Daily Times

At last the PTI government has launched t he Single National Curriculum (SNC) for all schools, including public, private and even religious seminaries across Pakistan. According to the Ministry of Federal Education’s website, this step will ensure that “all children have a fair and equal opportunity to receive high quality education”.

To keep a check on the syllabus of SNC, a board of members from all subjects including religious scholars part of it. According to Textbook Publishers Association (TPA) President Fawaz Niaz, religious scholars “directed the publishers not to print any diagrams or sketches in the biology textbooks showing human figures ‘sans clothes’’. No diagrams of reproductive organs would be included. Same would be done with the digestive system, where both entry and exit points have to be exhibited.

Do they want to keep students of primary classes in the dark about the entire process of procreation of human or animal species? They would remain unaware of the evolution of species, the digestive system and the reproductive biology of male and female organs, and their internal functioning. Imagine if all of this is removed from the course for our medical students, what type of doctors we will be producing?

The real question is why the religious bodies should be allowed to opine on science text books, when they have little or no knowledge on the subject?

The real question is, why should religious bodies be allowed to opine on science text books — when they have little or no knowledge on the subject. This represents a dangerous trend

This is a dangerous trend of religious intervention in science subjects because religion and science are two different fields, and are relevant to man strictly in their respective spheres. Science is only concerned with the natural world, whereas religion concerns both the natural and the spiritual. Religious ideas are static and intuitive in nature, and not subject to change; while science deals with matter and physical reality and is always subject to change. Religion appeals to our emotions, and hence is based on the urge of human psyche, while science appeals to our reasons and is objective and secular in nature.

The period of the Islam’s golden age lasted from the 9th to the 13th century. There were many scientists and philosophers, each one was a founder of his own branch of knowledge; and the Muslim world flourished with libraries, hospitals, schools, and astronomical observatories. The conservative despotic rulers persecuted Muslim scientists which threw the Muslims in a state of backwardness, from which they have not so far recovered. In contrast, the Western world, once sunk in the gloom of the Dark ages, is now aiming at the stars.

Science is a secular pursuit and its secular character does not mean it repudiates the existence of the Divine. Professor Pervez Hoodbhoy in his book ‘Islam and Science says’: “Scientists are free to be as religious as they please, but science recognises no law outside its own.” He further states that religion revolves around morality not scientific facts. The foundation of scientific thinking rests on facts, laws, hypotheses, theories, and deductions etc. The modern science began in the 16th century, while the foundations of religion date back to antiquity.

Religion should never interfere with scientific truths. Blindly following a religious ideology means to restrict one’s perception, suppress one’s thoughts and emotions, and deny reality.

The conflict between science and religion only exist in respect of a few topics where science contradicts religious assertions, such as the origin of the Earth and the origin of humans which may have moral and ethical implications to which religious people object. Outside of these specific epistemological and moral contentions, we would not expect religious teachings or believers to oppose science. We must learn to live with the influences of science, theology, and politics, throughout history which has become our norm.

In the West, after centuries of bloody conflicts between the Church and the state, the man has learnt the wisdom: “Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” (Mark 12:17) History shows that scientific and theological perspectives have coexisted peacefully for years. After settling disagreements, Christians have integrated well with scientific ideas, Hinduism flourished with logic and mathematics and the scientific advances made by Muslim scholars during the Ottoman Empire.

Much of the current-day clashes between extremists belonging to religious and scientific domains are over very few topics. Religious fanaticism becomes painful only when it spreads hatred intolerance and bitterness which give rise to bigotry.

We are gradually heading towards wisdom except the occasional aberrations, where a job is entrusted on people who are unqualified for that job. For a harmonious development of man, a discreet fusion of science and religion is necessary to cater his need, to be rational and at the same time fulfil his natural psychological urges to find an abiding source of consolation in the idea of God. This is essential because the ultimate truth regarding the birth of man on this planet and what will happen after death have not been answered conclusively either by science or by religion.

The writer is a former member of the Provincial Civil Service, and an author of Moments in Silence