A MEMRI article looks at a major study into the religious curricula in boys’ schools in the Saudi state school system:
The researchers found extremely grave defects in the curricula, particularly with regard to attitude toward the “other” – that is, toward anyone whose views are not in line with the Wahhabi Islam that is dominant in the kingdom. Although the researchers note that the curricula denigrate and show hatred toward and incitement against non-Muslims, the main body of findings shows no less intolerance to non-Wahhabi Muslims.
Instead of strengthening pupils’ understanding of disputes and disagreement as a natural and legitimate part of human life, and instead of inculcating a culture of dialogue and pluralism in Muslim society, the Saudi curricula that the researchers examined actually encouraged denigration of, hatred of, and incitement against Muslims whose customs and views differ from those of Wahhabi Islam. The curricula teach that non-Wahhabi Muslims are unbelievers who are introducing forbidden innovations into Islam and collaborating with the colonialist foreigners. This approach, the researchers concluded, encourages violence toward others, and misguides the pupils into believing that in order to safeguard their own religion, they must violently repress and even physically eliminate the “other.”
The researchers found that the curricula they examined make sweeping accusations of unbelief [Takfir], and permit the killing and taking of the property of “polytheists” [Mushrikun]. The derogatory term “polytheists” harks back to early Islam, when the monotheistic Muslims fought to the death against Arabs who believed in many gods alongside Allah. In the Saudi schoolbooks the term ‘ Mushrikun ‘is used for all non-Wahhabi Muslims – and applied so broadly that even statements such as “Development programs will eliminate poverty and ignorance” and “Medical progress will eliminate disease” are also considered polytheism – because they attribute results to causes other than Allah.
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