Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Al-Habib Al-Malki argued that the move came to fight extremism.
RABAT — The Ministry of Education in Morocco has omitted from preparatory school curricula a Qur'anic verse, hadith and a photo of a hijab-clad girl, claiming that it moved to nip extremism in the bud.
"They omitted verse no. 31 of surat An-Nur, which reads: "And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms…..," Abdul Kareem Al-Howeshri, the head of the non-governmental Islamic Education Association, told IslamOnline.net Tuesday, October 3.
He said they also erased a hadith narrated by Abu Dawood that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) cursed men dressing up in women's clothes and women putting on men's clothes.
"The Revival of Islamic Education textbook has been withdrawn from schools and distributed after the omissions," Howeshri said.
The ministry has further removed a photo of a girl wearing hijab and kissing her mother's hands from Al-Waha textbook, which also has to do with Islamic education.
Admitting the omissions at a recent parliamentary interpellation, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Al-Habib Al-Malki argued that the move came to fight hardliners.
Howeshri blasted the minister's justification as unacceptable and implausible.
"The minister wants to impose a fait accompli though such a move negates the very sense of Islamic identity and the Constitution, which says that Islam is the official religion of the state and all laws should be in harmony with Shari`ah," he fumed.
Pressure
Howeshri, also the chairman of the Moroccan committee for Islamic subject teachers, said the government must have come under pressure to omit subjects from curricula already approved by specialized ministerial committees.
"Pressures exercised by women organizations known for their secular and liberal trend have apparently paid off," he said.
Women organizations have launched a fierce campaign against the hijab-clad girl photo and pressed for removing it from the textbook, IOL's correspondent says.
They said hijab is a poignant symbol of women's subordination to men.
Howeshri also said the move is part of a government policy to reform curricula in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
"Unfortunately some Moroccan officials, mostly leftists, toed the American line," he said.
The ministry's drive, in effect, is not unprecedented.
Last year, the ministry pressed for abolishing the Islamic studies subjects from the science section of high school syllabus.
It further proposed removing any references to "jihad" in the Islamic subjects
Didn't they realize,they just plant a future resistance seeds,some people learn from books,some others learn from experience.But those guys never learnt.I scared to imagine what will happen to Muslims World in the next 20 years.
since when did wearing hijab become extreme? when did it become so wrong to teach women and girls modesty? and when did it become so wrong to teach men not to dress like women and women not to dress like men? its sad to see the muslim ummah having this type of thinking.
Just another failed attempt by these people. This will promt more people to read the verse and even more muslimahs to Inshallah start wearing the Hijab there in Morocco and elsewhere around the world. Its a case of taking away a toy from a baby which makes the baby want the toy even more.
The legislation of Hijab is here and its here to stay. The verse is in the hearts of millions of people. How will they remove it from there? These people's attempts are getting more pathetic by the day. Dont they realize that they are fighting a battle that they have already lost?
The Quran is unchanged and it will remain unchanged.
6:123. And thus We have set up in every town great ones of its wicked people to plot therein. But they plot not except against their ownselves, and they perceive (it) not.
Last edited by Ibn Abi Ahmed; 10-04-2006 at 05:01 PM.
“Do not argue with your Lord on behalf of your soul, rather argue with your soul on behalf of your Lord.” - Dhul-Nun
"It is the very pursuit of happiness that thwarts happiness." - Victor Frankl
I'm missing something here. This does not make any sense:
The Ministry of Education in Morocco has omitted from preparatory school curricula a Qur'anic verse, hadith and a photo of a hijab-clad girl, claiming that it moved to nip extremism in the bud.
The majority of the people in Morocco are Muslim. I doubt if there are any homes in Morocco that do not have a copy of the Qur'an and the ahadith.
These are standard teachings most if not all of the children already know. It is part of the language and the general culture. No other cultural beliefs are being infringed upon.
Virtually all students in the public school system are Muslim. Yes there are non-Muslims in Morocco, but they usually attend private schools. The University of Rabat does get some non-Muslim students from France and Spain.
Removing verses from holy books and photos of hijabs? Whatever happened to freedom of speech...
This is not about free speech though. It would be if it would become illegal to publish books containing it. This is about the contents of school books, which is obviously up to the government to determine.
This is not about free speech though. It would be if it would become illegal to publish books containing it. This is about the contents of school books, which is obviously up to the government to determine.
True and the government has the right to do such. However, this is a government that is supposed to be upholding Islam. Morocco is not a Democracy, it is a Kingdom. Apparantly the Government is not representing what the people are lead to believe it represents.
What is odd Morocco refused to renew base leases with the US in the 1960's and essentialy evicted an American presence in the country. One of the reasons was it was felt the American presence was undermining Islam in the country. Seems like Islam was stronger then, than what it is today.
Freedom of speach also includes freedom not to speak.
So are you condoning state censorship, by a monarchy no less?
format_quote Originally Posted by KAding
This is not about free speech though. It would be if it would become illegal to publish books containing it. This is about the contents of school books, which is obviously up to the government to determine.
Surely you're not implying that the people should sit idly by and let the system dictate what their children learn?
Of course not. That is one of the advantages of your freedoms. You have the freedom and right to work to cause a change. (Within the system)
Okay. Cool. Though I have a thing against monarchies. That's a system I wouldn't mind people changing - the French had the right idea, but perhaps the wrong execution.
Okay. Cool. Though I have a thing against monarchies. That's a system I wouldn't mind people changing - the French had the right idea, but perhaps the wrong execution.
No pun intended.
I to have "a thing against monarchies". Also, I have "a thing against" all kinds of government. But I also realize that each has there good points. It is just that some have more good points than others.
But they aren't editing the Qu'ran. Obviously school books can never contain the whole Qu'ran, so they have to make choices on where to quote it and where not to.
It appears they made a choice to either refer to it less or simply refer to different parts. Clearly such behavior of selecting certain phrases from the Qu'ran and ignoring others to make a point is widespread within Islam. It is no different in Christianity or any other religion IMHO. Different people simply appear to have different opinions on what parts are most important. Sure, this is generally up to scholars, but on this forum it is fairly easy to see who values what more, for example. Thats because there are always different perspectives.
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