Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Jerusalem Schools Refuse to Teach Israeli Revised Textbooks

JERUSALEM, September 7, 2011 (WAFA) – Principals and teachers of occupied East Jerusalem schools Wednesday refused to teach Palestinian textbooks that have been revised and altered by the Israeli Ministry of Education, according to a Palestinian official.

Samir Jibril, a Palestinian Authority official in charge of Jerusalem education, said that 90% of the Palestinian students in Jerusalem bought the Palestinian version of the textbooks, which will be copied and distributed among the rest of the students. He said that every Palestinian school must only teach the Palestinian version of 2011 curricula textbooks that are produced by the Palestinian Ministry of Education.

He described the Israeli measure as “provocative,” accusing Israel to attempting to distort historical facts and misinform students about the Palestinian identity and history.

Ahmad Rweidi, in charge of the Jerusalem file in President Mahmoud Abbas’ office, considered the Israeli decision as “illegal because Jerusalem is an occupied city.”

The Israeli government revised Palestinian textbooks and removed poems by Palestinian poet Haroun Hashim Rashid, terminology relating to the Palestinian Intifada and any reference of Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

It also replaced information in the Islamic religion and Arabic history books by introducing what officials have described as false information about the history of Jews in Jerusalem.

M.H./M.A.

No comments: