New curriculum a deviation from Qur’an, Sunnah: TNFJ

ISLAMABAD: The Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqh-e-Jafria (TNFJ) has termed the newly-formed ‘uniform curriculum’ a deviation from the teachings of Qur’an and Sunnah, contradicting the basic ideology.

In a response issued from the TNFJ headquarters, its supreme head Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi said Pakistan is based on the two-national ideology and the religion of Muhammad (PBUH). “When no law in the country can contradict the Qur’an and Sunnah, the curriculum cannot be formulated or changed. We shall take all possible steps to save the spirit of the Constitution and the future of the new generations. The new curriculum is a conspiracy to damage the government’s credibility and push the country and the nation into a new quagmire of segregation,” he warned.

“The Shia school of thought was not taken into confidence in the preparation of the curriculum. Banned parties are not recognized as representatives. Article 228 of the Constitution of Pakistan has already been violated by involving the banned outfits and other institutions set up for ‘Islamization’, including paymasters from foreign countries and sympathizers of banned parties,” he charged.

Now the beliefs of Muslim schools, he noted, are being violated by violating Article 227. And attempts to interfere in the ideology have been made to create divisions while the Constitution guarantees otherwise. Agha Moosavi demanded that the creed of one sect should not be imposed on another and that the books published under the new curriculum should be cancelled, constitutional bodies and committees should be cleansed of biases and those working on foreign agendas. He proposed that once the curriculum is agreed upon, it should be advertised so that opinions should come from any side: He claimed that the new curriculum is marked by the imprint of a particular faith, which has been tried to be promoted in the Zia martial law, which is contrary to the beliefs and ideologies of the majority Muslim schools and may lead to confusion.

He said the curriculum plays a significant role in the training of students and is used for the preparation of a better race and nation by drawing inspiration from the culture, history and religious and secular sciences of the country and society. “The class education system is a national disease for which the uniform curriculum has been the verbal slogan of every party. The whole nation had high hopes for the new government but as soon as the first to fifth grade textbooks came out, there is a wave of concern, especially in Muslim schools, because the books are full of prejudices and basic mistakes that are tantamount to confusing the nation with more issues,” he noted.

He pointed out that in the curriculum related to the holy prophet (PBUH), a vicious attempt was made to diminish the position of his mother Hazrat Amna (RA) and her ancestors and the hands in which he was brought up were degraded while those who removed Islam from Minhaj-ul-Nabwa were exaggerated. “The method of Durood and Salam has been changed and attempts have been made to reduce and hide the position of Allah while according to the hadiths of Sahih Sittah, the Qur’an and the Ahl al-Bayt are the guarantee to save the Ummah from going astray,” he said.

Regarding the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt, the great Imam of the Ahl as-Sunnah, Abu Hanifa, has said: “The sanctity and reverence of the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt is obligatory upon me in the same way that the companions were obliged to respect the holy prophet (PBUH)”. But, he continued, unfortunately, from Imam Zain-ul-Abidin to Imam Mahdi, no article about Imams of Ahl-e-Bayt has been included in any textbook. According to Imam Shafi, even prayers are not accepted without sending Durood to them. He said that reduction or violation of the status and position of celebrities of Islam is a joke with religion and Sharia that will open a Pandora’s box which no one will be able to close.