Content Analysis of Textbooks of Social and Pakistan Studies for Religious Tolerance in Pakistan

This study was conducted with the objectives of identifying the content that promotes religious tolerance, intolerance and strength/weakness of concept of religious tolerance in Social Studies and Pakistan Studies textbooks. This study was delimited to the content analysis on religious tolerance and intolerance of Social Studies textbook of 8 the Class and Pak Studies textbooks of 10 the class published by the NWFP textbook board Peshawar, Pakistan. In the light of the curriculum draft, the content of both subjects of both classes was analyzed in the light of using qualitative methods. In the curriculum draft, three objectives on religious tolerance for Social Studies (Enhance Sympathy for other people, Love for humanity, and Service for mankind) and two objectives (Lay emphasis on the right and obligation of the citizen of an independent and sovereign state, and Inculcate awareness about the multicultural heritage of Pakistan so as to enable the students to better appreciate the social cultural diversity of Pakistani society and used to with the idea of unity of diversity in our national context) for Pakistan Studies were found. The Social Studies objectives were translated only in one lesson and the two objectives of the Pakistan Studies were translated only in three lessons in the text books. There were some supportive material on tolerance and intolerance. It is recommended that the intolerance and hate supportive material should be excluded and more tolerance supportive material should be included. The religious tolerance material should be propagated through educational institutions and media. Further research is also recommended for the content analysis of other textbooks at every level of education in Pakistan.


Introduction
The present world is replete with a number of miseries of which intolerance reigns supreme.It may also be termed as prejudice and narrow-mindedness.The ultimate result of intolerance or in other words religious fanaticism is extremism which is the major concern of the day and the root cause of prevailing unrest in the world (Schweitzer, 2007).
In the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary (2005)," tolerance means (i) the act or practice of tolerating especially sympathy or indulgence for belief or practices differing from one's own." (ii) "Capacity for enduring or adapting as to poor environment."The Encyclopedia of Britannica (1974), interprets religious tolerance as intellectual and practical acknowledgement of the right of others to live in accordance with religious belief that are not accepted as one's own.In the view of Amir, (2004), Tolerance could interpreted as, "the people whose ideas and belief are not in accordance with our own, must be respected, tolerated and accepted open heartedly".
Religious tolerance means, "Let the individual to profess religion of his choice, and have the right to give full freedom of worship, and faith" (Ali, K 1986).According to Ali, M (1998) when individual began to believe their religious views, the term muslim and non muslim were coined for sectarian division.Such individual becomes staunch believer of his faith and out costs others from his social circle and looks down upon them as transgressor and sinners.As a result his outlook is completely changed and he thinks of other people as worthless fellows and throws them out of humanity.He tries to impose his own ideas either by violence or by propagation and if they refuse to follow his ideas, then he inflicts upon them with mental torture, violence and pressure and try to humiliate them.
Allah says in the Holy Quran: Let there be no compulsion in religious truth stands out from error.Whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand holds that never breaks.Once the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said "He who harm a Jew or a Christian will find me his opponent on the day of Judgment (Sunan Abu Dawud).
From historical perspective it is interesting to note that when the prophet of Islam Muhammad (PBUH), began his mission among the pagans of Makkah, he invited them into the new faith despite their hostile attitude and response, Since Islam itself began inviting and persuading people to embrace it on merit, of its rationality and truth.In other words, if Islam is to remain true to its own beginning it can be accepted to validate the freedom of belief (Ali M. 1998).
In Rida view (1986), confession to the faith (Iman) is not valid if it is not voluntary, therefore wherever confession to the faith is obtained through compulsion, it is null and void.According to Kuftaro (1985), in the first century of the Hijrah, we as surely infer that those Christian tribes that did embrace Islam did so of their own choice and free will.The Christians, Arabs of the present day, dwelling in the midst of Mohammedan population are a living testimony of his toleration.
According to Nayyer and Salim (2003), before 1978 text books were not based on one religions philosophy.But there were basic objectives presented in the curriculum shows that Pakistan was multicultural Islamic state and non muslim were equal citizen under the constitution.Kafter (1978), in his study explains that there were few objectives in the curriculum for included material that gives concept of separation between the worldly and religious and stresses that all the material be presented from Islamic point of view and hate be created against the Hindus of India.The Hate material should not be included in the text books, so as to make the country free of intolerance and be good nation with neighbor country.The outline of tolerance in Islam shows that Islam abhors/rejects all types of coercion in matters of faith.but now we see a colossal change at global level that marks increasing intolerance leading to terrorism among religious extremists.This tendency is also reflected in textbooks thought at schools and madrassa's working under the influence of extremists.

Objectives of the Study
This study was conducted with the following objectives: 1.To identify the content of the Social Studies and Pakistan Studies textbooks that promotes religious tolerance and intolerance.

Delimitations of the Study
Keeping in view the availability of time and resources this study was delimited to the content analysis on religious tolerance of Social Studies textbook of 8 th Class and Pakistan Studies textbook of 10 th Class published by NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar, Pakistan 2009.

Methodology
In the light of curriculum draft of Social Studies and Pakistan Studies at Grades 8 th and 10 th developed by Curriculum Wing Ministry of Education, the material on religious tolerance and intolerance was analyzed in the textbooks of Social Studies Grade 8 th and Pakistan Studies Grade 10 th 2009 published by NWFP Textbook Board, Peshawar using qualitative methods.Both books intolerance material is shown in the Appendix-A and Appendix-B respectively.

Results and Discussion
The major purpose of the study was to investigate and analyze the content of Social Studies and Pakistan Studies on religious tolerance at grades 8 th and 10 th respectively.To achieve the objectives the researchers critically analyzed the relevant content and material of the concerned textbooks of Social Studies and Pakistan Studies.
In the light of the related literature and the extensive review of the concerned textbooks the following conclusions were drawn: 1.It was concluded that Islam is fully in favour of and strongly supports religious tolerance.Islam is the greatest advocate of religious tolerance and lo-existence as compared to all other religions.
2. In the curriculum draft three objectives for Social Studies and two objectives for Pakistan Studies reflect religious tolerance.
3. From the intensive analysis of both the textbooks of Social Studies and Pakistan Studies, it can be inferred that in Social Studies respective objective on religious tolerance are translated only in one lesson while in Pakistan Studies in three lessons/units.4. No behavioral objective was in support of religious intolerance but some intolerance supportive contents and materials were found.

Recommendations
1.Both textbooks have some content regarding intolerance it should be revised and adequate basic religious tolerance material should be included.
2. For peace and eradication of external and internal crises, it is recommended that religious tolerance material should be propagated through educational institutions and media.
3. Further research is recommended for the content analysis of textbooks of Social Studies and Pakistan Studies at every level of education in Pakistan.
4. It is also recommended that the curriculum draft for Social Studies and Pakistan Studies developed by the Curriculum Wing Ministry of Education should also be revised and more religious tolerance supportive behavioral objectives may be included.
5. Research studies are also recommended for other subjects at every level so that the intolerance content may totally be eliminated from the textbooks for promoting peace in the world.
6. Whereas the current global perspective demands that we avoid hate material in our school textbooks and instead we should promote feelings of love and fraternity with our neighbour India and other world community in general.
Pakistan.[Online] Available: www.sdpi.org,main@sdpi.org.Rida, R. (1986). Tafsir -al-Manar, XI, 484 Beirut: Dare -al-Ma rifah, P. 356. Saeed, F. (2009) 1 shows that there were three behavioral objectives related to religious tolerance that were translated only in one lesson "United Nations Organization" under four headings/topics.   2 reflects that there were two behavioral objectives which were related to religious tolerance; the first one is translated in the lessons of "Ideological Basis of Pakistan" and "Pakistan as a welfare state".The second is translated in the lessons of "Pakistani Culture" and in the "Pakistan as a welfare state".These were represented/realized under six headings/topics.

2.
To find out the strength and weakness of the concept of religious tolerance in Social Studies and Pakistan Studies textbooks.

3.
To propose suggestions to improve the content on religious tolerance in Social Studies and Pakistan Studies textbooks.

Table 1 .
. Social Study (Textbook) Grade 8 th , N.W.F.P Textbook Board, Peshawar, Pakistan.Schweitzer, F. (2007).Religious Education.British Journal of Religious Education, Vol. 29, P.89-100.Analysis of behavioral objectives statements on religious tolerance in the textbook of Social Study for Class 8 th

Table 2 .
Analysis of behavioral objectives statements on religious tolerance in the Textbook of Pakistan Study for Class 10 th