Faisalabad: April 23, 2016. (PCP) In a letter to Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Chief Justice Supreme Court of Pakistan Ref. No. PMTA/28-33/16-KPR, dated April 22, 2016, Professor Anjum James Paul Chairman, Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA) has requested on the subject, “Non-Muslim students face victimization and religious persecution in the educational system of Pakistan” The content of the letter is below; To Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali Chief Justice Supreme Court of Pakistan Islamabad Subject: NON-MUSLIM STUDENTS FACE VICTIMIZATION AND RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OF PAKISTAN Honourable Sir, Greetings and peace from Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA). PMTA would like to draw your kind attention on the subject cited above. Pakistani non-Muslim students are facing victimization and religious persecution in the educational system of Pakistan. The most recent example is of a Christian student Mr. Naveed Rafique s/o Rafique Maseeh, a student of grade 8 who has been declared failed in the examinations of Punjab Examination Commission held in 2016. He appeared in the examination under Roll No.68-426-220 in district Faisalabad, Punjab. In the oral examination of Islamiyat (Islamic Studies) the examiner told him at the spot, “You are failed as you have not recited Kalimah.” Naveed Rafique said, “I am Christian and I do not know the Islamic Kalimah.” The honourable examiner deliberately attempted to have forced conversion of Naveed Rafique violating Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan and when he could not achieve his purpose he failed the mentioned candidate. Mr. Naveed Rafique could lose his Christian belief after recitation of Kalimah. The one who recites Kalimah leaves his/her previous religion and embraces Islam. Note: The text of the Kalimah is (There is no God but Allah Almighty and Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is Messenger of Allah.). Reference; General Knowledge for Grade 1, Published by Punjab Curriculum And Textbook Board Lahore, edition January 2016, chapter 6, page 11 Government of Pakistan has already planned to provide compulsory Quranic education to all students of the public sector schools. A statement of honourable Mr. Baligh ur Rehman, State Minister for Federal Education has been published in the ‘Daily Nai Baat’ on April 21, 2016. The honouarble State Minister has said during a program organized by Alhuda International School in Islamabad that after consultation with the Conference of Interprovincial Education Ministers there has been implementation of the compulsory Quranic education in all the public sector schools in Pakistan. There will be Nazra (recitation) from grade 1 to grade 5 while from grade 6 to grade 10 students will completely receive the Quranic education with translation. PMTA has already presented reservations to you in a letter Ref. No. PMTA/22-26/16-KPR, dated, April 11, 2016 on the subject, ‘Constitutional Rights of Non-Muslim Students.’ An analysis by PMTA on 51 textbooks in 12 various subjects identifies that there is 74.50 percentage of Islamization of textbooks published by Punjab Curriculum And Textbook Lahore in 2016 while there is 100 percent Islamization of environment in the public sector educational institutions. Pakistan is a multi-religious country and there is diversity of religions in the classroom. Sir, Federal and Provincial Textbook Boards of Pakistan are openly violating Article 20 (a), Article 22 (1), Article 25 (1) and Article 36 of the Constitution of Pakistan and Article 26 (2 & 3) of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 2 (2) and Article 14 (1) of International Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 18 (2 & 4) of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 5 (2) of Declaration On The Elimination Of All Forms Of Intolerance And Of Discrimination Based On Religion Or Belief, UNESCO and June 19, 2014 Verdict of Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding protection of minorities rights. Public sector educational institutions/environment in Pakistan is deliberately attempting/persuading to convert the religions of all Pakistani non-Muslim students because they have become religious centres of the dominant religion of Pakistan. They are not ready to accept the religious identity of non-Muslim students at any cost. They are forced to study Islamic beliefs and practices in the subjects of languages, social sciences, pure sciences and Islamic Studies from school education to higher education. Sir, it is requested you to kindly order the government of Pakistan to stop preaching of Islam to non-Muslim students through textbooks and educational environment. Non-Muslim students must also be treated according to Article 25 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan. The beauty of our motherland is in diversity and if non-Muslims lose their remaining religious identity then ultimately changes will have to be made like exclusion of extract of the Father of the Nation on equal citizenship that he delivered on August 11, 1947, role of non-Muslims in the creation and construction of Pakistan, Article 36 of the Constitution of Pakistan regarding protection of minorities, abolishing Federal Ministry of Interfaith Harmony, provincial ministries of Minorities Affairs, reserved seats of non-Muslims in the parliament and provincial assemblies. If there are no more non-Muslims then how can interfaith harmony be promoted? And how will be cake cutting ceremonies organized which are symbol of respecting the beliefs of non-Muslims? It is further requested you to take notice of the case of Naveed Rafique so that there may not be loss of his studies as the new session has already commenced. We have again contacted the concerned quarters in Faisalabad yesterday on April 21, 2016, we were told that inquiry has been completed and they will inform us about the decision. PMTA and Naveed Rafique’s family request you for justice. With best regards. PROF. ANJUM JAMES PAUL CHAIRMAN Copy to: 1. Mr. Mamnoon Hussain, President of Pakistan, President’s House, Islamabad 2. Mr. Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Prime Minister’s Secretariat, Islamabad 3. Mr. Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Federal Minister for Interfaith Harmony, Islamabad 4. Mr. Baligh ur Rehman, State Minister for Federal Education, Islamabad 5. Mr. Abdul Sattar, Director, National Commission for Human Rights, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad. Note: Copy of the result card of Naveed Rafique has been attached herewith.