An Export Market in Hatred: Exploring Saudi Textbooks

Institute on Religion & Democracy ^ | 8/15/08 | James Tonkowich

[epow]

Back in May 2006 Nina Shea, director of Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom wrote in the Washington Post, “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.”

In fact major changes were announced publicly. Shea cites a Saudi embassy spokesman who said in 2005, “We have reviewed our educational curriculums. We have removed materials that are inciteful [sic] or intolerant towards people of other faiths.”

This was greeted as good news not only about Saudi schools, but about schools worldwide since Saudi Arabia provides textbooks for Islamic schools everywhere—including here in the United States. The content of Saudi textbooks has global implications and now language advocating intolerance and hatred had been removed.

Terriffic. Only, as Shea noted in 2006, “These claims are not true.” (snip)......................................The Eighth grade textbook told students, “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.”

Finally twelfth graders learned, “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.”

Small wonder, as Shea wrote in National Review, “The Saudi kingdom is the world’s leading exporter of suicide bombers and terrorists.”

[epow]

The Saudis are not our friends. IMHO the best thing that independence from foreign oil producers would do is free the US from having to kowtow to the Wahhabist Saudis who are as treacherous and deceitful as any Islamic nation on earth. Muslim schools here in the US are using Saudi supplied textbooks that teach that America and our Israeli allies are children of Satan, and that it's the duty of all Muslims to either convert America to Islam or destroy it. Remember, all but one of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudis.

[blam]

[epow]

Kinda turns your stomach doesn't it? I suppose Bush thinks he has to play kissy face with those glorified camel jockeys to keep the tankers coming, but AFAIC he has gone too far with the charade to suit me.

All the more reason to be drilling every square foot of US territory ASAP that may have a barrel of oil under it. But as long as we are dumb enough to have the Pelosi-Reid gang in charge of Congress nothing will be done but more of the same things that got us where we are now.

[JeepInMazar]

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