Schools in Pakistan promote hostility toward Jews and Israel, report finds

Pakistani school textbooks contain widespread antisemitic content and demonization of Israel, according to a new report by The Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se).

The education watchdog analyzed more than 80 textbooks across subjects like history, Islamic education, civics and Pakistan studies, from boards in Punjab, Sindh, and the Federal Directorate. While some passages promote tolerance, the overall curriculum encourages hostility toward Israel, Jews and religious minorities in general, the report concluded.

The reports contrasted sharply with IMPACT-se’s recent analyses of curricula in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan, which it found offered generally fair and even positive depictions of the Jewish people.

In Pakistan, Jews are frequently depicted with negative stereotypes, accused of treachery and conspiracies, and often collectively referred to as “the Jews” without nuance, the report said. Judaism is excluded from comparative religion sections, while the Holocaust is omitted entirely.

One civics textbook praises Adolf Hitler for “restoring German pride” while making no mention of Nazi atrocities, the report noted.

Israel is consistently framed as an enemy of the Muslim world and held solely responsible for the ongoing war in Gaza, the report found. A Grade 12 textbook, for example, described Israel’s current war with Hamas as the result of intensified Israeli aggression beginning on October 7, 2023, while omitting any reference to Hamas’s unprecedented terror attack against Israel that day.

Jews are typically mentioned in a hostile context, the report found. For example, a Grade 6 textbook claims Jewish tribes in Medina repeatedly conspired against the Prophet Muhammad, while a Grade 5 textbook uses the trope that Jews “caused Prophet Isa and his mother to suffer,” accusing them of plotting against Jesus out of fear of losing authority.

“These narratives frame Judaism as inherently treacherous and promote intolerance,” IMPACT-se said.

Meanwhile, the curriculum paints a picture of Pakistan as “the vanguard of the Muslim world,” positioning it in opposition to the West, which is accused of obstructing Muslim progress. Islamic values permeate even non-religious subjects, with jihad portrayed largely as armed struggle and a moral duty. The country’s nuclear status and leadership in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation are presented as part of a divinely inspired mission, the report said.

More than 96% of Pakistan’s population is Muslim, with 85-90% identifying as Sunni and 10-15% as Shia, it noted.

Pakistan’s rivalries, especially with India, are described in absolute moral terms like “enemy country,” the report found, with the country’s conflict over control of Kashmir portrayed as a religious duty and a humanitarian struggle.

Democracy is idealized in theory, but minorities are marginalized despite claims of freedom, the report said. Gender equality is acknowledged in some instances, but often overshadowed by reinforcement of traditional roles. Authoritarian leaders like Hitler are praised.

“Given Pakistan’s prominent regional role, its nuclear status, and large percentage of young people in a population of 240 million, this curriculum has far-reaching consequences,” 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. There is a pressing need for curriculum reform that prioritizes inclusion, greater respect for Jews and others, and a more peaceful education.”

Previous investigations by IMPACT-se have found worrying trends in school curricula in European countries like Ireland and Poland. Recent reports on schools in Gaza and Syria have shown continued promotion of antisemitism, violence, and martyrdom within their educational systems.