Endeavours to build tolerance through education will not succeed unless they reach all age groups and take place everywhere: at home, in schools and in the workplace.
Pakistan’s problems are too many of which terrorism, extremism of any sort and intolerance are just a few. It is ironic and unfortunate to state that, despite being passionate followers of Islam, which is centered on peace, harmony and tolerance, Muslims, all over the world are becoming increasingly intolerant. How can one explain this perplexing phenomenon and practice? Are there any remedies? The following is an exercise in this respect.
To begin with, injustice, violence, discrimination and downgrading are common forms of intolerance. Education for tolerance should aim at opposing influences that lead to fear and segregation of others and should help the youth develop capacities for independent judgment, critical thinking and ethical reasoning. The diversity of our world’s many religions, languages, cultures and ethnicities is not a cause for conflict but is a beauty that enriches us human beings whereas intolerance leads to the worst kind of disasters in nations and societies. If we look at the brutal attack on innocent children in Army Public School (APS) Peshawar, it perfectly depicts an inhuman state of mind that is not ready to accept the beliefs of another.
The root cause of intolerance is ignorance, lack of knowledge, understanding and a tendency to see the world in black and white with no grey zones. Bias and prejudice are also reasons behind intolerance. Moreover, intolerance is fear of things we are not familiar with. Another cause is a threat to the status quo, a threat to stability. Also, stress, due to some personal and family issues, makes a majority of the people not only in Pakistan but also around the world become intolerant.
In view of the above-mentioned, the role of schools and universities in Pakistan becomes crucial towards contributing to the promotion of tolerance among students, staff, faculty, different ethnic groups, sects, civil society and the national environment of the country. Universities in any country are the centre of knowledge. It is historically true that words can change the world. It is expected that words of intellect can play a vital role in promoting and building a culture of tolerance in Pakistan presenting it as a moderate and peace loving country.
In the international arena, the UN human rights chief, Navi Pillay, has identified education as crucial in “fostering respect for all human rights and religious diversity”. Similarly, Simona Santoro from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe has suggested that, “educational tools are the most effective medium to teach students and civil society about tolerance and to train people about other cultures.” It is hoped that Pakistani universities will inculcate subjects that induce practices, laws, measures, words and deed to promote political and religious harmony and facilitate intercultural dialogue to create a peaceful and stable Pakistan.
Before underlining recommendations to improve upon our education sector to promote tolerance in Pakistan, let us quote that after the massive destruction of human lives in World War II, Europe invented the idea of “co-existence or no-existence”. It is now visible that Europe has made tremendous progress while following the aforesaid ideal at the level of state and society.
Fighting intolerance requires education at all levels. Laws are necessary but not sufficient to counter intolerance at the individual level. Intolerance is very often rooted in ignorance and fear: fear of the unknown, of other cultures, nations and religions. Intolerance is also closely linked to an exaggerated sense of self-righteousness and pride whether personal, national or religious. These notions are taught and learned at an early age. Therefore, in universities, greater emphasis needs to be placed on educating the young mind about the fundamentals of morality. Greater efforts need to be made to teach students about tolerance and human rights. Children and the youth should be encouraged at home and in school and universities to be open-minded and inquisitive.
Nonetheless, education is a lifelong experience and should not begin or end in school or university. Endeavours to build tolerance through education will not succeed unless they reach all age groups and take place everywhere: at home, in schools and in the workplace. Secondly, fighting intolerance requires proper legislation and its implementation. Although it is in the purview of the state to make and enforce laws, universities, policy study centres and think tanks can play a vital role in proposing policy measures to deal with intolerance intellectually.
Moreover, the state should be responsible for enforcing human rights laws, banning and punishing hate crimes and discrimination such as those against minorities. The state must also ensure equal access to courts and human rights commissioners or ombudsmen so that people do not take the law into their own hands and resort to violence to settle their disputes. Fighting intolerance also requires access to information. Intolerance is most dangerous when it is exploited to fulfill the political and territorial ambitions of an individual or groups. Indubitably, students are considered ambassadors of peace and love. Therefore, universities should establish information centres and encourage practical research on important social and political issues that feed intolerance. Such measures will help reduce bigotry, misinformation and the wrong line of argumentation.
Besides, fighting intolerance requires local solutions too. Many know that tomorrow’s problems will be increasingly global but few realise that solutions to global problems are mainly local and individual. When confronted with an escalation of intolerance around us, we must not wait for governments and institutions to act. Rather, we should act as part of the solution. In this respect, universities must teach and train students and staff to discourage intolerance and resorting to violence by establishing grassroots networks, demonstrating solidarity with the victims of intolerance and ultimately discrediting hateful propaganda to put an end to intolerance, violence and hatred in our society.
Last but not least, schools, universities and civil society should allow the free flow of ideas in order to promote tolerance through the exchange of competing narratives. Any attempts to forcibly indoctrinate students and the youth with a particular agenda or ideology will be counterproductive in terms of producing more intolerance and therefore violence and death.
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