Going strong at 160
EARLIER this year, the St Joseph’s Convent School, Karachi, celebrated 160 years of its glorious existence. Those of us who had some kind of connection with this institution — mainly as students — felt a proud sense of ownership for our alma mater on this august occasion. I don’t think any other girls’ school in Pakistan can claim equal longevity combined with excellence.
I attended the alumni event held recently which became a poignant journey down memory lane. I have a double connection with SJC. Both my daughters also studied there and it was a pleasure meeting their teachers — Nilofer Minhas and Faiza Kazi — to whom I will be eternally grateful for providing my girls that extra love and support the children of working mothers need. This link, as well my own childhood school experience, makes SJC special to me.
Though SJC’s sturdy stone Italian architecture and its playgrounds stretching over a vast expanse made a profound impression on my mind when I came here first as a child, an institution needs more than brick and mortar to establish its greatness. It needs teachers of substance who impart knowledge, moral strength and integrity to their students. For SJC, this came from the nuns clad in their white habit. They were the builders of the SJC value system.
The nuns were the builders of the SJC value system.
Times have changed, as has the apparel of the nuns, the academic environs of the school and the political status of the country where the founders — a batch of five Belgian nuns from the Daughters of the Cross Institute, Liege — landed. It was Kurrachee that played host to them and where the SJC was founded in 1862. What has remained unchanged is the tradition of “relentless service to humanity”, “sustained educational pursuits”, “arduous struggles”, “modest courtesy” and a “sense of duty”. Above all, the aim of education as spelt out by the founders has been further strengthened. In a nutshell, it seeks to develop the full potential of every student while inculcating in them the judgement to distinguish between right and wrong and fostering the desire to become lifelong learners.
The magnitude of the school’s achievements as expressed by the principal (now designated as the head of St Joseph’s College) is enormous. Sister Elizabeth Niamet, succinctly described the role of SJC as the pioneer of quality education for the girl child. It turned out “refined and headstrong young ladies who have shown amazing aptitudes in various fields”. Today, Josephines — thousands of them — are spread all over the world. There are 2,200 students on the school rolls. In 1862, there were 10.
I marvel at the nuns and staff at St Joseph’s. I admire their dedication to the cause of education — a thankless task in a country where neither state nor society really values a child’s education or considers it important for human development and the country’s own progress. Had this been the case, the largest non-Muslim community, that is, the Christians, would have received more appreciation for its services — not just in the education but also the health sector.
Worse is the failure of the state to give protection to Christians, and also other non-Muslim communities, when they have the same right to life and liberty as anyone else under the Constitution. In fact, Islam, which we claim underpins Pakistan’s political-legal structure, enjoins treating non-Muslims with compassion and giving due respect to their beliefs. Had that principle been followed, would Jaranwala have taken place? It is shameful that the Pakistani state could not, in spite of its military might, prevent this heinous incident from occurring.
More importantly, this failure is not restricted to a single incident. Our trajectory is replete with similarly shameful crimes committed against the Christian community. Remember Shanti Nagar (1997), Sangla Hill (2005), Gojra (2009), Joseph Colony (2013), the Peshawar church attack (2013) and the attack on Quetta churches (2017)? Even Muslim religious leaders in the country have not stood up in defence of those they should protect; they have not exhorted their followers to be respectful of other religious communities.
The Christian community has suffered discrimination in all walks of life and the possibility of unverified blasphemy accusations against them continues to hang over their heads like the sword of Damocles. One has to recall the Aasiya Bibi case. The poor woman was on death row for years before she was acquitted and smuggled out of Pakistan to another country, even before the judgement was made public. In spite of this hatred displayed by those who hold extremist and bigoted views, the community, in light of their religious beliefs, continues to demonstrate the values of forgiveness, compassion and kindness. This should offer some food for thought to a section of the Muslim community that prefers obscurantism.
Published in Dawn, September 22th, 2023