Disrupting Militaristic Narratives and Reclaiming Voices: The Role of Education and Digital Media in Pakistan

• In Event: Race, Ethnicity and Identity in Politics, Policy and Practice

Proposal

This paper explores how education in Pakistan has historically been a vehicle for promoting militaristic and Islamic nationalist propaganda, particularly against religious minorities and dissenters. Through an examination of Pakistan’s state-controlled curriculum, which glorifies jihad and promotes Sunni Islamic supremacy, this paper delves into how imperialist and neo-colonial frameworks have shaped learning in the country. It highlights the disruption of these narratives through the growing influence of global digital spaces, particularly for marginalized groups like girls, who use these platforms to envision new futures and question entrenched cultural norms.
State actors have long co-opted Pakistan's educational system to propagate a militant, nationalist agenda that suppresses diversity of thought and legitimizes violence against religious minorities and political dissidents. The curriculum intertwines Islamic identity with nationalism, creating a framework that marginalizes non-Sunni voices and reinforces state power through militaristic narratives. This paper draws on evidence from my dissertation, which examines how these narratives impact the resilience and identity formation of children growing up in a country torn by religious extremism and violence.
Simultaneously, in the 21st century, the rise of digital spaces offers an avenue for counter-narratives. Global media and communication technologies provide marginalized voices, particularly women and girls, with new platforms to engage with diverse perspectives. This paper argues that while traditional education promotes violence and conformity, digital spaces enable new forms of resistance and empowerment for Pakistani youth.
The militaristic and Islamic nationalist propaganda embedded in the Pakistani curriculum can be traced back to the country's post-colonial efforts to solidify a national identity through religious unity. This section will explore:
• The historical development of Pakistan’s curriculum, starting from Zia-ul-Haq’s regime, and how it was used to promote a nationalistic, Sunni Islamic identity.
• The systematic exclusion of minority narratives, particularly from Shia Muslims, Hindus, and Christians, and the impact of this exclusion on the broader society.
• The role of education in perpetuating violence, both ideologically and physically, through the glorification of jihad and the use of religious texts to justify persecution.
In short, the Pakistani curriculum indoctrinates students into a narrow, militarized worldview. I link these practices to broader neo-colonial power structures that maintain control over the narrative of what it means to be a Pakistani.
While the curriculum continues to promote state-sanctioned violence and nationalism, the rise of global digital media has created new spaces for marginalized voices, particularly young women, to challenge these narratives. This section will focus on:
• How access to digital media allows girls in Pakistan to envision lives outside the traditional roles prescribed to them by their education and society.
• Examples of how Pakistani youth, particularly girls, use social media, online education platforms, and global media to engage with new ideas about gender, identity, and their place in the world.
• The role of digital spaces in disrupting the established social order, particularly in allowing new narratives to emerge that challenge the hegemonic control of the state over religious and national identity.
I present these case studies to argue that while digital spaces offer a form of resistance, they also pose new challenges, such as increased surveillance by state actors and the potential for backlash from conservative forces within society.
The Pakistani curriculum remains a powerful tool for promoting state-endorsed violence and religious nationalism. However, new spaces have emerged in the digital age, allowing marginalized groups, particularly girls, to challenge these narratives and imagine alternative futures. This paper will conclude by calling for a rethinking of education in Pakistan that includes diverse voices and narratives and an acknowledgment of the potential for digital media to offer new pathways for resistance and empowerment in the 21st century.

Author

• Haider Fancy, New York University