posted May 21, 2006 09:47 PM              

By Nina Shea
Sunday, May 21, 2006; B01

Saudi Arabia's public schools have long been cited for demonizing the West as well as Christians, Jews and other "unbelievers." But after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 -- in which 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis -- that was all supposed to change.

A 2004 Saudi royal study group recognized the need for reform after finding that the kingdom's religious studies curriculum "encourages violence toward others, and misguides the pupils into believing that in order to safeguard their own religion, they must violently repress and even physically eliminate the 'other.' " Since then, the Saudi government has claimed repeatedly that it has revised its educational texts.

Prince Turki al-Faisal, the Saudi ambassador to the United States, has worked aggressively to spread this message. "The kingdom has reviewed all of its education practices and materials, and has removed any element that is inconsistent with the needs of a modern education," he said on a recent speaking tour to several U.S. cities. "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 Saudi government even took out a full-page ad in the New Republic last December to tout its success at "having modernized our school curricula to better prepare our children for the challenges of tomorrow." A year ago, an embassy spokesman declared: "We have reviewed our educational curriculums. We have removed materials that are inciteful or intolerant towards people of other faiths." The embassy is also distributing a 74-page review on curriculum reform to show that the textbooks have been moderated.

The problem is: 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."

Freedom House knows this because Ali al-Ahmed, a Saudi dissident who runs the Washington-based Institute for Gulf Affairs , gave us a dozen of the current, purportedly cleaned-up Saudi Ministry of Education religion textbooks. The copies he obtained were not provided by the government, but by teachers, administrators and families with children in Saudi schools, who slipped them out one by one.

Some of our sources are Shiites and Sunnis from non-Wahhabi traditions -- people condemned as "polytheistic" or "deviant" or "bad" in these texts -- others are simply frustrated that these books do so little to prepare young students for the modern world.

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

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.

Saudi Arabia also distributes its religion texts worldwide to numerous Islamic schools and madrassas that it does not directly operate. Undeterred by Wahhabism's historically fringe status, Saudi Arabia is trying to assert itself as the world's authoritative voice on Islam -- a sort of "Vatican" for Islam, as several Saudi officials have stated-- and these textbooks are integral to this effort. As the report of the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks observed, "Even in affluent countries, Saudi-funded Wahhabi schools are often the only Islamic schools" available.

Education is at the core of the debate over freedom in the Muslim world. Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden understands this well; in a recent audiotape he railed against those who would "interfere with school curricula."

The passages below -- drawn from the same set of Saudi texts proudly cited in the new 74-page review of curriculum reform now being distributed by the Saudi Embassy -- are shaping the views of the next generation of Saudis and Muslims worldwide. Unchanged, they will only harden and deepen hatred, intolerance and violence toward other faiths and cultures. Is this what Riyadh calls reform?

religion@freedomhouse.org

FIRST GRADE

" Every religion other than Islam is false."

"Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words (Islam, hellfire): Every religion other than ______________ is false. Whoever dies outside of Islam enters ____________."
FOURTH GRADE

"True belief means . . . that you hate the polytheists and infidels but do not treat them unjustly."
FIFTH GRADE

"Whoever obeys the Prophet and accepts the oneness of God cannot maintain a loyal friendship with those who oppose God and His Prophet, even if they are his closest relatives."

"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."

"A Muslim, even if he lives far away, is your brother in religion. Someone who opposes God, even if he is your brother by family tie, is your enemy in religion."
SIXTH GRADE

"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."
EIGHTH GRADE

"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."

"God told His Prophet, Muhammad, about the Jews, who learned from parts of God's book [the Torah and the Gospels] that God alone is worthy of worship. Despite this, they espouse falsehood through idol-worship, soothsaying, and sorcery. In doing so, they obey the devil. They prefer the people of falsehood to the people of the truth out of envy and hostility. This earns them condemnation and is a warning to us not to do as they did."

"They are the Jews, whom God has cursed and with whom He is so angry that He will never again be satisfied [with them]."

"Some of the people of the Sabbath were punished by being turned into apes and swine. Some of them were made to worship the devil, and not God, through consecration, sacrifice, prayer, appeals for help, and other types of worship. Some of the Jews worship the devil. Likewise, some members of this nation worship the devil, and not God."

"Activity: The student writes a composition on the danger of imitating the infidels."
NINTH GRADE

"The clash between this [Muslim] community (umma) and the Jews and Christians has endured, and it will continue as long as God wills."

"It is part of God's wisdom that the struggle between the Muslim and the Jews should continue until the hour [of judgment]."

"Muslims will triumph because they are right. He who is right is always victorious, even if most people are against him."
TENTH GRADE

The 10th-grade text on jurisprudence teaches that life for non-Muslims (as well as women, and, by implication, slaves) is worth a fraction of that of a "free Muslim male." Blood money is retribution paid to the victim or the victim's heirs for murder or injury:

"Blood money for a free infidel. [Its quantity] is half of the blood money for a male Muslim, whether or not he is 'of the book' or not 'of the book' (such as a pagan, Zoroastrian, etc.).

"Blood money for a woman: Half of the blood money for a man, in accordance with his religion. The blood money for a Muslim woman is half of the blood money for a male Muslim, and the blood money for an infidel woman is half of the blood money for a male infidel."
ELEVENTH GRADE

"The greeting 'Peace be upon you' is specifically for believers. It cannot be said to others."

"If one comes to a place where there is a mixture of Muslims and infidels, one should offer a greeting intended for the Muslims."

"Do not yield to them [Christians and Jews] on a narrow road out of honor and respect."
TWELFTH GRADE

"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."

posted May 21, 2006 09:49 PM              

Sunday, May 21, 2006; B04

A 10th-grade Saudi textbook on the hadith and Islamic culture for boys contains a lesson on the "Zionist movement." A key part of the lesson teaches students about the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, an anti-Semitic forgery that purported to expose a scheme for Jewish global domination and has been widely circulated since the early 20th century. Despite repeated debunking and a notorious role in inciting Nazi violence, the protocols are still taught to the 10th graders as an authentic document revealing what Jews genuinely believe. The lesson goes on to blame many of the world's wars and discord on the Jews.

The lesson also lists the following "goals of the Zionist movement":

"Instill a fighting spirit among the Jews, as well as religious and nationalist fanaticism to challenge [other] religions, nations, and peoples.

"Establish Jewish control over the world. The starting point for this is the establishment of their government in the promised land, which stretches from the Nile to the Euphrates.

"Incite rancor and rivalry among the great powers so that they fight one another, and kindle the fire of war among states so that all states are weakened and their state arises."

The protocols "were discovered in the 19th century. The Jews have tried to deny them, but there are many proofs of their veracity and their origin among the elders of Zion."

"The following points summarize the protocols:

"Undermine the foundation of the existing international community and its systems to enable Zionism to gain sole control over the world.

"Eliminate Christian nationalities, religions, and nations in particular.

"Work to increase the corruption of existing governments in Europe. Zionism believes in the corruption and collapse of these governments.

"Gain control over the means of publication, propaganda, and newspapers; use gold to incite unrest; and exploit people's desires and spread depravity."

"The decisive proof of the veracity of the protocols and the infernal Jewish plans they contain is that the plans, plots, and conspiracies they list have been carried out. Whoever reads the protocols -- and they emerged in the 19th century -- will realize today how much of what they described has been implemented."

"Examples of how the Zionists achieve their goals:

"Sedition, ruses, and conspiracies throughout history. Examples include . . . the French Revolution: The Jews exploited the French Revolution to fight against religions, break down values, and spread meaningless slogans. They had a hand in planning the revolution and its code of morals.

"The First World War: The Jews played a role in starting it.

"Bringing down the Ottoman Islamic caliphate. . . .

"The Bolshevik Russian revolution against tsarist rule. It is known that the roots of Marxist thought are Jewish. Karl Marx was a Jew from Germany."

"You can hardly find an example of sedition in which the Jews have not played a role."

"Attempting to inundate peoples with vice and rampant prostitution. The Jews have taken control of this trade and they try to spread it. They manage bars in Europe and America, as well as in Israel itself."

"Gaining control over literature and the arts; spreading degenerate, pornographic literature; and encouraging perverted trends in literature, thought, and the arts."

"Gaining control over the film industry in the Western world and elsewhere."

posted May 22, 2006 03:15 AM              

The saudi of course refers to the saudi peninsula, they are 'tolerant' of the arabs from yemen, UAE and Kuwait as well ROFLMAO.

however, it is incorrect to say they would demonize america. if you go there as an american citizen they will kiss your ass and lick your feet. doesnt matter what religion you are. on the other hand if youre a non arab muslim they will treat u like you are the devil incarnate and have no right to mecca...like youre an untouchable.

posted May 22, 2006 03:17 AM              

yet ppl just take this saudi ignorance to be representative of all arab nations, like take egypt for instance, so wonderfully tolerant and welcoming. it has its share of criminals and terrorists, like any country (even america...timothy mcveigh?) but it is one of the most progressive countries, and best places to live in, in my opinion.

posted May 22, 2006 06:05 AM              

Some of my cousins from my mother's side were raised in and went to school in Saudi, yet I never heard about that curriculum before...maybe because they weren't in typical Saudi schools? Two of them went to a British school, and the other two went to an American/Canadian Saudi school..(it's funny they're all siblings but half have a British accent and the other half have Canadian accents). Also have a number of friends who went to school in Saudi and moved here for post-secondary...again they never mentioned anything like this before, and they actually have very fond memories of life in Saudi. Yet, they were all kicked out once they reached a certain age, because they didn't land jobs there and they can't really own property since they're not Saudis.

However, I have heard Saudis and other arab countires are racist and discriminate against Asians, particularly South Asians. My Canadian-Kashmiri-Pakistani friend's brother was picked on by some people who worked at I can't remember what airport...in UAE, or one of those...and they made him miss his flight because they wouldn't recognize his ticket which was totally legit. They just didn't like this Canadian-Paki boy that's all and they wanted to scare him.

And another incident...when one of my aunt's went for Hajj, and she tried to get right next to the Kaba bright and early in the morning before most people were there, some security man made her move back from the area because she was a woman...he had a broom and actually tried to hit her feet to move her back!!

Stuff like that ticks me off. If I lived in Saudi I'd be probably be in prison.

Still I encounter sh!t even in Canada, but the laws here at least protect your rights and freedom.

I'm not going to get into any of the negative stuff Ive encounterd here.

posted May 22, 2006 08:45 AM              

The other main point that I took away from that article is that Saudi state-sponsored schools are sometimes the only schools available in impovrished areas or the only Muslim schools in primarily non-Muslim areas; these students then are potentially educated thinking that whack-job Wahhabism is the accepted Muslim norm.
It's not the so much the mindset of Saudis in more urban areas that's particularly troubling - but what may being fed into the minds of low-income kids in rural areas with few opportunities for advancement or tertiary education through outside sources that worries me.

posted May 22, 2006 04:42 PM              

What to do?

This sort of thing is not too different from the decade old texts a Catholic elementary school in Hamilton I worked in was using. This was when I was in university and was a teaching assistant part time (maybe 4-5 years ago). The teacher actually expected me to teach these grade 3-4's about the crusades and how they slaughtered the Muslims to become victorious and defeat the evil forces of Islam. Anyways I do think by the end of my stay I made an impact at that school and left the teachers feeling more tolerant of religous differences.

posted May 22, 2006 07:09 PM              

Of course, know I've forgotten just what I was going to say...
Give me til later tonight after the munchkin's asleep.