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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Katelew who wrote (223432)	3/9/2007 6:12:05 PM
From: carranza2	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 281500

Well, I am heartened to see that you agree that this kind of textbook is dangerous. I am, however, disappointed that you seem to think that the source of the textbook as Saudi makes any difference. These kinds of textbooks are dangerous, regardless of their source, and it is deeply disturbing that Muslim children are being taught this kind of antisemitism in the US. It is but a very few steps from this kind to antisemitism to Islamism to terrorism, especially for impressionable youngsters.

To: Katelew who wrote (223432)	3/9/2007 6:13:15 PM
From: Sun Tzu	Respond to of 281500

>> article points out the books are Saudi in origin. They don't have to be. The US government is perfectly happy to produce them if, it suites its needs. So why is TWD and the like complaining about others producing them when it suits their agenda? What is this, when their hero Ronnie Raygun does it, it is all kosher, but when others do it, it is evil? It is the same type of books targeting the same population. antiwar.com

To: Katelew who wrote (223432)	3/10/2007 9:02:22 AM
From: epicure	Respond to of 281500

Yeah it's terrible when textbooks are used as propaganda- remember when USAID did it? Peshawar, Pakistan - TWO BULLETS PLUS TWO BULLETS by Doug Pritchard Back to CPT in Afghanistan main page. December 23, 2001 "I don’t like my school books," an Afghan teenager told the CPT delegation in Pakistan. "The math books have questions like, ‘Two bullets plus two bullets is how many bullets? The poetry books have poems made up about the Soviets, and the war, and the mujahadin instead of our own Afghan poetry.’" "Yes," added her sister, "And math questions like: ‘There are ten Russians in a tank. The mujahadin kill five of them. How many Russians are left in the tank?’ I hate these books." Afghanistan has suffered 23 years of war. Four million refugees like these girls have fled to neighbouring countries. They hope that they can return soon and contribute to rebuilding their nation. The manager of an Afghan organization committed to peace-building told the CPT delegation that these school text books pose a real problem. They were published in the 1980s by the Center for Afghan Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha for all grades 1 to 12. The project was funded by USAID and millions of the books were printed in the two main Afghan languages, Dari and Pashto. The authors hoped to use images "familiar to Afghan children." One book has violent images or examples on 43 of its 100 pages. After the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in 1989 and the collapse of the Afghan Communist government in 1992, the US withdrew its financial support for Afghan education. A revised edition of the Nebraska textbooks was published but, without the US subsidy, these books are more expensive. Therefore the original, militarized textbooks are the ones people can afford and they remain on the market. Nevertheless, they perpetuate a culture of violence which neither the school children nor their parents want. The parents hope that the USA and other wealthy nations who have intervened in Afghan affairs again this year will not turn away as quickly as they did in 1992. They hope that these nations will support the Afghan people in a sustained effort to end physical, social and cultural violence. The CPT exploratory delegation is visiting Pakistan / Afghanistan to learn more of what is happening in the region in order to advise people of faith on how to support the struggle for justice and peace in Afghanistan. The delegates are Doug Pritchard (Toronto ON) and Gene Stoltzfus (Chicago IL). cpt.org everything2.com physicsforums.com