Antisemitism is rife in Pakistani textbooks, with persistent hostility to Jews and no mention of the Holocaust, IMPACT-se revealed in its report released on Monday.
IMPACT-se, which stands for the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Culture Tolerance in School Education, assessed the Pakistani national curriculum through the analysis of the textbooks of three educational boards – Punjab, Sindh, and the Federal Directorate.
The report explored 75 government-approved textbooks covering various subjects such as Islamic education, history, social sciences, English, and Urdu.
About 96.3% of the population of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is Muslim, with 85%-90% identifying as Sunni, 10%-15% as Shi’ite, and 0.2% as Ahmadi. Hindus (1.6%) and Christians (1.6%) also make up a small minority.
One of the key findings from the textbooks was a consistently negative portrayal of Jews. The ethnic group is often portrayed as treacherous and disloyal.
For example, a fifth-grade Islamic education textbook from Sindh teaches students that the Jews “caused Prophet Isa [Jesus] and his mother to suffer.”
It goes on to accuse Jews of plotting against Jesus due to fear of losing religious authority. IMPACT-se pointed out that this portrayal aligns with medieval antisemitic tropes blaming Jews for the crucifixion of Jesus and is presented without context or clarification.
IMPACT-se found that it was common for Pakistan’s textbooks to portray Jews through a lens shaped by early Islamic history, particularly focusing on the interaction between Prophet Muhammad and the Jewish tribes of Medina. This often manifests in discussions of how “the Jews” collectively acted against Muhammad and Muslims.
Additionally, Judaism is entirely absent from comparative religion sections, which cover Hinduism, Christianity, Taoism, and Confucianism.
IMPACT-se did, however, find attempts to foster religious tolerance and acceptance of non-Muslims. For instance, a seventh-grade Urdu textbook highlights that “all religions in the world teach peace, harmony, brotherhood, and tolerance. No religion teaches its followers to hate others,” which IMPACT-se noted was an attempt to foster interfaith respect.
Israel
The institute also found that Pakistani textbooks present the country’s foreign policy “through a lens of Islamic identity and national pride,” with the country shown to be a “vanguard of the Muslim world.”
This particularly impacts the discussion of “rival” countries such as India and Israel.
“Pakistan’s rivalries, especially with India, are described in absolute moral terms like ‘the enemy country,’” IMPACT-se said. “Pakistan’s involvement in supporting Middle Eastern countries ‘in their war against Israel’ is presented as creating a unified Muslim front while ignoring internal Muslim differences.”
“The shifting dynamics following the normalization agreements between several Arab states and Israel” are also reflected in this, IMPACT-se continued.
A new 12th-grade Pakistan studies textbook teaches that Israel is responsible for the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, particularly after October 7, 2023, without any reference to the Hamas-led massacre.
According to IMPACT-se, this textbook “frames Israel as the sole aggressor and the source of the humanitarian catastrophe with no mention of the broader conflict.”
“Israel is portrayed as an adversary and is shockingly handed exclusive blame for the current war in Gaza,” said IMPACT-se CEO Marcus Sheff.
“What is taught in classrooms today will define Pakistan’s future global outlook, including its relationship with Israel and the Jewish people,” he said.
Sheff called for curriculum reforms that would prioritize inclusion, greater respect for Jews and others, and “a more peaceful education.”
However, IMPACT-se did note that Pakistani textbooks acknowledge Israel on the world map.
Other findings
The institute reported that Islamic values are woven throughout the curriculum, extending into subjects like mathematics, general knowledge, and Urdu.
In multiple Islamic education textbooks, jihad is described primarily as a physical struggle or armed defense, IMPACT-se added, saying that this legitimizes armed resistance when confronting injustice.
A ninth-grade Islamic education textbook portrays jihad as a moral duty to defend the oppressed, framing military action as a religious obligation with a “broader and noble purpose,” which IMPACT-se said is used to justify violence without limitation under the guise of moral duty.
Additionally, Pakistan’s role in the Soviet-Afghan War is presented as a religious jihad, which IMPACT-se said glorifies militancy with no acknowledgment of negative consequences, such as terrorism and regional instability.
Overall, IMPACT-se found the discussion of jihad to be lacking in sufficient contextual explanation, which may limit understanding.