Yup, this is the side of "fearless journalism" that we never hear about from the champions of media freedom who do not tire from telling us about their "principles" (i.e. "Geo Asool" in this case) and their fight for a more just and educated Pakistan. That is, when they're not inundating us with prattling talk shows about petty political intrigues...
A few questions that come to mind about this report for the Geo Asool people to answer:
1. It mentions that the entire "issue" was first highlighted by Geo itself. Did Geo create this "issue" or was there actually some protest before Geo got their cameras in there?
2. The poor terrorised principal states that the same curriculum is being followed by other schools. Did Geo's reporters make any attempt to check this? And if so, why was it not included in the report?
3. Is there something inherently wrong about teaching biology? Human biology? Sex education? Geo should tell us what its position is on the matter.
4. The thrust of the report seems to be that these kids are much too young to be given information about sex or human biology. Really? Is puberty too young? Is Geo implying that it would be okay if this information came slightly later? Or not at all?
5. What is the background of the moronic "Adviser on Education, Naveed Zuberi" who claims that Pakistani 'kids' are not even aware of sexual issues before they get their National ID card? Is he qualified to discuss educational matters? Does he know that the 'age of consent' in Pakistan is 16? And does an 'adviser' have the authority to conduct 'raids' on a school?
6. The report goes on to accuse the school of using further 'objectionable' material in its curricula, without specifying what this is. What is this objectionable material and who has deemed it objectionable? We see the cover of one book on Islam, with the implication that this is the offending material. If it isn't, Geo owes the writer /publisher of the textbook and the school an apology. If it is, why was it not spelled out so as not to tar everything else with the same brush?
7. Why was this particular school targeted? What connection does the reporter / commissioning editor have with this school? A full disclosure is necessary especially since it has tarnished the image of an educational institution without anything being proven.
Can anyone take up these questions with Geo and it's self-righteous owners?
I think besides Geo's misdeeds in this case, you can open up another interesting can of worms with a post on whether sex ed should be taught in Pakistan...
ReplyDeleteIrresponsible journalism of the worst kind.
ReplyDeleteI think there is something much deeper and darker behind the campaign against the school. Well informed sources tell me that it was instigated by some disgruntled staff and was fanned by some (surprise, surprise) religious group with ulterior motives. Would love to get to the bottom of the whole sordid saga.
Meanwhile, the damage to the school's reputation, which had hitherto been very high, has been enormous. I just noticed that there is an ad in The News today (Wednesday) that tries to give readers a positive gloss on the school's achievements since it was set up for the benefit of relatively low income middle class families by industrialist Ahmed Dawood. Sad.
The saga, meanwhile, didnt end there. The book on Islam shown by Geo was the centre of another related storm that hit the school. The book was deemed to be blasphemous because it did not have the term PBUH after the prophet's name was mentioned!
The school, meanwhile, had to shut down for several days after these revelations hit the headlines.
I tell you, sometimes I think this country deserves the Taliban
One part of the objection in the video is hilarious: "Aap hamaaray bachchoñ ko voh sab bataana chaahtee haéñ jo ünhay pataa hee naheeñ hae?" Hahah ... obviously the purpose of schools is to only tell them what they already know.
ReplyDeleteThis is just the beginning ... Evolution is the target next. But the real bit of confusion, eventually, will be Islamiaat.
'Peace Be Upon Him' after each instance of the Prophet's name was just a starter and has gotten abbreviated to PBUH. Or SAW (by those who prefer the Arabic Saalalaaho-Alaehe-Wasallam). Soon its absence in someone's article/book will be made grounds for a Blasphemy Case.
Allah's names, too, are increasingly followed by Subhaanahoo Wa Ta'ala, now SWT.
All other Prophets and Shia Imams (when Shias mention them) have AS for Alaeh-is-Salaam. Some Sunnis will go to war with the Shias over this since they prefer RATA (Razi-Allah-o-Taala-Anho) for them, some Sahaabees, and for 3 of the first 4 Khülafaa. Hazrat Ali gets a special KAV (Karam Allah Vajhü) by the Sunnis, but not by the Shias who hold a different level of esteem for him.
It will soon be compulsory for Jinnah and Iqbal to always have RA (Rahmatullah Alaeh) folowing their names. And if we keep going down this slope the nation will have ILVIAR after it's name in history books.
zia-ul-haq is dead....it is high time we purge his ugly, intolerant, regressive legacy as well. shame on GEO. and while we are at it...shame on VOA for supporting this corporate 'channal'of pakistani media.
ReplyDeleteits never been about jourlanism its whatever sells, sensationalism. boo GEO
ReplyDeleteSeems like the population of Pakistan must be the result of either millions of immacualte conceptions or, most likely, asexual reproduction such as performed by bacteria etc.
ReplyDeleteI see no subscribe or RSS button on your blog??
ReplyDelete@Zubair: Indeed. What the apoplectic guardians of morality often choose to ignore is the fact that EVERYONE does get sex ed one way or the other (as Anon1025 points out so eloquently!) and that it may be better to get it from sober textbooks than porn videos.
ReplyDelete@Zakintosh: That's hilarious! But shame on you for not realizing the real aim of eju-kay-shun in Pakistan!
@Khabardrama: My sources tell me that the "offensive" material in the Islam book pertained to an alleged picture of the Prophet. But you are correct in that it was apparently the Jamaat-e-Islami that began to agitate the issue. Neither of which excuses Geo's half-baked 'report' or its ridiculous editorial stand on a matter of public health and education. It's important to keep in mind that the alleged religiously offensive material was only tangential to the main report.
@Anon1152: Thanks for pointing it out. Now we do!
It is even more shameful that the advisors to the education minister wanted to seal and shut down the school, they were sounding just like the Talibans who don't want education in their territorial domains.
ReplyDeleteShame on journalism and double shame curse on bureaucracy and politicians.
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ReplyDeletenice link, i like it.
ReplyDelete