Pakistan (International Christian Concern) — Maryam Hadayat, a fourth-grade student at a government primary school in Gujranwala, Pakistan, has been continuously harassed by her fellow Muslim classmates. 

“My fellows abuse my religion,” Hadayat recently said. “They say Christianity is not a good religion and that I should convert to Islam.” 

For weeks, Hadayat tried to tolerate the bullying. She reported it several times to her teachers, yet no action was taken. Finally, when her patience broke, she went home crying and told her grandmother. 

The next day, her grandmother went to the school to confront Hadayat’s teacher. The teacher promised to “look into the matter,” but as soon as the grandmother left, the teacher scolded Hadayat, warning her that if she complained again at home, she would be expelled from school. 

This response left Hadayat traumatized, with no safe space at school. 

“These are not teachers,” Hadayat’s grandmother said. “The government has hired clerics to preach Islam instead of teaching.” 

Hadayat’s case isn’t unique in Pakistan. Christian children in government schools throughout the country face similar trauma. Amid lessons on the standard school subjects, teachers often take it upon themselves to preach Islam. Many boldly declare the Bible as “corrupted,” mock the Trinity, and call Christians blasphemers for believing Jesus is the Son of God. Others directly pressure children to abandon their Christian faith and embrace Islam. 

The discrimination is reinforced by peers as well. Muslim classmates often refuse to eat or drink from the same utensils as Christian children. If they do, they frame it as a “privilege” granted by Islam. On countless occasions, Christian students are told to convert to Islam if they wish to be respected. 

What happened to Hadayat is not an isolated act of prejudice; it reflects a systemic issue deeply rooted in Pakistan’s educational system. For decades, the government of Pakistan has turned a blind eye to this pattern of discrimination, allowing teachers and professors to perpetuate such behavior inside educational institutions. 

In a country where Islam is woven into every subject, including Urdu, English, Social Studies, and even Science, students from minority religions are constantly reminded that they do not belong. To complete a bachelor’s degree, Islam is a compulsory subject that every student, regardless of faith, must study. How much more pressure will the state place on minorities before acknowledging the weight of this injustice? 

Education should empower, not humiliate. It should build futures, not crush identities. The state must urgently intervene to prohibit teachers and professors from discriminating against or humiliating students based on their faith. If Pakistan continues to ignore these injustices, children like Hadayat will keep growing up with wounds far deeper than the classroom can heal. 

To read more news stories, visit the ICC Newsroom. For interviews, please email press@persecution.org. To support ICC’s work around the world, please give to our Where Most Needed Fund.