such as Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), have immediate access to student bodies where they can shape still relatively young minds.

And when this is done by those charged with teaching at the forefront — things become even more insidious. The extent of these worrying classroom dynamics was most recently on display when the Peshawar University Teachers’ Union (PUTA) chose to ban literature by the moderate Islamic scholar Javed Ahmad Ghamidi from going on sale at book fares in universities across the city, given his ‘controversial’ views. Sadly, this should come as no surprise given the strong foothold that JI enjoys within PUTA.

All of which begs the question: when it comes to such intolerance — is there any real discernible difference between university professors and hate-preaching religious clerics?

The time has come for the state to act; to re-establish its writ. Meaning that both the federal and provincial assemblies need to make urgent amendments to all university legislation;while making it absolutely clear that any faculty member found promoting a political agenda in the classroom will face immediate termination of contract.

Clerics, for their part, have been propped up by the prevailing conservatism and lack of proper knowledge about Islam in our society. This has subsequently emboldened the former to the point where they export extremist ideas; sadly this extends to university campuses nationwide. And even though they are supposed to not step out of the mosque, so to speak, how easy it is, within any higher education institution to suggest this or that reading material. Students may not even realise at first that what they are being encouraged to read is hate material.

Allow me, if you will, to give an example of an incident that I witnessed myself. Our university had called a prayer leader to recite a few Quranic verses as part of on campus celebrations. There was nothing unusual about any of this. Until he urged students to avoid studying the philosophy of Bertrand Russell, which he termed misguiding. And until he slammed as un-Islamic the centennial celebrations of the Islamia College Peshawar. This was the same gentleman who once, when translating the Quran in the university mosque, forbade students from reading up on international political ideologies as all the ‘-isms’ are against Islam.

This is not good enough.

Universities must ensure that the clerics at campus mosques have been schooled in relevant subjects, such as Islamiat or Arabic. This would help them to become easily socialised when it comes to an academic environment and the various courses that are being taught.

Student associations are supposed to encourage a free flow of ideas. They must not be allowed to force feed their ideology to others.

Student-wing politics is an essential component of university life. It allows us to raise our voices and to exercise certain control over our institutions and their administrative policies, which do, at times, threaten our interests. The suppression of student politics transforms college campuses into authoritarian and undemocratic places, which just doesn’t make sense. Especially considering that these student-wings essentially represent ‘nurseries’.Meaning that they represent the perfect recruiting ground for political leaders looking for those to join their cause. Students find that these are spaces where the free-flow of ideas can be exchanged and, therefore, many are keen to commit to political principles and sign up. But what they don’t appreciate is being force-fed ideology by those in positions of power.Recently, certain student-wings have adopted a culture of violence; namely, Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT), the so-called cousins of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Haqqani network.

To be sure, this is a particularly troubling development. The IJT do not allow any kind of organised entertainment on campus. Its members once attacked us for playing music at a farewell party. They did the same to Pashtun and Baloch students at Punjab University as the latter were participating in a cultural event. Our academic institutions must say that enough is enough. No more propagating views by violent means; only democratic discourse alone will be tolerated. And the Higher Education Commission (HEC) must step in to ensure musical evenings, plays, poetry and the like are a regular feature of college life. For it the only way to safeguard against this generation not losing its rich cultural tradition.

The writer is a student of law at the Islamia College University, Peshawar, and can be reached at khetran65@gmail.com. He tweets @ziaullahkh7199

Published in Daily Times, November 13^th 2017.