Proof that education can be a dangerous thing:
A textbook on Islam that preaches the value of "holy war" and "martyrdom" for all Muslims is being reprinted by Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority for use in schools in the occupied West Bank.Entitled Islamic Culture, it was originally published in 1994, but has been reproduced this year, despite undertakings from Palestinian leaders – following international pressure – that new books would be introduced.
The book, intended for 17-year-olds, explains: "Jihad is an Islamic term that equates to the term war in other nations. The difference is that jihad has noble goals and lofty aims, and is carried out only for the sake of Allah and for His glory." It also refers to shahada, or martyrdom. A suicide bomber sent to kill civilians in Israel is celebrated as a shaheed in the Israeli-occupied territories.
One passage in the book states that if a Muslim is "blessed with shahada and honour, his soul returns to its Creator to live a different life, content with the rewards and honour bestowed upon it, a life of grace thanks to Allah."
The general assumption at this blog is that education prepares you for life, and I join in as many arguments as I can find about how best you contrive that. This, on the other hand, is preparation for death. At best, for life after death. And not just your own death.
Meanwhile, the Merde in France (NOT The Dissident Frogman as originally stated, see comments) reports that in Gagny, in France, a Jewish school has been burned down.
Err, Brian you're going to fuel the conspiracy theorists's fantasies, who believe that Merde in France and myself are a single person (actually they believe that we're a full blown CIA team of 63 agents with half the budget of Medicare but that's not the point.)
You're link is pointing at MIF. I'm not him. He's not me. But he did report on the burned school, which is actually what triggered Jacques "I have a problem with Jews and Christians" Chirac to talk today as if he was going to do something about the growing anti-Semitism in France. See Merde in France's (who is not the dissident frogman) very last post today:
http://merdeinfrance.blogspot.com/2003_11_16_merdeinfrance_archive.html#106916579466495037
DF
Grovelling apologies.
I have corrected the original, as this is an error that could mislead others, rather than one that only undermines one of my arguments.
Very sorry.
Education prepares you for life. It's also what life's about, at any age.
But schools are social institutions for the perpetuation of various ideas valued by the relevant society, by the method of indoctrinating (I use the term literally, but its negative overtones are no accident) tomorrow's adults.
If we want children to learn how to think for themselves rather than just accepting whatever they are told, then we must show them how to criticise the ideas they are offered, including by social institutions.
Brian,
No problem. It's a minor issue indeed.
Alice, actually I was taught - in school - to use my brain and my critical faculties on everything I heard and saw, all the time, and I've always tried to do so. (I know, I know, with occasional lapses into cynicism and idiocy - I'll save you the trouble...)
"School" of and by itself does not necessarily result in trendy social indoctrination.
Now, if you had said "state schools" ... ... ... I would be much more in agreement.
