Islam - Current Day > Saudi Textbooks scrubbed of nearly all Antisemitic content

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Saudi Arabia continues to remove anti-Israeli and antisemitic

content from textbooks

General reforms initiated by Saudi Crown Prince MBS continue to show progress

by All Arab News Staff | July 18, 2023

Image Description Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, June 6, 2023.

(Photo: Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS)

A study released in May by the London-based Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) found that nearly all antisemitic content had been removed from Saudi textbooks.

IMPACT-se has been tracking anti-Israel and antisemitic content in Saudi textbooks for several years. In December 2020, the group announced a significant shift in how Israel and Jewish people were represented in textbooks when compared to previous years.

“Examining the trend-line of our 2002, 2008 and even 2019 reports of the Saudi curriculum, it is clear that these new 2020 textbooks represent an institutional effort to modernize the Kingdom’s curriculum,” Marcus Sheff, CEO of IMPACT-se said at that time.

While the sudden change was welcomed by the group, they identified several instances of antisemitic content still remaining, including a description of “Jewish wrongdoers” as monkeys and a refusal to label Israel on maps of the Middle East.

“Further improvements need to be made. But the overriding impression is of a willingness to engage, to participate in dialogue regarding curriculum content and finally move towards textbook reformation,” Sheff reported.

In 2022, IMPACT-se announced further improvements in the Saudi curriculum, with Sheff calling it a “continuation of the clear trajectory of improvement.”

That report identified a few significant areas of improvement: The lack of Israel on regional maps, the description of Zionism as “racist,” and the false narrative that “Zionists” tried to burn down the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in 1969.

According to the new report that analyzes the 2022 Saudi textbooks, only two major problems remained: The absence of Israel on regional maps and the use of “Israeli occupation” or “Israeli occupiers” to identify Israelis in some instances. In addition, many instances of the term “the Zionists” had been replaced with “the Israelis.”

The study also found that textbooks have shifted from sections praising jihad to sections now critical of radical religious groups known for terrorism, such as Hezbollah, ISIS, al-Qaeda and the Houthi militants.

While IMPACT-se’s 2020 study found several problematic sections including “Qur’anic surahs, hadiths, and religious interpretations that incite against non-Muslims,” “textbooks [which] commonly promulgated antisemitic tropes,” and “a strong emphasis on jihad war and the virtue of martyrdom,” the new study found nearly all of those issues had been removed.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been criticized for his apparent role in the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The U.S. Biden administration released a declassified report in February 2021 claiming that MBS approved the operation to kill Khashoggi.

Biden has had tense relations with MBS since the beginning of his administration, although he has claimed to be working towards normalization between the Saudi Kingdom and Israel.

Kristin Diwan, senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, said the changes are more about the Saudi government seeking legitimacy.

She warned that even though the new curriculum shows increased tolerance of Judaism as a religion, it keeps the “political acceptance of Israel in limbo.”

“This is consistent with efforts to ease religious intolerance of Jews, incrementally preparing the way should a political decision be made on Israel normalization,” she said.

Islam - Current Day - Nation of Islam Attack on DC; 5 Women Terrorists Arrested in France; ex-Crown Prince Arrested in Jordan

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Media identify Capitol ramming suspect as black male, follower of radical

Nation of Islam as his FB page promptly gets wiped

2 Apr, 2021 21:41

©  REUTERS/Al Drago;  Twitter / @ANTHONYBLOGAN

The suspect shot dead after ramming his car into barriers outside the US Capitol has been identified by NBC News and other media outlets as Noah Green, a 25-year-old black man and reportedly a follower of the Nation of Islam.

Green allegedly drove a car into security barriers outside the US Capitol on Friday afternoon, injuring two Capitol Police officers, one fatally. Police say he was shot by the officers as he left his vehicle and lunged at them with a knife. 

Despite their investigation being in its early stages, police say they have so far ruled out terrorism as a motive. 

President Joe Biden has called the incident an “attack,” while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) has dubbed the deceased officer a “martyr for our democracy.”

While police have not released any details about the suspect in the immediate aftermath of the attack, information obtained by NBC News identified him as 25-year-old Noah Green of Indiana. The African-American man was earlier seen being carried away from the scene of the attack on a stretcher by paramedics, and died shortly afterwards.

Facebook deleted Green’s account immediately after the NBC story broke, but screenshots purportedly showing some of Green’s posts have circulated online.

According to Green’s Facebook page, he was a follower of the Nation of Islam, a black nationalist interpretation of Islam that once counted Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali as members. Its current leader, Louis Farrakhan, often draws media attention with his anti-Semitic speeches.

Last month, Green reportedly wrote on Facebook that “these past few years have been tough, and these past few months have been tougher,” and that he had left his job to embark on a “spiritual journey.”

I don't think he is going to like his destination!

Police have identified the deceased officer as William Evans, an 18-year veteran of the force. He was hospitalized following the Friday incident, but succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

5 women arrested in France on suspicion of plotting terrorist attack

on religious site during Easter holidays

4 Apr, 2021 14:13

FILE PHOTO: A French gendarme, November 2020. © Gonzalo Fuentes / Reuters

French counter-terrorism police have arrested a family of five women after one of them was suspected of planning to attack a religious site. A sword and dangerous chemicals were reportedly found in their home.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin confirmed the operation in a tweet, thanking counter-terrorism agents for their work.

Several French news outlets reported earlier that authorities had learned a woman – who has not been publicly identified – was planning a terrorist attack on a religious site in the southern city of Montpellier during the Easter holidays. She was said to have been radicalized by watching videos from Islamic State.

The woman was apprehended on Saturday night in the city of Beziers, 70km from Montpellier, and taken into custody along with her mother and three sisters, one of whom is a minor.

During a search of the women’s home, police reportedly found a sharp sword and chemicals that could be used for explosives. At the same time, Le Point magazine cited a source which said the chemicals may have been bought for household use. A probe has been launched into whether the woman had ties to terrorist groups. 

Beziers Mayor Robert Menard told Le Figaro newspaper that the detained family were “Islamists.” He added that the city’s La Deveze neighborhood, where the family lives, is “a difficult district affected by massive immigration.”

Jordanian FM confirms accusations against ex-Crown Prince Hamzah,

alleges foreign government involvement

4 Apr, 2021 15:38

FILE PHOTO. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. ©Kay Nietfeld / Pool via REUTERS

Prince Hamzah bin Hussein of Jordan has been officially accused of plotting to undermine the country’s “security and stability.” Foreign parties participated in the plot, the Jordanian foreign minister claimed.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi held a brief press conference on Sunday to confirm the arrest on Saturday of Prince Hamzah, among around 16 others. The royal scion held the position of crown prince under his half-brother King Abdullah II before the monarch revoked the title in 2004, making his son Hussein the new heir-apparent.

The foreign minister confirmed that Prince Hamzah and others were arrested for allegedly plotting with outside forces against the royal family. The statement did not specify what the exact goal of the prince’s allegedly seditious activities was, stopping just short of accusing him of an attempt to overthrow the king.

Jordanian authorities have long monitored the plot’s development and arrested the suspects after it progressed from the planning stage to the scheduling of concrete action, the official said. Few details were revealed, but Safadi said a foreign intelligence service communicated with Hamzah’s wife, offering the family a plane ride out of Jordan. The official didn’t name the country which is suspected of being involved in the plot.

The royal Hashemite dynasty intends to resolve the situation internally in accordance with the law and guided by mercy, the minister said.

On Sunday, Queen Noor, the mother of Prince Hamzah, called the accused individuals “innocent victims of… wicked slander” and expressed hope that justice will prevail.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince is Really Shaking Things Up in the Kingdom

Corruption is Everywhere

I'm curious to know what drives the Crown Prince to take on corruption in a country where corruption is expected? He is not a Muslim radical, so what motivates him?

It is very unusual to see a Muslim country become less radical on its own, so this appears to be a good thing. I hope he lives long enough to make a difference.

11 Saudi princes, 4 ministers arrested as crown prince

unleashes crackdown on corruption – report

Saudi’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman © Bandar Al-Jaloud / AFP

Saudi Arabia has ordered the arrest of at least 11 Saudi princes and four incumbent ministers of the Saudi government, Al-Arabiya reported, citing sources. Among those detained are the minister of the National Guard and the minister of economy.

A new anti-corruption committee chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was created late Saturday by royal decree of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, published by Saudi Arabia’s official news agency on Saturday.

The decree appoints the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, to lead the committee, granting it broad powers to fight corruption. The committee is exempted from “laws, regulations, instructions, orders and decision” while performing its wide range of duties, namely “identifying offenses, crimes, persons and entities” complicit in corruption, and gives it the power to impose punitive measures on those caught red-handed. Those include asset freezes, travel bans and arrests.

The committee made its first arrests hours after it was created, detaining 11 princes, four current ministers as well as “tens” of ex-ministers of the Saudi government in connection with newly opened corruption probes, Al-Arabiya reported.

Minister of the National Guard Prince Miteb bin Abdullah and Economy Minister Adel Fakeih are among those arrested, Al Arabiya cited a senior Saudi official as saying, on condition of anonymity. Alwaleed al-Ibrahim, owner of television network MBC, was also detained.

Dozens of former ministers were arrested by the Crown Prince committee, including a former governor of Riyadh province, former finance minister, and former chief of the Royal Court.

The committee said it is relaunching a probe into the devastating floods that killed over 120 people in the city of Jeddah in 2009, while inflicting millions in property damage. In wake of the wide-ranging investigation, concluded in December 2014, the Saudi court found 45 people guilty, including senior officials, on charges of bribery, misuse of power and public funds, money laundering and illicit business operations.

Another high-profile case resumed by the anti-corruption committee is the investigation into the outbreak of the so-called Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus in Saudi Arabia in 2014, which resulted in nearly 300 deaths and the ouster of the country’s health minister.

Most senior Saudi officials in charge of state oversight, investigation and prosecution will sit on the committee, which will comprise the attorney general and the heads of state security, anti-corruption authority, audit bureau, and the chair of the monitoring and investigation commission.

“In view of what we have noticed of exploitation by some of the weak souls who have put their own interests above the public interest, in order to illicitly accrue money,” the Saudi King said in a statement, explaining the need to form the body.

Crown Prince Salman, appointed the heir of the Saudi throne in June, is known for his reform-minded views. The prince, who held a number of key government positions even before his elevation, is said to be behind a series of the latest domestic reforms in the ultra-conservative country, loosening a grip on the state's strict social laws.

In one of the latest policy moves, the Saudi government lifted a ban on women driving. Crown Prince Salman reportedly spearheaded the milestone policy change, persuading his father, the king, to review the restriction. Earlier, women in Saudi Arabia were also permitted to use state services without male guardians.

The prince hinted last month that he would not stop at that, promising a return from hardline interpretation of the religion to what he described as “moderate Islam,” while vowing to eradicate extremist beliefs inside the country.

‘Arabian Warren Buffett’ among those arrested in Saudi corruption crackdown – reports

Saudi billionaire Prince AlWaleed bin Talal © Hamad I Mohammed / Reuters

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the richest people in the world, has been allegedly arrested amid Saudi Arabia’s sudden anti-corruption crackdown. The multi-billionaire has stakes in major US enterprises and has been dubbed the “Arabian Warren Buffett.”

Bin Talal was among the 11 Saudi princes arrested by a new anti-corruption committee just hours after it was created by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, various media outlets reported, citing unnamed sources within the Saudi government.

A grandson of the first Saudi king, Alwaleed bin Talal was listed as the 45th richest man in the world by Forbes in 2017. Bloomberg Billionaires Index put him in 50th place in a similar ranking. The Saudi prince’s fortune amounts to between $18 billion and $19 billion, according to various estimates.

The Saudi multi-billionaire is the founder, CEO and almost sole owner of the Kingdom Holding investment company, which has a market capitalization of over $12 billion. His investment activities have led to him being dubbed the “Arabian Warren Buffett,” as the prince has stakes in several major western corporations and in particularly made successful early bets on Apple and Netscape Communications.

Now, Alwaleed bin Talal holds major stakes in such US companies as Citigroup, Apple and Twitter. His company has also been a “significant investor” in Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation since 1997.

The prince’s investments include several luxury hotel chains and he particularly invested in the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, the Savoy in London and the Plaza in New York. Apart from that, he is known for doing business with such prominent western businessmen as Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch and Michael Bloomberg.

He also received a western education, being awarded a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Menlo College in California. The prince was also frequently seen with top western politicians and Wall Street executives, including Lloyd C. Blankfein, the chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, and even British royals.

He also had an extraordinary western media profile for a Saudi national and virtually became an unofficial public face of the Saudi kingdom finance in the West as he often gave interviews to various media. Most recently, he spoke to CNBC's Squawk Box and expressed serious doubts about the future of the Bitcoin cryptocurrency.

Notably, the prince has somewhat controversial relations with US President Donald Trump. During Trump’s election campaign, the Saudi multi-billionaire called him “a disgrace not only to the GOP but to all America” and called on him to withdraw from the presidential race, predicting that Trump “will never win.” Still, later, he congratulated Trump on his election victory.

In October 2017, he praised Trump’s governing style and straight talking in an interview with CNBC. "President Trump has his own way of governing," he said at that time.

Alwaleed bin Talal, however, has long been a kind of outsider within the ruling elite of the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom – due to his liberal views and open advocacy of women’s rights. He particularly hired a first Saudi female pilot for his jet at a time, when there was no prospect of women being allowed even to drive. At the same time, he has never openly opposed the ruling elite.

He also reportedly had no major differences with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is now heading the committee that launched the crackdown on corruption. In October, bin Talal publicly declared his support for Mohammed bin Salman by telling CNBC that he fully backs the crown prince’s reforms and had repeatedly expressed similar proposals concerning diversification of the Saudi economy for years.

With no official statement issued, the reasons behind Alwaleed bin Talal’s arrest remain a mystery. However, it already prompted a reaction from the stock markets. Shares in his Kingdom Holding Co. fell by 7.5 percent in trading Sunday, despite the fact that the company announced profits amounting to 247.5 million riyals ($66 million) in the third quarter.

"This is going to cause some immediate apprehension in terms of investors looking at Saudi Arabia," Graham Griffiths, a senior analyst at Control Risks focusing on Saudi Arabia, told AP, referring to the crackdown. He also called Alwaleed bin Talal “someone who has been represented as a face of the kingdom, someone that a lot of people have done business with and are comfortable doing business with."

Saudi Arabia Will ‘Return to Moderate, Open Islam’ – Crown Prince

This is an astonishing statement from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia! Islam very rarely becomes less radical in countries where they are the majority and in the Kingdom, Muslims make up 100% of the population. It is usually the reverse and, consequently, the Crown Prince's life is in some danger as hard-line Muslims will not agree with a less strict Islam.

The Prince also gives us a reason for the proxy wars in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. He believes that Iran wants Mecca, and, it would appear, they are trying to surround Saudi Arabia with their proxy wars and growing influence in the smaller Gulf States. The Prince's plan to soften Islam may be playing right into Iran's hands.

Aerial view of Kaaba at the Grand mosque in Mecca © Ahmed Jadallah / Reuters

Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman has vowed to restore “moderate” Islam that is open to all religions in the world. Saudi Arabia is known for its ultraconservative rule.

“We are returning to what we were before – a country of moderate Islam that is open to all religions and to the world,” he said at an economic forum in Riyadh, as quoted by AFP. “We will not spend the next 30 years of our lives dealing with destructive ideas. We will destroy them today,” he added. “We will end extremism very soon.”

Riyadh is known for its adherence to ultra-conservative norms of Islam and strict segregation of men and women. It has long been the only state where women are officially forbidden to drive.

Earlier this year, the crown prince accused Tehran of promoting an “extremist ideology” and having ambitions to “control the Islamic world.” Asked if there is any room for dialogue with Iran, the 31-year-old prince replied: “How can I come to an understanding with someone, or a regime, that has an anchoring belief built on an extremist ideology?”

He said that the primary objective of the “Iranian regime is to reach the focal point of Muslims [Mecca] and we will not wait until the fight is inside Saudi Arabia and we will work so that the battle is on their side, inside Iran, not in Saudi Arabia.”

The Saudi government enforces a strict, conservative version of Sunni Islam. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is ruled by a Sunni monarchy known as the House of Saud, while the Islamic Republic of Iran is overwhelmingly Shia. The divisions between the Sunnis and the Shia are based on a long-running religious conflict that started as a dispute over the Prophet Mohammed’s successor. While Shia Muslims believe the prophet’s cousin should have filled the role, Sunnis support the selection of Muhammad’s close friend and adviser, Abu Bakr, as the first caliph of the Islamic nation.

Diplomatic ties between the two countries were severed in 2016 after Iranian protesters attacked the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, following the execution of prominent Shiite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister responded by accusing Iran of setting up “terrorist cells” inside the kingdom. Iran then issued a warning that “divine vengeance” would come to Saudi Arabia as a punishment for Nimr’s execution as well as for Riyadh’s bombing in Yemen and support for the Bahraini government. In February of this year, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, while on a visit to Saudi ally Kuwait, said that Tehran would like to restore relations and improve ties with all its Gulf Arab neighbors.