Saudi Textbooks Still Assail Non-Muslims

Yesterday's Washington Post carries a story on the textbooks that have been used during the current academic year for Islamic studies in Saudi Arabian schools. Despite repeated Saudi claims that textbooks have been revised, a survey of actual textbooks by Freedom House shows numerous statements in them that promote intolerance toward non-Muslims. A first grade text includes the statement: "Every religion other than Islam is false." An eighth grade text includes: "The apes are Jews, the people of the Sabbath; while the swine are the Christians, the infidels of the communion of Jesus."And an eleventh grade text says: "The greeting 'Peace be upon you' is specifically for believers. It cannot be said to others." The article contains twenty more textbook excerpts. Saudi Arabia distributes its religion texts worldwide to a number of Islamic schools operated by others. [Thanks to Sanford Levinson via Religionlaw for the lead.]