Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas must be now realizing that he has got into the situation foreseen in the saying “Be careful what you wish for.” He had blithely announced first that Nazara of the Quran was to become compulsory in all schools, in which students would learn the recitation of the Holy Quran. For this, he then had to announce the creation of 70,000 posts of Arabic teachers. Admittedly, the recruitment of such a large number of teachers would be a boon for the PTI, though how such a large body was to become suddenly available was not known. However, all problems were not solved, for Mr Raas’s press conference on Tuesday indicated that he had bent his mind to solving another problem, that of uncovered heads. That was the reason he gave for his announcement that private schools were being directed to make caps for boys and scarves for girls part of the uniform. It is considered better to cover the head while reciting the Holy Quran, but it is not compulsory. This would probably not solve Mr Raas’ problems, for there then comes the issue of ablutions, which are compulsory for handling the Quran. With a large number of schools still bereft of drinking water, children may be reduced to performing tayammum. After that would be the issue of female periods: girls having them cannot perform ablutions, and approach the Quran only while wearing gloves or while holding a cloth. Mr Raass might find other problems arise as he goes along.
The purpose of the general kowtowing to religiosity of this kind may well be so as to appeal to voters (whose own children are probably no longer in school) that they have done something to ‘Islamize’ education. Thus generations of schoolchildren will be forced to undergo these experiences for a political gain, that of enhancing the appeal of the PTI to voters of a religious bent.
The PTI should not forget that this is essentially a cosmetic measure, designed to promote religiosity rather than genuine religious devotion, and is targeted both at the students so much as at those who will be satisfied, at secondhand, that the schools are becoming more sanctified.
