The Times of India describes how Pak textbooks build hate culture against India
Terrorism in Pakistan has its roots in the culture of hate and the ethos of inequality on the ground of religious faith, leading to their being deeply ingrained in the Pakistani psyche and mindset.
One factor that has played a crucial role in creating this culture of hate is the educational policy of the government of Pakistan pursued since 1977. The officially prescribed textbooks, especially for school students, are full of references that promote hate against India in general, and Hindus in particular.
A cursory glance at Pakistani school textbooks – especially the compulsory subjects like Pakistan studies and social studies – gives an idea of how history has been distorted and a garbled version prescribed to build this mindset and attitude.
The objective of Pakistan’s education policy has been defined thus in the preface to a Class 6 book: “Social studies have been given special importance in educational policy so that Pakistan’s basic ideology assumes the shape of a way of life, its practical enforcement is assured, the concept of social uniformity adopts a practical form and the whole personality of the individual is developed.” This statement leaves no doubt that “social uniformity”, not national unity, is a part of Pakistan’s basic ideology.
Some of the stuff is quite astonishing, including this one:
“Previously, India was part of Pakistan.”
The article lists more, and I expect people familiar with Palestinian propaganda against Israel will be able to draw paralels to that:
On Indo-Pak wars, the books give detailed descriptions and openly eulogize ‘jihad’ and ‘shahadat’ and urge students to become ‘mujahids’ and martyrs and leave no room for future friendship and cordial relations with India.
Not to be underestimated is the “blame” mentality: I attended a lecture by the new Pakistani minister of the exterior a couple of months ago and his entire theme was blaming someone else: mostly Afghanistan and the US, but India was not spared, either.
Richard Fernandez, on the other hand, explores syncretism.
The news today: Pakistan redeploying troops to Indian border
Pakistan began moving thousands of troops from the Afghan border toward India, officials and witnesses said Friday, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors and possibly undermining the U.S.-backed campaign against al-Qaida and the Taliban.
The country also announced that it was canceling all military leave in the aftermath of last month’s terror attack on the Indian financial capital of Mumbai.
India has blamed Pakistani militants for the terrifying three-day siege; Pakistan has demanded that India back this up with better evidence.
Pakistan’s latest moves were seen as a warning that it would retaliate if India launches air or missile strikes against militant targets on Pakistani soil – rather than as an indication that a fourth war was imminent between the two countries.
This changes Obama’s plan:
Any significant troop movement would likely dash President-elect Barack Obama’s strategy of having Pakistan concentrate on the threat emanating from the lawless tribal regions close to Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders are believed hiding out.
Pakistan denies the troop movement,
However, a senior Pakistani security official denied that the troops were being deployed to the Indian border.
He said a “limited number” of soldiers were being shifted from areas “where they were not engaged in any operations on the western border or from areas which were snowbound.”
Add one more challenge for the incoming Obama administration, which wants to cut the Pentagon’s budget.
