Daily Times

Religiously driven conflicts cannot end until the populace effected by them have a certain degree of empathy. As long as people refuse to look at things from the other side’s perspective, there can be no peace. It is a lack of empathy which has shaped our society’s unfortunate attitude towards religious minorities. In our society, children begin to value the role of religion in their lives at a young age. When children join school, religion is also a part of their curriculum, and they learn more about the majority religion. But around the world, schools in societies with diverse faiths and cultures, impart religious education according to the student’s faith.

Religion is considered a highly valued, sacred asset when we move to school no matter what faith we follow. Religious leaders likethe mullah, the priest, the monk, the guru or the pundit play a key role in the lives of the faithful. They are considered an authority for correct information on the religion they believe in. Looking at the definition of a religion, it is a system of beliefs and practices which unites a community into a singular entity. Pakistan came into existence as state where the Muslim majority could practice Islam freely. The real Islamic state models, if we look at history as well as contemporary examples, are more inclusive than exclusionary .The Objectives Resolution was the foundation for the dominance of Muslim majority, which was contrary to the principles of the Quaid. This dominance of the majority religion is far stronger than it was when this country was founded.

Religion and culture are interdependent and no religion can be understood without the proper cultural context. Unfortunately, nobody seems to understand this in our society

Things have come to be the way they are today, because our children are taught from the moment they are born that their religion is the best and all others are inferior. This creates potential for conflict when individuals from the majority faith and minority faiths interact, and this conflict can be felt when the two parties first interact in school.

Unfortunately, the human resource teaching religious subjects like Islamiat at public and private educational institutions and religious leaders are considered the sole source of religious knowledge at all levels. However, to teach matters of faith, one has to have ‘religious literacy’. This entails the ability to discern and analyse the fundamental intersections of religion with society, politics and culture through multiple lenses. Religious literacy is not about surface knowledge of a single faith, but in-depth study of multiple religions. Teachers and preachers need to understand that no faith is a one sided story, and each religion is internally diverse. Furthermore, religion is not static. There are examples of evolution and changes, proving that religions evolve and do not exist in isolation. Moreover, religion and culture are interdependent and no religion can be understood without the proper cultural context. Unfortunately, nobody seems to understand this in our society.

One-sided narration on religion leaves a strong impression on vulnerable children, who go on to reproduce these intolerant ideas themselves. This is how intolerance permeated our social fabric, followed by violence.

The writer has experience in the field of education and is currently working as a resource person in the development sector

Published in Daily Times, March 31^st2018.