Saudi Texts Continue to Support Hatred

[Dr Ron]

From The Democratic Daily--see original post for links:

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=3067


After 9/11, Saudi Arabia (home to many of the hijackers) promised to revise their education to end teaching hatred of the west. “Not only have we eliminated what might be perceived as intolerance from old textbooks that were in our system, we have implemented a comprehensive internal revision and modernization plan.” The Washington Post also reports that lastyear an embassy spokesman claimed,”We have reviewed our educational curriculums. We have removed materials that are inciteful or intolerant towards people of other faiths.” The Post also found that these claims are not true:

"A review of a sample of official Saudi textbooks for Islamic studies used during the current academic year reveals that, despite the Saudi government’s statements to the contrary, an ideology of hatred toward Christians and Jews and Muslims who do not follow Wahhabi doctrine remains in this area of the public school system. The texts teach a dualistic vision, dividing the world into true believers of Islam (the “monotheists”) and unbelievers (the “polytheists” and “infidels”).

"This indoctrination begins in a first-grade text and is reinforced and expanded each year, culminating in a 12th-grade text instructing students that their religious obligation includes waging jihad against the infidel to “spread the faith.”"

The article provides many examples from their texts. As early as first grade they are told, ” Every religion other than Islam is false.” Fifth graders are taught, “It is forbidden for a Muslim to be a loyal friend to someone who does not believe in God and His Prophet, or someone who fights the religion of Islam.” In sixth grade the lesson is, “Just as Muslims were successful in the past when they came together in a sincere endeavor to evict the Christian crusaders from Palestine, so will the Arabs and Muslims emerge victorious, God willing, against the Jews and their allies if they stand together and fight a true jihad for God, for this is within God’s power.”

The intolerance continues as the children get older. Eighth grade texts claim, “As cited in Ibn Abbas: The apes are Jews, the people of the Sabbath; while the swine are the Christians, the infidels of the communion of Jesus.” Ninth grade texts advocate struggle with lessons such as, “It is part of God’s wisdom that the struggle between the Muslim and the Jews should continue until the hour .” Tenth graders learn that the life of a non-Muslim, and woman, or slave “is worth a fraction of that of a ‘free Muslim male.’”

We try to show tolerance towards other religions and look at their peaceful teachings, but perhaps, as Sam Harris warns, we are deluding ourselves. Eleventh graders are taught, “The greeting ‘Peace be upon you’ is specifically for believers. It cannot be said to others.” This sets them up for the ultimate lesson for twelth graders: “Jihad in the path of God — which consists of battling against unbelief, oppression, injustice, and those who perpetrate it — is the summit of Islam. This religion arose through jihad and through jihad was its banner raised high. It is one of the noblest acts, which brings one closer to God, and one of the most magnificent acts of obedience to God.”

Sunday morning is a poor time to judge the blogosphere as many bloggers are not yet very active. So far I’ve seen minimal coverage of this, much of it from the conservative blogs. Revulsion at these teachings is one area where bloggers from the left and right can find common ground. Perhaps this will lead to better understanding of why conservatives desire to go to war against jihadists (even if their plans in Iraq are misguided) and conservatives will better understand why liberals feel separation of church and state is an area where there can be no safe compromise.

[DeepModem Mom]

1. Thanks for posting, Dr Ron. nt

[JCMach1]

2. Source of a Source of a Translated Source

'jihad' is an Arabic word with numerous meanings...

For example, I might practice 'jihad' on some of the idiocy found in the MSM in the U.S. about Islam...

Wait a minute...didn't I just do that?

As an educator, it also (sometimes) take years to get texts out of the system...


There is little need to worry anyway... Islamic class for most Saudi students is the equivalent of that Civics class you had to take back in High School.

It's that easy... don't have to pay attention class unless the Imam gets in your face (seriously)

[Dr Ron]

3. Hope you are right, but. . .

I don't think we can dismiss this so easily.

Maybe things are lost in translation, but the Post appears to have been careful in their story:

"We then had the texts translated separately by two independent, fluent Arabic speakers."

This looks like far more than a civics class which is easily ignored:

"Religion is the foundation of the Saudi state's political ideology; it is also a key area of Saudi education in which students are taught the interpretation of Islam known as Wahhabism (a movement founded 250 years ago by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab) that is reflected in these textbooks.

"Scholars estimate that within the Saudi public school curriculum, Islamic studies make up a quarter to a third of students' weekly classroom hours in lower and middle school, plus several hours each week in high school. Educators who question or dissent from the official interpretation of Islam can face severe reprisals. In November 2005, a Saudi teacher who made positive statements about Jews and the New Testament was fired and sentenced to 750 lashes and a prison term. (He was eventually pardoned after public and international protests.)

"The Saudi public school system totals 25,000 schools, educating about 5 million students. In addition, Saudi Arabia runs academies in 19 world capitals, including one outside Washington in Fairfax County, that use some of these same religious texts."

While it can take years to get texts out of a system, in this case there were specific claims that such lessons were removed, and these quotes contradict these claims, raising doubts as to their sincerity.

[JCMach1]

5. We really should be careful though...

How many of these textbooks are actually used?

Or, are they (as I said) holdovers

Most Islamic education (note I said most) is benign...

Why is someone in a prominent American newspaper publishing this report?


One might also considers sources of hatred against America close to home (i.e. Bush)...

It's the man and the politics the Arab world hates... not Americans...

To a large extent it's the politics of the Jewish state that many Arabs hate, though religion has been a whipping boy in this part of the world from time eternal.

Trust me, I am posting this from Beirut, Lebanon where the ugly pock-marks of war have just recently been covered with new plaster. In many places the ruins still stand. Maronites, Sunnis, Sh'ia, Jacobites, Catholics, Druze, and even Jews have all fought in this place... Here, religion was the straw man for political factions seeking power, control and wealth... In the end, everyone had to throw their hands-up and surrender...

I consistently have to laugh my ass-off at so-called experts on the region who appear and write in the media. They consistently have no clue what is going-on.

For example, the West took the victory of the Hariri faction following his murder as a victory for Democracy. Fast forward to the present... the canonization of Saint Hariri continues apace with his supporter virtually assuming one-party rule... Enter corruption and disaffection...

Lebanon has an extremely young population... They don't want another Civil War and at the same time they don't want corrupt and unresponsive governments... That's where things stand today.

Want to know about the Kingdom? That is a 'real' kettle of fish... Trust me, you don't even want to get into that... for every copy of these books, there are 10 hookers sitting in a brothel somewhere. Porn is exchanged like water in these schools via bluetooth...
The real story is the hypocrisy of life in Saudia... Besides, that's what really created bin Laden in the first place (that and the CIA).

[Dr Ron]

6. Agree we must be careful

I see this as legitimate criticism of the Saudi government (recognizing that we heard one side and there is the possibility that this article is not the final word).

We certainly must not extend this to all who go through the educational system. Perhaps not all receive this teaching. Certainly not all who receive this indoctrination will accept it. However many will, and we should continue to put pressure on the Saudis to discontinue this.

We must consider the source of the hatred, including the American policies which fuel this, but I am also concerned that the teachings quoted are indiscriminate in their hatred and do not limit the hatred to those who promote certain policies.

Of course any solution involving the Saudis must take into account the degree to which Bush is in their pocket.

[JCMach1]

7. Indoctrination is not the right terminology

'the crap we have to sit through in Islamic class' would be more appropriate...

And then, perhaps we should also take a look at a history of our own textbooks. Where the mass genocide and ethnic cleansing of Native Americans is largely a footnote... and where Harriet Tubbman becomes the quaint symbol of black resistance and other resitance to slavery... Nat Turner who? John Brown?

[Dr Ron]

8. Source of story

It should also be noted that the author of this article is from Freedom House, which has been accused of having a conservative bias. It is possible that the article has been tilted to support conservative goals.

However, this is not the only source which has crtiicized the Saudi government for such actions and I think it would be naive to write off such criticism or to ignore charges that the Saudi government has not changed. This article is hardly the final word on this, and the manner in which we should respond is not clear, but this does represent cause for alarm.

I did receive one reply at The Democratic Daily from someone who says he was educated in Saudi schools and did not receive such instruction, which is a hopeful sign. He did go through private as opposed to public schools. Regardless of how many receive this instruction, it is not acceptable if government schools are continuing to push such views regardless of what percentage of the population this affects.

[JCMach1]

9. Public and private make little difference in the Gulf

Ministries here decide what can be taught in all places...

That's yet another reason why I doubt the veracity of the piece...

[Dr Ron]

10. Just one person's comment

It isn't the article which differentiates public and private shcools. It is one person commenting at the blog who raised this question, having gone to private schools which apparently did not use these books. This has nothing to do with the veracity of the article.

[riderinthestorm]

4. But there is that proportion of kids like me who paid attention in Civics

And it IS important.

I'm not sure why you are diminishing the importance of the story. The Saudis said they were going to take this kind of hate speech out of their texts. It's been FIVE years and it's still there.

It HAS been "years".