The ministry officials also pressed for removing any signs to “jihad” from the Islamic subjects in the Moroccan curricula

RABAT, June 24, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Calls by Moroccan education officials to downgrade or remove the Islamic studies subjects from high school curricula have sparked furor in the North African country, with Moroccan dignitaries believing the calls are a sign of caving in to foreign pressures to “modify” the education curricula in the Muslim world.

The Moroccan education ministry has called for abolishing the Islamic studies subjects from the science section of high school syllabus and limiting the teaching of the Islamic studies subjects in the literary studies' section.

The ministry officials also pressed for removing any references to “jihad” in the Islamic subjects.

“The malicious calls to remove the Islamic studies subjects would not be welcomed in the Moroccan education process,” Khalid Al-Samadei, head of the Islamic studies department, has said.

Samadie, who is also chairman of the Moroccan center for the pedagogical studies and research, stressed that these calls would not gain ground in the Moroccan society that sticks to the Islamic teachings and respects all aspects of openness and co-existence.

“What is happening is the result of the media misconception on Islam and defamation of the Islamic tenets, propagated by different parties that work to fulfill their malicious schemes by fueling such a misconception,” he told the Attajdid daily Web site.

Abdul Kareem Al-Howeshri, chairman of the Moroccan committee for Islamic subject teachers, echoed a similar stance.

“Over the past few years, all lessons related to jihad have been silently taken out from the Islamic studies subjects,” said Howeshri, who is an MP for the justice and development party.

“The Moroccan education process has been under a strict reviewing process, not mainly targeting to remove issues related to jihad, but to limit the teaching of the Islamic studies subjects in general in order to avoid drawing popular outrage.”

Howeshri accused groups calling for equality between male and female of championing the calls to abolish the Islamic studies subjects from the Moroccan education.

“A committee was set up to review the school textbooks and remove whatever runs counter to the concept of gender equality.”

“The committee has even declined to include lessons on hijab under claims that such lessons are a sort of dress discrimination between the two sexes.”

In parallel, new lessons promoting the concepts of tolerance, peace and acceptance of the other have been added into the Islamic studies subjects, he added.

Abdul Salam Al-Ahmar, member of the Moroccan committee for the Islamic subject teachers, agreed.

“Such calls are a violation of the national education charter and the “White Book” stipulating an education that helps build an independent charter for the Moroccan students based on full knowledge of their religion, heritage and history.”

A reviewing of the education curricula and textbooks in Morocco was launched in 2000, which resulted in what is known as the “White Book”.

Al-Ahmar urged “a respect and best use of the terms of the “White Book” on which the state has spent much money and effort.

Last week, Justice and Development Party submitted an interpellation to parliament, interrogating the education minister on the issue.

Lawmaker Howeshri said such efforts to limit or remove the teaching of the Islamic studies subject run counter to King Mohamed VI’s instructions on giving priority to the Islamic studies to help protect Moroccans against extremism.

The Moroccan minister, however, declined to give a clear-cut answer on the issue, describing the Islamic studies subjects as playing the lead role in enhancing the identity of the Moroccan people.

Opponents of moves to remove or limit the teaching of the Islamic studies subjects have been stepping up their opposition to prevent any such decisions from seeing light, according to IslamOnline.net Correspondent.

The ongoing controversy comes a year after Moroccan King Mohamed VI called for developing the Islamic studies curricula to protect the Moroccan youth against extremism.