Qatari School Books: What is Being Taught

by Judith Bergman • March 26, 2019 at 5:00 am

Qatari Islamic education [is] perhaps even more radical than the most concerned Western critics were assuming. — Based on the "Review Of Qatari Islamic Education School Textbooks For The First Half Of The 2018-2019 School Year," by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
"The textbooks for grades 6, 8, 9 and 12 glorify jihad and self-sacrifice for the sake of Islam, presenting them as virtues and as divine commandments that earn Allah's favor and rewards, chief among them admittance into the highest level of Paradise". — MEMRI.
The students learn that Muslims who, despite the prohibition, befriend non-Muslims must be punished. The textbook emphasizes, "Allah prohibits alliances of any kind with unbelievers, and the Islamic nation must disavow unbelievers and their families..."
Students are taught at length about the superiority of Islam over other religions, especially over Judaism and Christianity. Judaism and Jews, as stressed in the grade 7 textbook, are portrayed as follows: "Treachery and perfidy are among the traits of the Jews throughout history"... [and] that Judaism is a distorted religion, that the Jews have an 'evil nature' and that they "want to take over the world".

Qatar follows the teachings of Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab (1703-1792) who preached a return to "pure Islam". Pictured: Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images for ANOC)

Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani in 2011 "reaffirmed his commitment to spare no efforts to carry the message and spread the teachings of Islam in the whole world, noting that the Muslim nation is now in need of renewal and inspiration of the experience of Wahhab's da'wah (call)".

Qatar follows the teachings of Muhammad Ibn Abdul Wahhab (1703-1792) who preached a return to "pure Islam" and urged Muslims to uphold only "the original principles of Islam as typified by the Salaf" (the 'ancestors', commonly considered the first three generations of Muslims).

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Turkey: Feminist Activists Targeted by Islamists, Media

by Uzay Bulut • March 26, 2019 at 4:00 am

The feminist march had aimed to celebrate the International Women's Day and protest women's rights violations in Turkey, but police fired tear gas and plastic bullets to disperse the women.
Since then, many Islamists and pro-government media have been targeting the participants of the march and claiming that the women chanted while a nearby mosque was reciting the adhan (call to prayer).
The historical cycle of media misinformation, government incitement, and subsequent violence against non-Muslim minorities and political dissidents will likely continue rolling forward until Turkey and its government acknowledge these practices and begin heading the other way.

The "17th Feminist Night March" had aimed to celebrate the International Women's Day and protest women's rights violations in Turkey, but police fired tear gas and plastic bullets to disperse the women. Pictured: Police in riot gear, backed by a water cannon, move to disperse thousands of mostly female demonstrators participating in the march, on March 8, 2019 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

In a recent statement, the Women and Family Coordination Office of the pro-government "Turkey Youth Foundation" (TÜGVA) described the Islamic call to prayer, the adhan, as a call to radical action.

"To us, the adhan is the renewal of our intention to conquer Rome, New York, Beijing, Tokyo, Moscow, Berlin, Paris and to complete our unfinished conquest of Vienna," said Seher Şenyüz, the vice coordinator of the Diyarbakir branch of the Women and Family Unit of TÜGVA, referring to the unsuccessful Ottoman attempts at conquering the Austrian capital.

Şenyüz's statement appeared aimed at supporting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who accused the participants of the "Feminist Night March" in Istanbul of "disrespecting Islam by booing the adhan". The organizers of the march denied the accusation.

The march, which took place on March 8 in Taksim, a central neighborhood of Istanbul, was blocked and attacked by the police.

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