Saudi Arabia Rejects U.S. Demands To Change Curriculum
A teacher giving a lecture in a Saudi school
RIYADH, Jan.9 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – Saudi Minister of Education, Mohamed Ahmed Al Rasheed, denied claims that the kingdom was planning to introduce significant changes to its curriculum following the U.S. accusations that what it termed “terrorism” was being taught in the Saudi education system.
In an interview published Tuesday in the Saudi daily newspaper, Al Watan, Rasheed said “Our curriculum is based on clearly defined objectives and foundations fit for the needs of our society,” adding that “No one has the right to interfere in our internal affairs or dictate to us what they want”.
On his part, the Saudi writer, Tarek al Hameed, said in an interview Tuesday to Saudi daily newspaper, Al Madina, “There is of course an urgent need to change the education curriculum in Saudi Arabia, in the same way as the developed world, however, it is not logical for that change to take place due to American pressure which resulted from the presence of Saudis on the hijacked planes of the September 11th attacks.”
The U.S. accuses Saudi schools of producing so-called “terrorists” by promoting “extremist” ideas that the U.S. claims are anti-Western in the education system. The U.S. alleges that the Islamic religious books taught in Saudi schools contain warnings against Muslims making friendships with Jews or Christians.
According to the U.S., those “anti-Western” thoughts promote acts of violence against non-Muslims.
The U.S. congress called upon the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia October 2001, to stop supporting religious schools or else face severe repercussions.
Congress accused Saudis of providing financial assistance to what they called “strict religious schools that are full of hatred and hostility to Americans, and which also teach the Wahabi school of thought that is believed to be what influenced Osama bin Laden the most.”
It is worth noting that there are more than five million schools for girls and boys in Saudi Arabia. Public and private schools, including foreign ones, are under the direct supervision of the ministry of education in Saudi Arabia.
