Religious minorities missing in Pakistan’s Islam-heavy textbooks

The textbooks send a subtle message to minority children that they are outsiders in their own country, said a parent

Updated: April 09, 2025 12:01 PM GMT

A new study has found that school textbooks in Pakistan contribute to the exclusion of religious minorities from the country’s social mainstream and national narrative.

The report, What Are We Teaching at School?, was released on April 9 by the Center for Social Justice (CSJ), a Lahore-based organization that advocates for the rights of marginalized communities in Pakistan.

Places of worship and tombs were textbooks’ most common religious imagery. At least 389 images were used across compulsory subjects like Urdu, English, and social sciences.

The study found that minority places of worship found little space from Grades 1 to 10. Christian churches and Hindu temples were each pictured seven times, Sikh gurdwaras four times, while those of Baha’i, Kalasha, Buddhist, and Zoroastrian communities were absent.

In contrast, mosques remained notably high-representation in textbooks published by textbook boards in three of the four provinces, and the National Book Foundation. 

Each of them featured between 56 and 61 images of mosques.

Only the textbook board in Sindh province showed comparatively fewer images of mosques at 23.

“The overwhelming representation of majority religious sites and the underrepresentation of worship places of minorities underscores an imbalance in the education system,” the report stated.

The study also noted the inclusion of Islamic content with the highest concentration found in textbooks for Pakistan Studies (58 percent), followed by Urdu (38 percent), Social Studies (33.1 percent), History (26.8 percent), English (24.2 percent), and General Knowledge (12.3 percent).

The study noted that including Islamic content and mosque imagery in non-religious subjects, such as English and Urdu, violates Article 22 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which prohibits mandatory religious instruction.

“This places minority students at a relative disadvantage compared to their Muslim classmates, who also study the same content in Islamic Studies, already a compulsory subject for them,” the report added.

The review also found that textbooks contained “hate content and derogatory terms” while making references to “Hindus’ mentality” and “complete dominance of Hindus over Muslims.”

There was also mention of “untouchables” and “low caste” in the Hindu caste hierarchy.

Many educationists have expressed concern lately that public education in the Islamic Republic has become “heavily religion-centric, overshadowing academic balance and inclusivity,” said CSJ’s data analyst Nasir William.

In 2023, the National Curriculum Council approved the publication of religion textbooks for seven minority faiths – Hinduism, Sikhism, Christianity, Baha’i, Zoroastrianism, Kalasha, and Buddhism.

However, the CSJ study noted that implementation of the policy—including providing qualified teachers for these subjects—was stalled, particularly in schools where minority students number only one or two.

Romail Rajis from the Church of Pakistan’s Lahore Diocese prefers sending his three children to Church-run schools.

“Generally, Christian parents cannot afford higher fees and also want to protect their children from intolerance, which begins in the classroom,” he told UCA News.

Raj said the textbooks send a subtle message to minority children that they are outsiders in their own country.

“We’re not asking for special treatment — just for our children to be seen, respected, and included,” he added.

Hindus remain Pakistan’s most significant religious minority, comprising 1.61 percent of the country’s 240 million people.

According to 2023 data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Christians make up 1.37 percent of the population, while Muslims account for 96.35 percent.

Other religious minorities, including Sikhs, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians, make up less than one percent.