I found the government's low-key response to this outrage rather creepy.

Mary McCarthy the American novelist and critic sums this up succinctly

"“Anti-Semitism is a horrible disease from which nobody is immune, and it has a kind of evil fascination that makes an enlightened person draw near the source of infection, supposedly in a scientific spirit, but really to sniff the vapors and dally with the possibility.”

Antisemitism is inexcusable.

Fair article, good conclusion.

I don't get why you are surprised. All religious text is bigoted medieval nonsense. 'Don't pray in our schools and I wont think in your church" applies here. I look forward to the day when faith and belief is studied in school as historical lazy thinking in a less civilised age. I suspect however, this will not be in my lifetime.Sigh.

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that Ofsted has no control over the curriculum content taught by faith schools, such as those highlighted in the Panorama programme.

this may , just may , be the worst of Blair's legacies. One doubts that such a ludicrous state of affairs would have been proposed even by Michael Gove , who , despite that probability , has made no move to remedy the matter

It's beyond creepy, and it's not just the Saudis, try a trip through Indonesia or Malaysia some time for a dose of good old fashioned anti-Semitism, not anti-Israeli, anti-Jewish. And quite proud of it to.

And you won't get much support on this site beyond a token 'Yes, but' I'm betting.

I agree with the author, but it comes as little surprise to me that this is what happens inside faith schools, having attended one myself.

It's encouraging that points originally made by the "shrill" and "strident" Richard Dawkins are now becoming more mainstream opinion :)

Several years overdue but well done Cif for publishing this.

The government could at the very least signify disapproval at a stroke by saying with immediate effect - form midnight tonight, say - these schools may no longer avail themselves of public premises such as state-owned schools (which in any event lends them spurious credibility).

No, it won't stop anything: no doubt these virulent lies will continue to be disseminated in homes, mosques, "cultural centres" etc. But it will at least draw a line in the sand and perhaps make more thoughtful Muslims wonder quite what they are (perhaps unknowingly?) sending their kids to.

Saudi Arabia's intolerable antisemitic textbooks

will in fact be tolerated by this government, which will take no action that will upset our good friends the Saudis. Nothing has changed since 'Death of a Princess.'

I never thought the day would come when, like the egregious Melanie Phillips and other attack dogs of the right, I might describe myself as a liberal who had been mugged by reality. But that was before Monday's Panorama programme about 40 Muslim weekend clubs and schools in the UK using Saudi textbooks that, among other niceties, describe Jews as descended from "monkeys" and "pigs", denigrate nonbelievers, advocate killing homosexuals and refer to the "reprehensible qualities of Jews".

Only Monday! Goodness me, you are one of the last to know. These textbooks (and their content,) have been well known for several years.

Unfortunately anyone who has discussed them or tried to do so, has been attacked as an "Islamaphobe," that good old standby knee-jerk discussion killer.

They're not teaching the protocols of etc or blood libel. A Saudi txtbook says something antisemitic and an unrelated muslim said something about vampires schoolbook doesn't say anything about vampires.

There are all sorts of terrible things in the bible and talmud but it is ok, we trust christian and Jewish teachers and parents to explain these disgusting texts in context.

Without adequate supervision, far from promoting tolerance and respect for other faiths, these new schools will merely perpetuate in pupils a sense of their religion's unique superiority and exclusivity.

Well duh!

Saudi Arabia's intolerable antisemitic textbooks

Saudi-amus igitur
What a sack of pig-manure......

The governments response is so low key because they do not wish to offend their Saudi friends, with all their lovely oil and business contracts, heaven forbid.

Ah, Saudi Arabia. Ethical foreign policy in full effect.

"You buy our weapons, we buy your oil, and we'll say no more about all the other stuff"

But why would Ofsted have any remit over weekend schools? They're not part of the state system, are they? They take place at the weekend so they're not even proper schools in any meaningful sense of the word. They're more like Sunday schools.

If you want to stop this stuff being taught, I imagine you'd have to use race legislation (incitement to hatred) to stop it.

Funny thing - when Richard Dawkins said that some forms of religious indoctrination were tantamount to child abuse, he was roundly condemned. But what is teaching this filth to small children if not child abuse?

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Quite right. It is both intolerable and it is abhorrent. Well said.

They're not teaching the protocols of etc or blood libel. A Saudi txtbook says something antisemitic and an unrelated muslim said something about vampires schoolbook doesn't say anything about vampires.

What the fuck are you talking about?

using Saudi textbooks that, among other niceties, describe Jews as descended from "monkeys" and "pigs", denigrate nonbelievers, advocate killing homosexuals and refer to the "reprehensible qualities of Jews".

Thanks for the first 'Yes, but' by the way.

As a very open and proud gay man, I cannot say I am happy about the Saudi textbooks. In the same way, while I am very keen on inter-racial peace, I am not happy about Christian-backed homophobia in Jamaica.

But the way the programme was cast is part of a certain pattern. That pattern opposes "British" to "Islamic". Whereas as far as I understand it the vast majority of Muslims want to live as Muslims in Britain, without that being a contradiction.

I don't get why you are surprised. All religious text is bigoted medieval nonsense.

Incredible. You're presented with overwhelming evidence of racist and fascist beliefs being taught by radical Islam but you just have to find a way to insult Christianity, Hinduism etc too by tarring all religions with the same brush.

At my state school there were Christian assemblies, I don't recall the headmaster exhorting us to kill homosexuals, in fact I think the lessons were mostly about tolerance, hard work etc.

It won't be changed; they have been around for years and will still be around for years. If it hasn't been at Schools it has been at individual teachings, no-one would be able to stop it without being shouted down as intolerant towards other religions.

Saudi Arabia? Isn't that the country which was recently sold $60 billion worth of military aircraft and hardware by the 'beacon of democracy' USA?

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that Ofsted has no control over the curriculum content taught by faith schools, such as those highlighted in the Panorama programme. Yet another reason why I, along with my colleague Rabbi Jonathan Romain, am opposed to the vogue of this and the previous government for encouraging more faith schools.

Agreed. If adults want to jump on the bandwagon when they can make their own choices that's fine, but teaching children such vile sentiments when they can't critically think about them is wrong. Their family might insist on pushing a dogma onto their children but state education should not be complicit in this.

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LaxSean

Link, and thanks for the second 'Yes, but'

No comment at all about this being taught in the UK?

Na...to hard yeah.

This is foul and yet another reason why faith schooling is so divisive.

I have a hard time believing that any faith school doesn't "..perpetuate in pupils a sense of their religion's unique superiority and exclusivity."

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that Ofsted has no control over the curriculum content taught by faith schools, such as those highlighted in the Panorama programme. Yet another reason why I, along with my colleague Rabbi Jonathan Romain, am opposed to the vogue of this and the previous government for encouraging more faith schools. Without adequate supervision, far from promoting tolerance and respect for other faiths, these new schools will merely perpetuate in pupils a sense of their religion's unique superiority and exclusivity.

I agree entirely, which is why I have always been robustly against faith schools in the UK.
The education of our next generation cannot be trusted to those who believe in the superiority/supremacy of a particular faith group, in some cases denigrating those who belong to other faiths as has been highlighted in this piece, for surely this negates the whole ethos of 'education' in that it narrows rather than widens a child's view of the world.
Of course our outrage and condemnation of such poisonous texts should be made clear to the Saudi powers that be, but am not optimistic that this will have any real effect, whereas banning faith schools in the UK will have real effect here.

Without adequate supervision, far from promoting tolerance and respect for other faiths, these new schools will merely perpetuate in pupils a sense of their religion's unique superiority and exclusivity.

A sense of superiority and exclusivity? Are you saying that religion doesn't induce these effects under normal circumstances?

LaxSean
24 November 2010 9:53AM

A Haifa University survey investigating Arabs and Jews' views on one another reveals disturbing results.

The poll showed that 75 percent of Jewish students believe that Arabs are uneducated people, are uncivilized and are unclean.

I wonder where Jewish students develop those sorts of attitudes. At school maybe?

Source?

Even if true, so what? Calling someone uncivilised is a far cry from calling them a pig and a monkey.

This is foul and yet another reason why faith schooling is so divisive

Yes, when there were Christian assemblies at my school teaching love and respect for others, there were riots among the Sikh and Hindu students.

Hmm. I don't know. Despite the evidence, I still think this is rampant Islamophobia.

Grimps

24 November 2010 9:47AM

Several years overdue but well done Cif for publishing this.

Yep, this needs to see the light of day.
Once again we can thank TB for this, and to think there will be more
of these schools popping up and probably get all the kickbacks that come
with being a faith school.

As I claim TB is to thank for this, the present lot seem happy with this
state of affairs.

13 years of just letting anyone into your country under the cover of faith
is always a dangerous game to play, you now have 1 and 2 generation of
UK kids happy to brand other citizens as

"describe Jews as descended from "monkeys" and "pigs", denigrate nonbelievers, advocate killing homosexuals and refer to the "reprehensible qualities of Jews"."

And what is the response, nothing politicians will sit on their hands.

and we've had our first bit of "whataboutery" courtesy of LaxSean.

Expect a lot more.

Yes, when there were Christian assemblies at my school teaching love and respect for others, there were riots among the Sikh and Hindu students.

What?

I don't know why David Goldberg is so surprised.

The Saudi-funded King Fahad Academy in London was caught using anti-semitic textbooks in 2007. It was reported in the Times and on Newsnight. And surely he recalls the Channel 4 program Undercover Mosque.

Why has it taken him so long to wake up to the fact that there is a serious problem within the Muslim community, where hate preachers and hate teachers are spreading racism on a daily basis.

More to the point, is anyone going to do anything about it, or are the Muslim far-right going to continue getting their free pass?

Firstly, religious nutjobs spout lies faster than a horse can trot. Only a few decades ago xtians were telling outrageous lies about masturbation, The muslims are just behind the xtians in cultural terms.

Secondly most media types are terrified of muslims, what with them being so peaceful.

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The problem is exacerbated by the fact that Ofsted has no control over the curriculum content taught by faith schools, such as those highlighted in the Panorama programme.

And the government is promoting what it calls 'free schools', these will of course be out of bounds to all but the parents and teachers who set them up. The right hate Ofsted you see. So no doubt we will see more of this, fundamentalists crazies of all types setting up schools to indoctrinate their off spring.

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In March 2002, a lecturer there informed readers of the al-Riyadh newspaper that the Jewish ritual of "spilling human blood to prepare pastries for their holidays is a well-established fact". For Purim goodies, she explained, "the victim must be a mature adolescent who is … either Christian or Muslim" – unlike the Passover cannibalism that had so upset King Faisal, when "children under 10 must be used".

This would be hilarious if it wasn't so dangerous.

Saudi Arabia's intolerable antisemitic textbooks
MohammedIsfahir's comment 24 November 2010 10:00AM

Hmm. I don't know. Despite the evidence, I still think this is rampant Islamophobia.

You are on the rght page!"

If only it was weekend schools , in fact form an industrial tribunal we know books just like this are being used in private Saudi funding schools every day , the story even made News night. What we don’t know is why there was a wall of silence form the liberal press in that case, you would have though given their claimed stance that racist hate being taught in schools is something they would have no issue with condemning. But neither the Guardian nor Independent chose to even mention the story ,as for CIF well its position seems to me rather clearly. As although there is plenty of evidenced for anti-Semitic material being wide spread in the Muslim world, it still refuses to carry any articles on the subject.

Why we will have to speculate has it also refuses , alongside its ban on BNP members but not Hamas members as writers, to give its reasons.

Hmm. I don't know. Despite the evidence, I still think this is rampant Islamophobia.

Hmmm, gee, I don't know, despite the evidence I'd rather not deal with the actual reality of the homophobic, intolerant and racist aspects of my culture.

Instead, I'll accuse everyone of Islamophobia.

terua

24 November 2010 9:50AM

There are all sorts of terrible things in the bible and talmud but it is ok, we trust christian and Jewish teachers and parents to explain these disgusting texts in context.

Yes but most folks in the UK are aware that the bible is a book of STORIES
not true, like Lord of the Rings, and I have never ever heard a COE
school tell its kids muslims are dogs ect..........

Well, if this isn't the most disrespectful attitude to diversity I've ever seen, I don't know what is! Surely there's some culturally relativist excuse we can cast around for as to why this is acceptable? Or perhaps we can blame it on racism and intolerance on behalf of the indigenous white Brit? Isn't that the usual approach to disgusting, backwards, misogynistic, antisemitic practices that should have died out with the Stone Age? Welcome to reality, David - it's ugly.

This is no surprise whatsoever. We've known for years that these practices have been taking place in Islamic schools in Britain (see links below*), but as David says, the wool has remained firmly over people's eyes in order to retain our multi-culti, out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new credentials even when actually kicks the existing levels of mutual respect, tolerance and equality in the face to do so. Now it remains to be seen whether Gove et al will actually follow through with some kind of substantial investigation and regulation of such disgusting teachings or whether they'll be too cowardly to enforce anything actually approaching conformity. Unfortunately, aside from some finger-wagging from Ofsted and 'cross my heart and hope to die' promises from the schools themselves, I doubt it.

I think this excerpt from an article outlining Ofsted's approach to managing extremism in Islamic schools in 2009, compared with the reality now, sums up the effectiveness we can expect:

Ofsted would be 'rigorous'

Faith groups will be able to set up state schools under the Conservatives.

Formidable checks and balances would be put in place to stop extremists opening a school.

Ofsted would be charged with leading rigorous inspections of the new schools.

(Source: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Tories-set-to-create-boom.5320365.jp)

I feel sorry for the kids being indoctrinated in this crap. What a miserable way to view the world and others in it.

*Links to existing issues in Islamic schools in Britain. (Most are from the Telegraph simply because it is damn near impossible to find Guardian articles that tackle these issues.)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1579349/Islamic-school-kept-copies-of-race-hate-books.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/4699505/Islamic-fundamentalism-promoted-on-websites-at-some-Muslim-schools-in-the-UK-think-tank-finds.html

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23384657-we-do-use-books-that-call-jews-apes-admits-head-of-islamic-school.do

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1544519/Half-of-Muslim-schools-not-inspected.html

St.Agatha's CofE Primary up the road is a faith school. There is a big difference between it and an after school hours Madrassa.

t is hate literature when antisemites compile out-of-context quotes from Jewish textbooks like you know, if you find a non-Jews lost property you don't have to return it, or at the end of the world god will identify amalek so his followers can commit genocide. These things sound bad but they're understood in context. The only reason to take them out of context is antisemitism. Therefore I don't think you should do the same thing to muslims It is bad to libel Jews and it is equally bad to libel muslims

Again, what the fuck are you talking about?

Grow a spine and bar up.

describe Jews as descended from "monkeys" and "pigs"

First of all it is true that in the Qur'an it is narrated that a minority from amongst the Jewish community at a said time were transformed into apes and swine's soley because they violated the Sabbath.

Secondly, the selection of Jews were not transformed into apes and swine's because they were Jews, or child eating blood sucking vermin, but because they violated and transgressed the sanctity of the Sabbath as well as the Halakha, and G-d was to make them a sign to others not to follow their crooked path.

Thirdly, it was not the entire community of Jews which were transformed, just a small selection of the disobedient among them.

From having put the above into context, it is absolutely nonsensical to claim that Jews are the descendants of apes and swine's as it was only a small portion of the community which received such punishment, and when I hear this line come from the mouths of these Wahabi pseudo scholar scum, it makes my Muslim blood boil.