Saudi Arabia's Continuing Education of Hate

"The Jews and Christians are enemies of the believers, and they cannot approve of Muslims."

"The clash between this [Muslim] nation and the Jews and Christians has endured, and it will continue as long as God wills."

"As cited in Ibn Abbas: The apes are Jews, the people of the Sabbath; while the swine are Christians, the infidels of the communion of Jesus

"In Islamic law, however, [jihad] has two uses: One usage is specific. It means to exert effort to wage war against the unbelievers and tyrants."

Isn't it wonderful that Saudi Arabia, one of the West's so-called most loyal allies, continues to teach this kind of stuff in their official Ministry of Education textbooks to their kids? According to a recent report from the Hudson Institute, these are direct quotes from Saudi textbooks.

How should we view Saudi Arabia, in light of this kind of evidence? How should we view the U.S. State Department which, in July 2006, publicly announced and lauded as "significant developments" Saudi Arabia's "comprehensive revision of (its) textbooks"?

Why not write Saudi authorities and ask them if they really believe that Christians are their enemies, swine and that they must fight us? Ask why they teach these things to their children in their schools. Include the quotes listed above in your letter. I have little confidence that they will actually respond, just I rather doubt that their curriculum will ever really change, despite their assurances, promises, and token gestures. But they should know that they aren't fooling everyone (even though they seem to be able to fool our diplomats and political leaders with relative ease).

You can write to:

Mr. Abdullah Saleh A. Al Awwad
Counsellor & Chargé d'Affaires, a.i.
Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
201 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON K1N 1K6
Canada

Or

H.E. Mr. Fawzi Bin Abdul Majeed Shobokshi
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Permanent Mission of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations
809 United Nations Plaza, 10th and 11th Floors, New York, NY 10017
Telephone: (212) 557-1525
Telefax: (212) 983-4895
E-mail: saudi-mission@un.int

Let me know if you get a response. Just don't hold your breath....