Can the King Fahad Academy / Islamic schools be justified in the British education system?
Posted by TonyTT on Wednesday, 07 February 2007 10:34:25
I believe that the question of whether or not these books, or the paragraphs in question, were or were not actually taught in lessons is an irrelevance. The mere fact of there being in the school is the real concern.
The controversy centres on the use of textbooks produced by the Saudi Ministry of Education which contain the following:
A textbook dated 2005/2006 allegedly asks the reader to "give examples of worthless religions... such as Judaism, Christianity, idol worship and others".
The book also allegedly asks the reader to "explain that those who die without adhering to Islam will go to hellfire".
In another textbook for 12 and 13 year olds, dated 2004/2005, the author allegedly says that a Koranic verse, which talks of turning people into monkeys and pigs, is about Jews and Christians.
The author quotes an early Islamic scholar as saying: "The monkeys are the Jews. And the pigs, they are the Christian infidels at Jesus's table."
King Fahad Academy director Dr Sumaya Aluyusuf admitted the textbooks - translated for the BBC Two's Newsnight programme by two independent scholars - were kept at the school. However, she said they were no longer part of the curriculum. She said she would not withdraw them, saying: "These books have good chapters that can be used by the teachers - it depends on the objective they want to achieve."
But the translations were "taken out of context" and had "lost some of their meaning", she said.
I watched that Newsnight, and was amazed that she had no shame in admitting that they were actually used at the school. There is no excuse, in whatever context for such language/ words/phrases to be in any book in any school in Britain.
Could you imagine the out cry from the Muslim community of this country (or the world for that matter) if the following "statement" was found in a text book used in a Catholic or CoE school:
"A textbook dated 2005/2006 allegedly asks the reader to "give examples of worthless religions... such as Islam, idol worship and others".
The book also allegedly asks the reader to "explain that those who die without adhering to Christianity will go to hellfire".
In another textbook for 12 and 13 year olds, dated 2004/2005, the author allegedly says that a Biblical verse, which talks of turning people into monkeys and pigs, is about Muslims.
The author quotes an early Christian scholar as saying: "The monkeys are the Jews. And the pigs, they are the Islamic infidels at Mohammed's table."
My prediction would be that there would Fatwa's and death threats aimed at its authors flying in from all corners of the Islamic world.
David, the questions I would like to ask you are:
1) Do you think faith based schools of any persuasion have a legitimate place in Britain today?
2) Is religion divisive to the peaceful coexistence of different people?
3) Are Whabi and other forms of Islam, and Western democratic ideals compatible?
4) How can the Saudi Ministry of Education justify producing educational text like this in the first place? And since they do, should we have such friendly relations with such a state?
5) And does the fact that it does, prove that there is such a wide divide between some forms of Islam, and western thinking that the "Clash of Civilizations" is inevitable?
Post edited by TonyTT on Wednesday, 07 February 2007 10:40:36
education, religion, Intolerance, Islam, Fahad