Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04ABUDHABI2816
2004-08-21 05:17:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: CONDEMNATION OF RELIGIOUS

Tags:  OIIP KMDR TC 
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Diana T Fritz 02/06/2007 11:48:02 AM From DB/Inbox: Search Results

Cable 
Text: 
 
 
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 02816

SIPDIS
CXABU:
 ACTION: PAO
 INFO: POL AMB DCM ECON
Laser1:
 ACTION: PAO

DISSEMINATION: PAO
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: PAO:HMENDELSOHN
DRAFTED: PAO:AHOSHAN
CLEARED: NONE

VZCZCADI659
OO RUEHC RUENAAA RUEKJCS RUEHZM RUEHLO RUEHFR
RHRMDAB RUCJACC RUCQSOC
DE RUEHAD #2816/01 2340517
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 210517Z AUG 04
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5582
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0830
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0867
RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL//PA//
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002816 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; INR/NESA;
INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR ZEYA
LONDON ALSO PASS TO MOC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: CONDEMNATION OF RELIGIOUS
CURRICULUM IN THE GCC


UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002816

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; INR/NESA;
INR/B; IIP/G/NEA-SA
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR ZEYA
LONDON ALSO PASS TO MOC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR TC
SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: CONDEMNATION OF RELIGIOUS
CURRICULUM IN THE GCC



1. Summary: Abu Dhabi-based semi-official Arabic daily "Al-
Ittihad" carries a column by Kuwaiti intellectual, Dr. Ahmad
Al-Baghdadi, strongly condemning religious curriculums in
the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC). He quotes an
official report by the UAE government on religious
curriculums in public schools to validate his argument. He
attributes the current state of decline and human rights
violations in the Muslim world to a school curriculum
obsessed with the day of judgement which ignores practical
matters and positive values such as ethics, tolerance and
friendship. End summary.


2. Dr. Ahmad Al-Baghdadi wrote in his weekly column in "Al-
Ittihad" 8/17:
"A UAE government report discussed the teaching of Islamic
religion in the UAE. We must commend its officials for
their courage and supervision of this project, and hope that
the government modifies the teaching of these curriculums in
the interest of the UAE people. The report included nine
important observations that should be taken into
consideration by the other Gulf States. The situation in my
country, Kuwait, is hopeless as long as the government
continues to satisfy the religious current."


3. "The most important observation is the fourth, which notes
that:
`The curriculum leads to mental disturbances and
psychological disorders for the young generation
because it focuses, at early stages, on values of
threats, terrifying talk about death, the day of
judgment, hell and agony. It should be just the
opposite. The curriculum does not take the
psychological nature of the students into
consideration. At grade four, it starts talking
about heaven and hell and the infidels terrorizing
the Muslims during the time of the prophet. At
grade five, they come back and talk about heaven
and hell'.


4. "Let's ask ourselves a simple question: what is the benefit
of explaining life after death for a child who is not yet
ten years old? What kind of knowledge would he/she acquire
by absorbing this information? In what kind of practical
application could he/she use it in life? The answer to all
these questions is nothing. The Saudi schools provide
practical lessons on how to wash the dead and in reality the
expatriates are doing this job. The other question, is what
adults would benefit out of this. Isn't it much better to
teach other topics such as ethics, friendship and tolerance?
Do we have the right to wonder later that children and the
younger generation accept the value of killing to reach
paradise and to avoid the agony and torture of hell?."


5. "There is no doubt that these curriculums exist in all
Muslim nations due to the lack of commitment from the
ministries of education in teaching the young how to love
life and how to build their own world. Have those officials
in charge of these curriculums thought about the
consequences of teaching these subjects and other values
such as death. Death is just like life, something natural
that should not be given a bigger size than it actually
deserves. We all live our own lives after we become free
from the restrictions of school and the control of our
families and societies."


6. "Remembering the day of judgment does not build nations.
Muslims, with all their religious teachings, have the worst
nations, not because they are religious, but because they
like to spend their time doing nothing and in pursuit of
unproductive things. Just look around and see how much
political and social corruption exist and the level of human
rights violations. It is no exaggeration to say that
Muslims are the only religious group who act in non-
accordance with their religion and who say what they do not
do. They are the only group that believes they will get to
paradise merely because they were born Muslims. They are
the only group that exchanges reason for religious thinking
in administering their own lives. Just look around and see
whether there are any ruins of the mortal wonders in the
world by Muslims?"

SISON