Iranian Textbooks (Updated)

John on March 12, 2008 at 10:12 am

Update: I’ve been reading the actual study here. It’s chock full of nutty goodness. I’ll grab a few snippets by chapter. Here’s one from the chapter on The West:

“You should think of one thing only, of stabilizing the foundations of pure Mohammedan Islam, Islam that will humble to dust [both] the West, with worldeating America at its head, and the East, with the criminal Soviet Union at its head. [It's] Islam whose standard bearers are the barefoot, the oppressed and the poor people of the world, and whose enemies are the atheists, the infidels, the capitalists and the money worshipers…”
Imam Khomeini, Islamic Viewpoint, Grade 11 (2004) p. 30

From the chapter on the Jihad:

In many verses in the Holy Koran, Exalted God orders the Believers to fight the Jihad in the cause of God and kill the oppressors. He gives the glad tidings of forgiveness and eternal Paradise to anyone who becomes a martyr in the cause of God. He considers martyrdom a great victory.
Islamic Culture and Religious Instruction, Grade 8 (2004) p. 72

On Israel and the 1967 war:

…The formal war of the Arabs and Israel, which ended in the Arabs’ military defeat in June 1967 due to a Western conspiracy…
History of Iranian and World Literature, Grade 11 (2004) p. 201

From the same chapter, this is written for 10 year olds:

O fighting person, O free person, we thank you… In the course of this year, which is about to end, we have learned the lesson of affection and fraternity from your compassionate behavior, and from your shining speech we have learned the lesson of self sacrifice and struggle. We have learned to make self-sacrifice in the cause of our country, and rise to battle and fight the enemies of our religion, faith and Islam…
Persian, Grade 5 (2004) p. 188

On martrydom:

Don’t you see how sweetly and how peacefully a martyr dies?
Persian Literature, Grade 10 (2004) p. 174

Another:

The martyr is the heart of history.
Persian, Grade 5 (2004) p. 118

An assignment:

Another school assignment treats the local aspect of martyrdom. Write down the names of three persons from among the martyrs of your village or town.
Persian, Grade 6 (2004) p. 26

I could go on, but you get the idea. This is disturbing stuff.

[End update]

Here’s the sort of thing kids are getting at school in Iran:

When third grade school children in Iran turn to page 113 of their textbook “Let’s Read,” they find a passage that says, “At that time, the Israeli officer pounded (three-year-old) Muhammad’s head with the rifle’s stock and his warm blood sprinkled upon his (six-year-old brother) Khaled’s hands.”

This was uncovered as part of a study of 115 Iranian school texts, most of which were published in 2004. Here’s another sample:

The seventh grade text “Islamic Culture and Religious Instruction,” which refers to the West and Israel as the “Arrogant Ones,” tells students that war is unavoidable and victory is guaranteed “in order to continue with all our power our revolution against the Arrogant Ones and the oppressors.”

An eighth grade text says the “army of Islam would make the Arrogant Ones fall in holy Jihad and heavy attack.”

Iranians are being taught that Americans not only should die, but that it is inevitable. It’s likely that many Iranians recognize this as the garbage it is. Still, we’re going to have to deal with Iran.

Related story: Iraqi militia leader Moqtada al-Sadr is reportedly “studying” Islam in Iran.

Category: Islamic Jihad |