Islamic Studies :: At what levels should it be taught?

[Qazi Saad Yousafzai]

Islamic studies is a subject that has had the maximum changes in curriculum and books in the past few years. Gov has always been a state in confusion that after high school, shud it be taught in all semesters, 1 semester or not at all to students. Some teachers also suggested that Quranic Surahs that contain Jihad related material should be replaced by Surahs that tell about decency, piousness and worship etc as Jihad is not appropriate thing to be taught to immature minds of 16yo students.

This is not my opinion, it is what i want to discuss.

Please comment regarding the matter.

[Qazi Saad Yousafzai]

when i was in 8th, i remember the surah i learnt was all about Jihad and how to deal with maal e ghaneemat, v cud hav been taught about moral values and ethiccs back then!

[Zarawar]

Islamic studies is a subject that has had the maximum changes in curriculum and books in the past few years. Gov has always been a state in confusion that after high school, shud it be taught in all semesters, 1 semester or not at all to students. Some teachers also suggested that Quranic Surahs that contain Jihad related material should be replaced by Surahs that tell about decency, piousness and worship etc as Jihad is not appropriate thing to be taught to immature minds of 16yo students.

This is not my opinion, it is what i want to discuss.

Please comment regarding the matter.

Good point, I've always wandered about such issues.
No where in Islam, or our prophet Mohammad SAW ever, said that people should start studying Islam 16 years of age, or replace Jihadic content with more decent and worship relating content.
I think the current controversy has everything to do with politics and our education ministries coming under western pressure. The western invasion of Afghanistan is not only a military, but a social and cultural invasion also. For example the Indian soap Oprah shows and other western material being broad casted, for the purposes of westernizing and secularizing the nation. The same goes with Books, they (west) is always going to push our governments to get rid of stuff like that because that type of education doesn't produce too many pro-American/Western students, that later on might hurt the western policy in middle east.
I think everything should be moderate, all of our Islamic subjects should go through neutral and expert Ulama, in specific fields. With the help of neutral sociologists and psychologists that can study the affects of each subject or conduct surveys based on the text.
Regarding Jihad:
It's the media and west that has labeled different insurgents with Islamists and Jihadists. We shouldn't base our youth education decision based on what a biased western media circle thinks. Psychologically, even Muslims show reaction with the word jihad now a days, the minute you start talking about Jihad, the assumptions are as usual, Bin Laden, Mohammad Atta, or Taliban. Jihad has nothing to do with political struggles or specific subjects. We need to teach our youth what Jihad means, if studied closely, everyone amongst us is a Mujahid. Jihad can be performed against an evil act, unfair action, stopping yourself from committing evil or defending your personal space (yourself, home, property etc). Islam is not Pashtunwali or some other verbal tradition, we cannot reform or hide Islamic facts. We will keep teaching our children what we've been taught, hiding Jihadic education is reforming Islam.
Again, we need to teach our youth that everyone of us is a Mujahid, everyone should have a firm faith in Jihad, because without Jihad one cannot be a successful Muslim. Jihad is just a struggle against anything unfair, on personal level, it would be a struggle against bad deeds. On military level, it's just a struggle like any other struggle. A common struggle basically all humans share, if your house is invaded, obviously you are not going to set down and star at the intruder. You are going to go after him and try to repel him back, away from your personal space, from your children and any other family.
Why is it that when a non-Muslim tries to defend his home, he is labeled as a patriot and freedom fighter, but when a Muslim does the same he is labeled a terrorist?
Or in our case, we were once freedom fighters and American Heros (back in 80s and 90s). While, now, all of a sudden the same people (Haqqani, Hekmatyar, Mullah Omar) became terrorists?