The West, Christians, and Jews in Saudi Arabian Schoolbooks

The West, Christians, and Jews in Saudi Arabian Schoolbooks
Author: Arnon Groiss
Publisher:
Total Pages: 160
Release: 2003
Genre: Antisemitism
ISBN:

Analyzes the results of an examination of 93 Saudi textbooks on various subjects for grades 1-10, mostly from the years 1999-2002. In all of these, Islam is presented as the only true religion, while all other religions are false. Consequently, Christians and Jews are denounced as infidels and enemies of Islam and Muslims. It is forbidden to befriend or emulate them. The Saudi textbooks ascribe the most abhorrent qualities to Jews. Jews are depicted, throughout their history, in a stereotyped and prejudiced manner, beginning with the description of Jews as enemies of the Prophet Muhammad and ending with "the occupation of Palestine". The "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" is taught as an authentic document. Anti-Zionism has a prominent place in Saudi textbooks; Israel is not recognized as a state and is absent from maps, which designate its territory as "occupied Palestine". War and "jihad" are advocated rather than a peaceful solution of the Middle East conflict.

History Lessons

History Lessons
Author: Dana Lindaman
Publisher: The New Press
Total Pages: 435
Release: 2006-04-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 1595580824

A glimpse into how the world views American history is offered in a study that presents a wide range of conflicting takes on events from textbooks in which many are the only authorized source of American history in their respective countries.

In the Trenches

In the Trenches
Author: David A. Harris
Publisher: KTAV Publishing House, Inc.
Total Pages: 412
Release: 2000
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780881258424

Speeches and writings of David Harris, the executive director of the American Jewish Committee. these speeches chronicle life of American and world Jewry from 1979-1999.

Historiography in Saudi Arabia

Historiography in Saudi Arabia
Author: Jörg Matthias Determann
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 344
Release: 2013-10-25
Genre: History
ISBN: 0857723022

Saudi Arabia is generally and justifiably viewed as a country with some of the fewest democratic institutions and the weakest traditions of pluralism. It is therefore surprising to learn that at least in one corner of the Saudi world, there can be found a plurality of opinions and lively debate. Jorg Matthias Determann brings this element to light by analysing an important field of cultural activity in Saudi Arabia: historical writing. Since the 1920s local, tribal, Shi'i and dynastic histories have contributed to a growing plurality of narratives. Paradoxically, this happened because of the expansion of the Saudi state, including state provision of mass education. It was also due to globalizing processes, such as the spread of the internet. In challenging the widely-held perception of Saudi Arabia as an irredeemably closed and monolithic society, Historiography in Saudi Arabia provides a deeper understanding of modern Arab historiography, the Saudi state, and education and scholarship in the Middle East.

The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia

The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia
Author: David Commins
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2009-03-30
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0857731351

Wahhabism has been generating controversy since it first emerged in Arabia in the 18th century. In the wake of September 11th instant theories have emerged that try to root Osama Bin Laden's attacks on Wahhabism. Muslim critics have dismissed this conservative interpretation of Islam that is the official creed of Saudi Arabia as an unorthodox innovation that manipulated a suggestible people to gain political influence. David Commins' book questions this assumption. He examines the debate on the nature of Wahhabism, and offers original findings on its ascendance in Saudi Arabia and spread throughout other parts of the Muslim world such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. He also assesses the challenge that radical militants within Saudi Arabia pose to the region, and draws conclusions which will concern all those who follow events in the Kingdom. "The Wahhabi Mission and Saudi Arabia" is an essential reading for anyone interested in the Middle East and Islamic radicalism today.

Palestinian Education

Palestinian Education
Author: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Publisher:
Total Pages: 76
Release: 2004
Genre: History
ISBN:

The Rowman & Littlefield Handbook of Christianity in the Middle East

The Rowman & Littlefield Handbook of Christianity in the Middle East
Author: Mitri Raheb
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 711
Release: 2020-12-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1538124181

This work represents the current and most relevant content on the studies of how Christianity has fared in the ancient home of its founder and birth. Much has been written about Christianity and how it has survived since its migration out of its homeland but this comprehensive reference work reassesses the geographic and demographic impact of the dramatic changes in this perennially combustible world region. The Rowman & Littlefield Handbook of Christianity in the Middle East also spans the historical, socio-political and contemporary settings of the region and importantly describes the interactions that Christianity has had with other major/minor religions in the region.

Force and Fanaticism

Force and Fanaticism
Author: Simon Ross Valentine
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 388
Release: 2015-01-09
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1849046166

Wahhabism is an Islamic reform movement found mainly in Saudi Arabia. Closely linked to the Saudi monarchy, it enforces a strict code of morality and conduct monitored by mutawa (religious police), and governs every facet of Saudi life according to its own strict interpretation of Shariah, including gender segregation. Wahhabism also prohibits the practice of any other faith (even other forms of Islam) in Saudi Arabia, which is also the only country that forbids women from driving. But what exactly is Wahhabism? This question had long occupied Valentine, so he lived in the Kingdom for three years, familiarizing himself with its distinct interpretation of Islam. His book defines Wahhabism and Wahhabi beliefs and considers the life and teaching of Muham-mad ibn Abd'al Wahhab and the later expansion of his sect. Also discussed are the rejection of later developments in Islam such as bid'ah; harmful innovations, among them celebrating the prophet's birthday and visiting the tombs of saints; the destruction of holy sites due to the fear of idolatry; Wahhabi law, which imposes the death sentence for crimes as archaic as witch- craft and sorcery, and the connection of Wahhabism with militant Islam globally. Drawing on interviews with Saudis from all walks of life, including members of the feared mutawa, this book appraises of one of the most significant movements in contemporary Islam.

The Trouble with Textbooks

The Trouble with Textbooks
Author: Gary A. Tobin
Publisher: Lexington Books
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2008-07-31
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0739130951

School textbooks in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab and Muslim worlds are filled with anti-Western and anti-Israel propaganda. Most readers will be shocked to discover that history and geography textbooks widely used in America's elementary and secondary classrooms contain some of the very same inaccuracies about Jews, Judaism, and Israel. Did you know that 'there is no record of any important Jewish contribution to the sciences?' (World Civilizations, Thomson Wadsworth). Or that 'Christianity was started by a young Palestinian named Jesus?' (The World, Scott Foresman/Pearson). Supplemental materials and other classroom influences are even worse. The Trouble with Textbooks exposes the poor scholarship and untruths in textbooks about Jews and Israel. The problems uncovered in this ground-breaking analysis are instructive, and illustrate the need for reform in the way textbooks are developed, written, marketed, and distributed. Substitute another area_how we teach American history, Western civilization, or comparative religion_and we have another, equally intriguing case study. The Trouble with Textbooks shows what can go terribly wrong in discussing religion, geography, culture, or history_and in this case_all of them. The Trouble with Textbooks tells a cautionary tale for all readers, whatever their background, of how textbooks that Americans depend on to infuse young people with the values for good citizenship and to help acculturate students into the multicultural salad that is American life, instead disparage some groups and teach historical distortions. With millions of young people using these textbooks each year, the denigration of some should be a concern for all.

The Sons of Pigs and Apes

The Sons of Pigs and Apes
Author: Neil J. Kressel
Publisher: Potomac Books, Inc.
Total Pages: 377
Release: 2012
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1597978116

The frightening resurgence of antisemitism in the Muslim world.