Pakistani Senate passes bill mandating teaching of Quran in public schools

The Pakistani Senate has recently passed a legislation that makes the teaching of the Quran compulsory in all schools controlled and owned by the federal government.

The bill, called "The Compulsory Teaching of the Holy Quran Bill, 2017," was unanimously approved by the Senate on Aug. 25. The Pakistani Christian Post reported that the measure had already been passed by the National Assembly on April 19, making it compulsory to teach the Quran to Muslim students from class 1 to 12.

The objectives of the bill stated that the law "will make the divine message understood, ensure the response of society, encourage peace and tranquillity, promote the supreme human values of truth, honesty, integrity, character building, tolerance, understanding others' point of view and way of life."

The legislation further stated that it will help the state to discharge its constitutional responsibility as article 31(2) of the Constitution states that the "State shall endeavour to make the teachings of the Holy Qur'an and Islamiyat compulsory."

Nasir Saeed, director of Centre for Legal Aid, Assistance and Settlement in the U.K., noted that the new law would only apply to Muslim students, but no alternative programs had been announced for non-Muslim students. He expressed concern that the new law could force non-Muslims to also take the subject if there is no other choice.

"It will promote bigotry and hatred against non-Muslims in Pakistani society, something which is already on the rise," Saeed said.

He also expressed his disappointment that the Pakistani government is forcing children to study religion instead of promoting freedom of religion and belief.

Pakistan has been ranked by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) among the top five worst nations in the world with blasphemy laws, which carry the punishment ranging from a fine to a mandatory death sentence.

Last week, Pakistani police jailed a Christian teenager who was accused of burning pages of the Quran outside a shrine.

Asif Massih, 18, has been charged under section 295-B of Pakistan's penal code, which makes the death sentence mandatory for anyone who was found guilty of damaging or desecrating the Quran.

According to USCIRF, about 40 people are currently on death row or serving life sentences in Pakistan for blasphemy.

Islamic hardliners have also been taking justice into their own hands, with at least 71 people killed by mobs over mere accusations of blasphemy since 1990.

Legal experts and human rights activists have been pressuring the Pakistani government to abolish or amend the law.

"This law is being misused by people to take revenge against their opponents, and it is very easy to charge anyone for blasphemy," Mehdi Hasan, chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, told Al Jazeera in August.