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From David G. Littman at FrontPage. As Littman notes here, many of his articles and UN statements on human rights abuses in Islamic countries are featured in my forthcoming essay collection, The Myth of Islamic Tolerance: Islamic Law and Non-Muslims.
One of the major concerns of the Association for World Education is the elimination of intolerance based on religion and belief. And, clearly, education is an essential part of developing a spirit of co-operation and respect toward the “Other”. Before turning to the theme which I was asked to address, I would like to provide a brief historical note on Egypt.In 1836 Edward Lane published An Account of the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians. Referring to the intellectual education of Egyptian male children he remarked: “He receives also lessons of religious pride, and learns to hate the Christians, and all other sects but his own, as thoroughly as does the Muslim in advanced age.”/ “They regard persons of every other faith as the children of perdition; and such, the Muslim is early taught to despise.”/ “I am credibly informed that children in Egypt are often taught at school a regular set of curses to denounce upon the persons and property of Christians, Jews, and all other unbelievers in the religion of Mohammad.”
In 1954, President Gamal ‘Abd al-Nasser’s cultural secretary at the Egyptian Education Bureau, Saad El-Din, wrote a warm ‘introduction’ for a new Everyman’s Library edition of what he called “Lane’s masterpiece,” but he added a reservation: “one cannot agree with Lane that a Moslem is taught from his childhood to hate other religions.” He explained that any fault was due to “Turkish influence” – and even blamed the Turks for introducing the use of the veil for women, while insisting that “Islam is very tolerant towards the other Semitic religions, Judaism and Christianity.” On what he called “the evil and reactionary grip of Al-Azhar” in the field of education, he was optimistic: “[Al-Azhar] graduates are no longer the narrow-minded superstitious hair-splitters of the past.” (viii-ix).
In his classic study, Lane provided a long description on the Copts of Egypt under the improved tyrannical regime of Muhammad Ali, noting: “The Copts are not now despised and degraded by the government as they were a few years ago.” On the Jews of Egypt, he had this to say:
“They are held in the utmost contempt and abhorrence by the Muslims in general (…); and also: “the Jews are detested by the Muslims far more than are the Christians (…) At present, they are less oppressed; but still they scarcely ever dare to utter a word of abuse when reviled or beaten unjustly by the meanest Arab or Turk; for many a Jew has been put to death upon a false and malicious accusation of uttering disrespectful words against the Kuran or the Prophet.” (Everyman’s Library, Dent:London/Dutton, New York, 1963, 283, 548, 559-60)
With this ‘prologue’ from the past, let me turn to the contemporary situation and to my main theme: What is being taught in the schools of Saudi Arabia and Egypt in this twenty-first century?
Last month, we made available for the 26 independent members of the 56th session of the UN Sub-Commission on Human Rights – and for interested observers and NGOs – two important lengthy Reports, both published by the Center for Monitoring the Impact of Peace (CMIP), with the titles: The West, Christians and Jews in Saudi Arabian Schoolbooks (Jan. 2003, pp. 153); Jews, Christians, War and Peace in Egyptian School Textbooks (March 2004, pp. 172). (Further information in the introduction to these two books, and also on the CMIP website: www.edume.org.)
Last year’s UN Sub-Commission Resolution 2003/5: UN Decade for Human Rights Education 1995-2004, “Recommends that the human rights treaty bodies, when examining reports of State parties, devote attention specifically to human rights education.” (§2); it Encourages Governments & NGOs: “to explore further the potential support and contribution to human rights education of all relevant partners.” It called for a proclamation of a World Programme for Human Rights Education.
School textbooks are one of the most crucial means by which a nation passes on to the younger generation a certain worldview, determined according to parameters set by the educational establishment. As such they open a window on to what the education system in a specific country wishes to instill in the students’ minds.
Founded in 1998, the CIPM has been researching the school textbooks and teacher guides of Middle Eastern countries since 2000 as a means of deciphering educational attitudes toward peace and toward the "Other" in general. It has issued 11 reports in this key field, in regard to the Palestinian Authority, Israel, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
This material has been scrutinized using UNESCO and CMIP criteria listed in our text below:
UNESCO relevant criteria:
1. Are the data given accurate and complete?
2. Are illustrations, maps and graphs up-to-date and accurate?
3. Are the achievements of others recognized?
4. Are equal standards applied?
5. Are political disputes presented objectively and honestly?
6. Is wording likely to create prejudice, misapprehension and conflict avoided?
7. Are ideals of freedom, dignity and fraternity being advocated?
8. Is the need for international cooperation, for the formation of common human ideals and the advancement of the cause of peace, as well as for the enforcement of the law, emphasized?CMIP criteria of analysis:
1. The image of other peoples, religions and communities: Are they recognized, accepted as equal and respected; or are they presented in a stereotyped and prejudiced way?
2. Peace and the peace process: Does education foster peace? Does it support the peace process? Is there any room for improvement in this respect.Let me start with the Saudi Arabian School textbooks: The CIPM survey broadened its perspective to include the Saudi Arabian outlook on Christianity and the West. The report also dealt with Saudi notions of government, women’s status and children’s rights as taught in schools. For the purpose of their research, 93 Saudi textbooks on various subjects for grades 1-10 (6 to 16 year-olds) were examined, mostly from the years 1999-2000, and some from 2001. All books except one were published by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education, the exception being a book issued by the female inspectors of the lower grades of girls’ education in the Riyadh Province.
The Report makes extremely distressing reading. Islam is presented as the only true religion, while all others are presented as false. Islam leads its followers to paradise, whereas all others lead their believers to destruction in hell. Saudi children are taught that they are superior, as Muslims, in both this world and the next. Christians and Jews are explicitly denounced as infidels, and are called the enemies of Islam and Muslims. They should not be befriended, nor emulated in any way, as this is forbidden. The West is the source of evil that has afflicted the Muslim world. Western democracy is totally rejected.
As for the Jews, they are a wicked nation, both in their relations with Arabs and Muslims, and in the context of world history. Their disappearance is, therefore, desirable. Even the fraudulent Protocols of the Elders of Zion still holds an honored place in the curriculum, for Grade 10 (2001), under: Hadith and Islamic Culture (pp. 103-04), with that classic of racial hatred by Abdullah Al-Tall, The Dangers of World Jewry (Arabic), cited as an authoritative work of reference (p. 81, in CMIP Report). Israel is not recognized and a Middle East peaceful solution is not advocated. Rather war, Jihad and martyrdom is exhorted as a religious duty .
A French edition of CMIP’s Report on Saudi Arabian schoolbooks (compiled, translated and edited by Dr. Arnon Groiss) has just been published: La démocratie en danger: l’enseignement scolaire saoudien (Paris: Berg International, 2004) with a preface by Antoine Sfeir, director of the Cahiers de l’Orient and author of Dictionnaire mondiale de l’Islamisme [Paris: Plon, 2002], in which he gives a grave warning:
“At a time when the Islamist terrorist threat to Europe is becoming clearer, it is urgent to fully understand one of its essential components: the Islamic Wahhabite ideology. This ideology, whose principal target is Western civilization – that is to say, democracy and modernity – is known only to a few specialists. It seems to be largely ignored by the media, as it is by the political class.”
Although Saudi Arabia remains one of the 53 Member States of the UN Commission on Human Rights, its traditional position regarding non-Muslims (infidels) is well-known. Therefore, the Association for World Education decided to limit its NGO written text to the Report on Egypt, avoiding all controversial “political” issues such as the “Middle East Peace Process” and covering one subject only, under its chapter 11, pp. 146-56. ‘Jihad & Martyrdom’ – as taught in Egyptian primary / preparatory / secondary school text books – this is the title of our NGO written statement to the 56th session of the UN Sub-Commission (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/NGO/27). This – and two other statements by the World Union for Progressive Judaism covering related matters, including detailed information on themes such as: The UN and the Grave Worldwide Cultural Clash (NGO/25); Muslim Brotherhood / Hamas / Hezbollah / Al-Qaeda: Terror Legacy of ‘Jihadist-Martyrdom-Bombings.’ (NGO/26) – are posted on the UN’s website.
The Report on Egypt surveys 103 textbooks published by the Education Ministry for use in primary, preparatory and secondary state schools, as well as 16 textbooks in preparatory and secondary schools under the supervision of the Al-Azhar Religious Institute. They cover the top five grades (7-11). The majority of the books were published in 2002, and the others, between 1999-2001. The books have been carefully scrutinized in accordance with specific criteria set by both UNESCO and CMIP.
A description of Jihad in Grade 11 from an al-Azhar religious schoolbook makes compelling reading, as do two other descriptions of Jihad in Egyptian State schools, Grade 9 & 10, that are also reproduced here, and in more detail in our written statement NGO/27 to the UN Sub-Commission:
“[One] of the rules derived by the [religious] scholars from these [Qur'anic] verses is the following: Obligation to fight the infidels with utmost vigor and power until they become weak, their state disappears and they submit to the rule of the law of Islam.” – Commentary, the Surahs of Muhammad, Al-Fath, Al-Hujurat & Qaf, Grade 11 (2002, pp. 312), p. 24 (al-Azhar)
And now two more ordinary quotations from books in the State schools:
“Jihad is honour. Inability to perform it is a cause for grief.”
– Islamic Education, Grade 10, (2002, pp. 111) p. 69 (State school)“Jihad is one of Heaven's gates. Whoever desists from it willingly is humiliated by God...” – Arabic Literature: Literature, Texts, Eloquence, Grade 9, (2002, pp. 201) p. 144 (State school)
But it is once again the al-Azhar teaching that goes to the core of this gruesome subject. Pious justifications are offered to Grade 11 students concerning the reasons for beheading infidels:
“When you meet them in order to fight [them], do not be seized by compassion [toward them], but strike the[ir] necks powerfully…Striking the neck means fighting, because killing a person is often done by striking off his head…This expression contains a harshness and emphasis that are not found in the word “kill”, because it describes killing in the ugliest manner, “i.e. cutting the neck and making the organ – the head of the body – fly off [the body]” – Commentary on Surahs of Muhammad, Al-Fath, Al-Hujurat, Qaf, Grade 11 (2002), pp.19-20.
This was the tragic fate of Daniel Pearl in Pakistan 2 years ago and is now commonplace in Iraq, where about 130 foreigners have been abducted as hostages since April. 30 have been slaughtered, 20 – it is reported – being ritually beheaded by Abu Musab al-Zarkawi, to the shouts of “Allah u-Akhbar” by hooded adepts. One should note that al-Zarkawi studied for many years at al-Azhar University in Cairo.Another passage explains to the future jihadist the sacred justification for this behavior:
“Encouraging the faithful to perform jihad in the path of Allah, to behead the infidels, take them prisoner, break their power, and make their souls ’s humble (…) You see that in His [Muhammad’s] words: “When you meet the unbelievers in the battlefield strike off their heads and, when you have laid them low, bind your captives firmly. Then grant them their freedom or take a ransom from them, until war shall lay down its burdens.” – Commentary, ibid, Grade 11 (2002), p. 9
It is well-known to scholars that beheading the infidel can be, and is often, associated by Islamic jurists with a warlike jihadist tactic. The classic text is from The Laws of Islamic Governance [al-Ahkam as-Sultaniyyah] by [Abu’l-Hasan] al-Mawardi, famous 11th century [Shafi’i] jurist of Baghdad – considered “The most judicious of Qadis.” (trans.into English by Cambridge University scholar, Dr. Asadullah Yate a Muslim; published by Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd. London, 1996, where the scriptural source is provided (p.76): “When you encounter those who deny [the Truth] then strike [their] necks.” - Qur’an 47:4).
The inclusion – in our written statement NGO/27 – of this particularly grim example of al-Azhar religious teaching in Egyptian schools was considered “blasphemous” by Sudan’s representative at the UN Sub-Commission – so he told me twice – and it prompted an indignant ‘right of reply’ from Pakistan, whose delegate immediately condemned this alleged “attack on Islam,” an accusation he repeated in a statement during the session’s final meeting on 13 August 2004 when speaking for the 56 Member States of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which also includes the Palestinian Authority.Our above-mentioned oral statement to the 56th session of the Sub-Commission was made on 10 Aug., six weeks ago. A few days later, the progressive author and journalist, Dr. Shaker Al-Nabulsi condemned the growing support for terrorism and extremism in the Arab world, and the rejection of moderation and reason in a vibrant article entitled: “The Arabs are Still Slaves to a Medieval Mentality.” [Arabic: www.rezgar.com, 14 Aug. 2004]. Excerpts have just appeared in an English, translation by MEMRI [www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=SD78604, Special Dispatch – Reform Project, 20 Sept. 2004, N° 786], with the subtitle: “We have become the Most Terrorist Nation and the Greatest Spillers of Blood in the World.” This article by an Arab writer contains a scathing condemnation of “the rule of the dark religious educational system which incites to war against modernity, democracy, and the new liberalism …” Only two days ago, MEMRI published another remarkable article by Syrian professor Mundir Badr Haloum, that appeared on 13 September 2004 in the Lebanese daily Al-Safir, entitled:
“Ignominious Terrorism Exists, and One Cannot but Acknowledge its Being Islamic.” [www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=SD78704, Special Dispatch – Syria/ Reform Project, 22 Sept. 2004, N° 787]. Let us hope that these, and other, critical remarks will become generalized among moderate Muslims.
On the subject of this terrorism, we recommend a recent book by Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo, entitled:
Understanding Islamic Terrorism: The Islamic Doctrine of War (with a foreword by General Sir Hugh Beach. Pewsey, Wiltshire-UK: Isaac Publishing, 2004).
The conclusions drawn from Egyptian school textbooks are that the Christian West is not presented as a rival, but no adequate and objective information is given about its civilisation either. On the other hand, past conflicts with the West mainly in the context of the Crusades and modern Imperialism are vividly described, using hostile language. Western Imperialism is presented as the source of almost all the calamities that have befallen the Arab world in modern times, beginning with occupation and economic exploitation, through to the fragmentation of the Arab world and the creation of internal problems – and ending with the creation of the Palestinian problem and the support of Israel.
Martyrdom, side by side with jihad, is an exalted value in the Egyptian school textbooks. The books define the martyr, talk of his elevated position in God's eyes and of his reward in Heaven, provide the students with examples of heroic martyrdom, both in Islamic and modern history, and feature expressions of readiness for martyrdom.
The image of the Jews as portrayed in the Egyptian school textbooks of both systems, both historically and at present, is very negative. No Jewish individual is portrayed in positive terms, except for biblical figures – considered traditionally as Muslims – and Albert Einstein.
Peace in general is exalted in the Egyptian school textbooks, both as a human and as an Islamic value. It is declared to be Egypt's goal. But when examined more deeply, it turns out to be a conditional value, both on the political and religious levels. On the political level peace is made conditional upon reciprocity on the part of the enemy, which is interpreted as acceptance of the Arabs' demands. On the religious level, peace is conditional upon the interests of the Muslims at any given moment. If the Muslims are stronger than the enemy, peace may be legally rejected. The meaning of peace in itself – as presented to the Egyptian students – does not exclude war, and this reaches the point, in several cases, of advocating war in the name of peace. It is worth quoting from British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s speech to the U.S. Congress on 17 July 2003, in relation to the Middle East Peace Process: “You cannot teach people to hate and then ask them to practice peace....
...this grim reality has been stated many times at this Conference, and is well described in all the books by Bat Ye’or, and in a 1976 article by her, to be republished in a forthcoming book, The Myth of Islamic Tolerance. How Islamic Law Treats Non-Muslims, ed. by Robert Spencer (Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2005).
Read it all.
Posted by Robert at October 3, 2004 5:50 AM
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Well documented mis-educational bias in moslem curricula. This extends all the way to their news reportage and nowe their thinking as well.
An e.g., when 12 nepalese were beheaded in iraq, most Arab papers devoted a few lines to the news in the inside pages. Bur when the Nepalese react angrily and burn down Kathmandu's grand mosque (its only mosque, btw), it gets front page coverage with no mention of the beheadings! And the victim-mindset is played up yet again about how moslems the world over are being targetted and attacked and discrminated against blah blah blah... and hence are justified in 'fighting back' with jihad!
I know a thing or two about Pakistan's madreassa curriculum and its just as bad, if not worse. But that's a story for another day. This post's gotten long enuf already.
Good day, all.
Posted by: voletti![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 3, 2004 8:25 AM
The UN should change its name to UNI, the United Nations of Islam.
Posted by: idontslam at October 3, 2004 10:33 AM
How ironic,below is a link to a protest by Muslims because of an Egyptian that was seen video-taping the CN Tower and a Subway Station enterance. The man claimed he made the video for his son and his detention on return to Egypt
was based on Islamophobia and ignorance about Islam.
The TV news has a claim that Muslims aren't Violent and they worship the "One-God"(Allah) in peace. He just condemned other faiths as being false and is supporting Muhammed's act of pedophilia by have sex with a 9 year old.
What the hell did he think would happen if he videoed a Subway station while Al-Qaeda made threats to these public transit venues.
Just try going to a Mosque and taking pictures or video,the cops would be called out in force and you'd be arrested as planing a "Hate-crime"
and Mr.Hooper would be right there to scream Islamophobia.
The saga continues,Islam has nothing to do with violent acts but when a Muslim is charged with
ploting this violence, CAIR says is Racist profiling of Islam and Muslims.
NO CAIR - KNOW FREEDOM
at October 3, 2004 5:51 PM
It is very difficult to switch one's ethos back and forth from Western to Islamic, but that is imperative to understand how these people think.
Erase everything you ever knew because there are no shared commonalities between us and them.
When muslims speak of peace, it applies only to them. There will never be peace as long as there are infidels, except in Islamic lands ruled by Shariah.
Therefore, any aggression against muslims, real or perceived,even self-defense, is considered an act of war against Islam. When the Jews refused to accept Muhammad's Islam, he declared that they were ATTACKING ISLAM, and began butchering them en masse. The Quran demands that muslims participate in holy jihad to spread Islam and I think we all know the rest of the story.
There have been brief periods of relative calm in the Islamic world, and periods when they were content to engage in internecine warfare over minor religious differences. Colonialism restrained their bellicose tendencies for years, and tyrants like Saddam and the Saudi royal family controlled their volatile populations with ruthless enforcers and secret police.
We could blame the former Soviet Union for the chaos in the world today. If they had not invaded Afghanistan, today's huge,unorganized army of holy warriors probably wouldn't exist. That seemed to reignite or unleash the intrinsic passion for continuous jihad among many muslims, who are ready and willing to go anywhere in the world to wage war against the Crusaders.We even naively helped them because we thought nothing could be as evil as communism.
Muslims make a big deal out of attacks against muslims because they consider them unjustified under any circumstances. It is a crime for us to attack muslims for any reason. It is a holy obligation for them to kill us for no reason other than the Quran demands it.We're inferior, ungodly people who deserve whatever they can manage to inflict on us. Remember their joyous celebrations of 9-11, which was seen as a great muslim victory throughout the Islamic world and by muslims everywhere, even here.
People who ruthlessly murder their female children with no compunction for being victimized or wrongly accused are capable of anything. Family honor is more important than the sanctity of the lives within the family, which strikes me as paradoxical. Arab Bedouins have even been known to kill their daughters as a precaution against being dishonored. Islam sanctions murder; we consider it a sin and a crime. They don't even marry for the same reasons we do, certainly not for love and companionship. These people are so different from us that they could be aliens from outer space. I see no remedy to reconcile the vast social, religious and cultural disparities between them and us. They may isolate themselves in their segregated Islamic enclaves to avoid being poisoned and corrupted by us, but sooner or later, their culture and ours will violently clash.
at October 3, 2004 11:48 PM
Well, as far as people outside the faith being children of perdition, I know that if Jesus Christ did not lay down his life for his sheep, I'd be a child of perdition, too. When I see a world of the lost heading for Hell, I want them to turn around, not hasten them on their way thither.
As for Dr. Shaker al-Nablusi lamenting Muslims being trapped in a "medieval" mindset, he's benig unfair to the Middle Ages. Islamofasicism is the offspring of modern nationalism and statism, as should be abundantly clear from the writings of people like Seiyyid Qutb and others. These men admired fascist organization and mobilization in interwar Europe, and the Communist practice of the People's War.
In contrast, the medieval mind saw clear limits on conduct; saw law as sacred; and practiced a kind of humility. Sure, the medievals did not always live up to their professed ideals; but neither do modern secularists.
Posted by: Kepha1 at October 4, 2004 4:15 AM
Non-Muslims are taught to hate Muslims – the proof is in the hatred of Muslims of many in this forum
Its funny that you don’t call for a revision of textbooks written by Hindu fascists in India which demonise India Muslims and other non-Hindus as an alien enemy (Oh but silly me – when Non-Muslims preach hatred against Muslims it’s “freedom of speech”!) or that written in Israel that claim Muslim lands to have been given to the Jews by “God”– but you not against hatred per se just when its directed at non-Muslims
Some comments:
“From David G. Littman at FrontPage. As Littman notes here, many of his articles and UN statements on human rights abuses in Islamic countries are featured in my forthcoming essay collection, The Myth of Islamic Tolerance: Islamic Law and Non-Muslims. “
“In 1836 Edward Lane published An Account of the Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians. Referring to the intellectual education of Egyptian male children he remarked: “He receives also lessons of religious pride, and learns to hate the Christians, and all other sects but his own, as thoroughly as does the Muslim in advanced age.”/ “They regard persons of every other faith as the children of perdition; and such, the Muslim is early taught to despise.”/ “I am credibly informed that children in Egypt are often taught at school a regular set of curses to denounce upon the persons and property of Christians, Jews, and all other unbelievers in the religion of Mohammad.” “
A Victorian oreintalist – from a nation then engaged in seeking to take over Egypt from Muslim rule– what a credible unbiased source!!!
“In his classic study, Lane provided a long description on the Copts of Egypt under the improved tyrannical regime of Muhammad Ali, noting: “The Copts are not now despised and degraded by the government as they were a few years ago.” On the Jews of Egypt, he had this to say:”
Classic – according to whom? Fellow orientalist bigots?
“They are held in the utmost contempt and abhorrence by the Muslims in general (…); and also: “the Jews are detested by the Muslims far more than are the Christians (…) At present, they are less oppressed; but still they scarcely ever dare to utter a word of abuse when reviled or beaten unjustly by the meanest Arab or Turk; for many a Jew has been put to death upon a false and malicious accusation of uttering disrespectful words against the Kuran or the Prophet.” (Everyman’s Library, Dent:London/Dutton, New York, 1963, 283, 548, 559-60) “
Perhaps Mr Lane should have cast his eyes to places like Greece or other areas of the Balkans newly independent of Turkish rule – Muslims living there were not ‘ detested or reviled’ they were slaughtered en masse and their places of worship destroyed (whilst Christians and Jews places of worship in Muslim lands were protected).
Maybe you think the so-oppressed Jews in Egypt should have travelled to Europe where they were being so well treated by their Christian brethren especially during WW2.
“Last month, we made available for the 26 independent members of the 56th session of the UN Sub-Commission on Human Rights – and for interested observers and NGOs – two important lengthy Reports, both published by the Center for Monitoring the Impact of Peace (CMIP), with the titles: The West, Christians and Jews in Saudi Arabian Schoolbooks (Jan. 2003, pp. 153); Jews, Christians, War and Peace in Egyptian School Textbooks (March 2004, pp. 172). (Further information in the introduction to these two books, and also on the CMIP website: www.edume.org.)”
The fact that Muslim-hating bigots such as Littman are writing reports about Muslim countries is much more of a concern than alleged (from unreliable sources) ‘hatred’ being taught in these schools
“The Report makes extremely distressing reading. Islam is presented as the only true religion, while all others are presented as false. Islam leads its followers to paradise, whereas all others lead their believers to destruction in hell.”
Islam has a far more tolerant view of Judaism and Christianity than they do of it – in the Islamic view Jews and Christians are recipients of divine revelation which has been distorted – compare with Jews and Christians view on Islam – that it is a made up religion!!!- its not Muslims who need to change their attitude
“The West is the source of evil that has afflicted the Muslim world. .”
Absolutely – the West has brought almost nothing but calamity to the Muslim world from the crusades to Abu Ghraib
“A French edition of CMIP’s Report on Saudi Arabian schoolbooks (compiled, translated and edited by Dr. Arnon Groiss) has just been published: La démocratie en danger: l’enseignement scolaire saoudien (Paris: Berg International, 2004) with a preface by Antoine Sfeir, director of the Cahiers de l’Orient and author of Dictionnaire mondiale de l’Islamisme [Paris: Plon, 2002], in which he gives a grave warning:
“At a time when the Islamist terrorist threat to Europe is becoming clearer, it is urgent to fully understand one of its essential components: the Islamic Wahhabite ideology. This ideology, whose principal target is Western civilization – that is to say, democracy and modernity – is known only to a few specialists. It seems to be largely ignored by the media, as it is by the political class.”
From the land of ‘freedom’ – that bans girls wearing hijab!!
“Although Saudi Arabia remains one of the 53 Member States of the UN Commission on Human Rights, its traditional position regarding non-Muslims (infidels) is well-known. Therefore, the Association for World Education decided to limit its NGO written text to the Report on Egypt, avoiding all controversial “political” issues such as the “Middle East Peace Process” and covering one subject only, under its chapter 11, pp. 146-56. ‘Jihad & Martyrdom’ – as taught in Egyptian primary / preparatory / secondary school text books – this is the title of our NGO written statement to the 56th session of the UN Sub-Commission (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/NGO/27). This – and two other statements by the World Union for Progressive Judaism covering related matters, including detailed information on themes such as: The UN and the Grave Worldwide Cultural Clash (NGO/25); Muslim Brotherhood / Hamas / Hezbollah / Al-Qaeda: Terror Legacy of ‘Jihadist-Martyrdom-Bombings.’ (NGO/26) – are posted on the UN’s website.”
“World Union for Progressive Judaism” another totally unbiased source on Muslim affairs
“But it is once again the al-Azhar teaching that goes to the core of this gruesome subject. Pious justifications are offered to Grade 11 students concerning the reasons for beheading infidels:
“When you meet them in order to fight [them], do not be seized by compassion [toward them], but strike the[ir] necks powerfully…Striking the neck means fighting, because killing a person is often done by striking off his head…This expression contains a harshness and emphasis that are not found in the word “kill”, because it describes killing in the ugliest manner, “i.e. cutting the neck and making the organ – the head of the body – fly off [the body]” – Commentary on Surahs of Muhammad, Al-Fath, Al-Hujurat, Qaf, Grade 11 (2002), pp.19-20.
This was the tragic fate of Daniel Pearl in Pakistan 2 years ago and is now commonplace in Iraq, where about 130 foreigners have been abducted as hostages since April. 30 have been slaughtered, 20 – it is reported – being ritually beheaded by Abu Musab al-Zarkawi, to the shouts of “Allah u-Akhbar” by hooded adepts. One should note that al-Zarkawi studied for many years at al-Azhar University in Cairo.”
Ridiculous. There is the world of difference between killing aggressive combatants who invade your land (Jihad) and killing civilians (Terrorism/Modern western warfare) such as the killing of Perl etc. Azhar along with ever recognised Islamic scholar in the world have condemned the killings as un-islamic
Abu Musab al-Zarkawi, (Zarqawi) never went to Al-Azhar and I challeng you to bring your proof for your claim– he is a wahabbi and azhar is a sunni organisation – this incredible claim alone nullifies your whole articles worth
”It is well-known to scholars that beheading the infidel can be, and is often, associated by Islamic jurists with a warlike jihadist tactic. The classic text is from The Laws of Islamic Governance [al-Ahkam as-Sultaniyyah] by [Abu’l-Hasan] al-Mawardi, famous 11th century [Shafi’i] jurist of Baghdad – considered “The most judicious of Qadis.” (trans.into English by Cambridge University scholar, Dr. Asadullah Yate a Muslim; published by Ta-Ha Publishers Ltd. London, 1996, where the scriptural source is provided (p.76): “When you encounter those who deny [the Truth] then strike [their] necks.” - Qur’an 47:4).”
”The inclusion – in our written statement NGO/27 – of this particularly grim example of al-Azhar religious teaching in Egyptian schools was considered “blasphemous” by Sudan’s representative at the UN Sub-Commission – so he told me twice – and it prompted an indignant ‘right of reply’ from Pakistan, whose delegate immediately condemned this alleged “attack on Islam,” an accusation he repeated in a statement during the session’s final meeting on 13 August 2004 when speaking for the 56 Member States of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which also includes the Palestinian Authority.”
The final three words explain the real purpose of this article – to demonise the Palestians so as to justify the theft of their land – why else mention that nation specifically?
“Our above-mentioned oral statement to the 56th session of the Sub-Commission was made on 10 Aug., six weeks ago. A few days later, the progressive author and journalist, Dr. Shaker Al-Nabulsi condemned the growing support for terrorism and extremism in the Arab world, and the rejection of moderation and reason in a vibrant article entitled: “The Arabs are Still Slaves to a Medieval Mentality.” [Arabic: www.rezgar.com, 14 Aug. 2004]. Excerpts have just appeared in an English, translation by MEMRI [www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=SD78604, Special Dispatch – Reform Project, 20 Sept. 2004, N° 786], “
MEMRI is an outfit run by an ex-Colonel of the Israel army !!!
See: Selective MEMRI
http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,773258,00.html
“On the subject of this terrorism, we recommend a recent book by Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo, entitled:
Understanding Islamic Terrorism: The Islamic Doctrine of War (with a foreword by General Sir Hugh Beach. Pewsey, Wiltshire-UK: Isaac Publishing, 2004). “
Soohdeo is a Christian extremist
Perhaps they should describe the Crusades as loveable rouges who were just kidding – analogous to praising Al-Qaida in western textbooks.
“Western Imperialism is presented as the source of almost all the calamities that have befallen the Arab world in modern times, beginning with occupation and economic exploitation, through to the fragmentation of the Arab world and the creation of internal problems – and ending with the creation of the Palestinian problem and the support of Israel. “
Absolutely –as any student of the region knows.
“The image of the Jews as portrayed in the Egyptian school textbooks of both systems, both historically and at present, is very negative. No Jewish individual is portrayed in positive terms, except for biblical figures – considered traditionally as Muslims – and Albert Einstein. “
Can you find any Muslim/Arab individual’s potrayed in a favourable light in the west or Israel or their school textbooks?
Far more pernicious is the rampant racism in the portrayal of Arabs in Israeli textbooks
http://www.jerusalem.indymedia.org/news/2002/06/44962.php
“Peace in general is exalted in the Egyptian school textbooks, both as a human and as an Islamic value. It is declared to be Egypt's goal. But when examined more deeply, it turns out to be a conditional value, both on the political and religious levels. On the political level peace is made conditional upon reciprocity on the part of the enemy, which is interpreted as acceptance of the Arabs' demands. On the religious level, peace is conditional upon the interests of the Muslims at any given moment. “
So what you are saying is Muslims should always be “peaceful” i.e. pacifists no matter what happens to them – if they are attacked they should not defend themselves but be “peaceful”- perhaps you should promote this doctrine to America, Israel etc
“If the Muslims are stronger than the enemy, peace may be legally rejected. The meaning of peace in itself – as presented to the Egyptian students – does not exclude war, and this reaches the point, in several cases, of advocating war in the name of peace. It is worth quoting from British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s speech to the U.S. Congress on 17 July 2003, in relation to the Middle East Peace Process: “You cannot teach people to hate and then ask them to practice peace....”
Blair of course would never use war to promote peace
Posted by: rumi at October 4, 2004 8:29 AM
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