In May of this year a report by Freedom House on objectionable material in Saudi educational materials drew candid responses from leaders in the Kingdom.
Foreign Minister Saud al
Faisal, during a press conference with the US Secretary of State, said, "The education reforms in Saudi Arabia go beyond textbook rewriting. And they go into teacher training, directions.. ..And so the whole system of education is being transformed from top to bottom. Textbooks are only one of the steps that has been taken by Saudi Arabia."
In early June Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to the United States, Prince Turki al
Faisal, writing in a "USA Today" op-ed, said, "Saudi Arabia is a nation undergoing dramatic self-examination. Every aspect of Saudi Arabia's society and culture is being openly debated. We have recognized that a comprehensive, modern and open educational system -- with new and revised textbooks -- is fundamental to the growth and prosperity of our country. A thoughtful revision of this system is necessary, and indeed well underway."
Today, for your consideration, SUSRIS would like to share additional comments on the subject of education reform by Jamal Khashoggi, former journalist and advisor to Prince Turki. He was interviewed by Fareed Zakaria for the excellent weekly foreign affairs show, "Foreign Exchange." The show aired on July 28, 2006 and can be viewed on-line (links below).
July 28, 2006
Fareed Zakaria: Your boss said in a speaking tour last year the kingdom has reviewed all of its educational practices and has removed any element that is inconsistent with the needs of a modern education. We now learn from a Freedom House report that is based on existing Saudi textbooks that in fact this is not true; there are important passages within many Saudi textbooks that speak of Christians, Jews, Shias, polytheists, in all kinds of derogatory ways. What�s going on?
Jamal Khashoggi: Orders were made by the King and by a committee headed by Prince Sultan, the Crown Prince, to review and cleanse all the textbooks of negative references. But this is a problem that will continue as long as we teach theology to elementary school children. Even if you teach Catholic theology you will have a problem like that. I think theological issues will always stay in any religion and I don�t think that they should be taught at elementary school levels. It should stay at religious colleges but not go down to younger students.
Fareed Zakaria: So why is it being taught in elementary schools then?
Jamal Khashoggi: That�s what we are struggling with right now. There�s a debate inside Saudi Arabia to reform the educational system. You should see some of the writings by Saudis which are harsher than the Freedom House report on our curriculum. I�m sure the tide will eventually will be won over by the reformists to bring about a better education system which will better educate our youth to be more challenging particularly after Saudi Arabia is becoming more and more integrated with the world.
Fareed Zakaria: Jamal you say you�re struggling to make these changes, but Saudi Arabia is a monarchy. I mean the King has ruled that it should happen.
Jamal Khashoggi: That is the wrong conception of Saudi Arabia. The King is an authority not a dictator. He rules by consensus. He has many constituencies he has to look out for. You should see Saudi Arabia as a coalition government between a liberal front and a progressive party and conservative elements. He has to see the interests of all of those groups and come about with a reform, with progress, which will accommodate the need of all sectors of the Saudi society without ending up in dissent or in a break-up situation. We very much appreciate the security and harmony we enjoy in Saudi Arabia among the citizens of the country.
Fareed Zakaria: People in the West are looking to see where is the evidence of these big bold reformist movements that are taking place?
Jamal Khashoggi: I think that the evidence is for us, the Saudi Arabia people to benefit from. This debate, it is in our interest. We don�t want to be forced to take our young children to foreign schools even in Saudi Arabia, and again I will repeat that the debate on Saudi Arabia about the educational reform and the need for educational reform is
stronge. Just a month ago I heard the Crown Prince promising us, and I was as a Saudi parent very thrilled to hear that promise from him, that there will be an overwhelming change, of educational reform coming our way this summer. I hope we�re going to see it this summer. I wrote it about it and many other Saudi writers are pushing for more and better educational reforms and we hope just to see it soon.
Fareed Zakaria: And then next maybe women will be able to drive.
Jamal Khashoggi: That is not a big issue. I�m sure it will happen also eventually.
Fareed Zakaria: Jamal Khashoggi thank you very much.
Jamal Khashoggi: Thank you.
[Transcript by SUSRIS from on-line video]
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