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Saudi Arabia continues to gently sway toward transformation in the wake of the 2020 Abraham Accords, which Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman assisted in secretly negotiating. Most notably, it is continuing to improve its textbooks, formerly a supply of glorification of terrorism and anti- Hebrew and against- Christian hatred. According to a new report analyzing the kingdom’s texts from 2022- 2023, key measures include the second:
Praise for terrorism continues to be removed. By 2021-2022, the report noted that the most difficult passages glorifying sacrifice and jihad had been eliminated from Saudi textbooks. This pattern continues. Passages removed include a reference that” all sins of the hero may be forgiven, except debt”, that terrorism is” the finale of Islam” and that terrorism means “fighting the enemies for the safety of faith, land, and worshipers”.
Discourse on Jewish and Christian issues. According to the statement, Saudi Arabia has removed “almost all” disparaging anti- Hebrew and against- Christian textbook sections. Lines removed include: claims that some Jews and Christians devotion Satan and gods, that Allah made some Jews and Christians into animals and monkeys, that some Jews and Christians fabricated Allah’s expression, that Jews and Christians fabricated inaccurate accounts of the scriptures in the Torah and the New Testament, negative views of how Jews and Christians describe Jesus, and tacit accusations that Jews and Christians are polytheists.
New criticism of the Muslim Brotherhood. In contrast to Qatar, who supports the Muslim Brotherhood, and Hamas, who is the Muslim Brotherhood branch that many Palestinians support, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates have all recognized the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. In line with that stance, Saudi Arabia’s textbooks become increasingly critical of the Islamist movement. According to one textbook, organizations created under the Muslim Brotherhood “wreaked havoc in the country and among the people, as known and obvious in crimes of violence and terrorism around the world.” Further, that textbook comments that the Muslim Brotherhood is a “deviant group based on arguing with rulers, rebelling against leaders, stirring up strife in countries, destabilizing coexistence in the unified nation, and describing Islamic societies as ignorant”. A second textbook warns that the Muslim Brotherhood “instigate ( s ) civil wars in countries” and is” a terrorist group”.
New criticism of other “deviant groups”. Further, one Saudi textbook labelled” Hezbollah, Al- Qaeda, ISIS, the Tablighi Jamaat, and other parties and sects” are “deviant groups” and “terrorist sects and parties” that” seek to divide societies, incite them, and exploit religion for their interests”. Another textbook labelled” The Muslim Brotherhood, al- Qaeda, ISIS, Jabhat al- Nusra, Hezbollah, the Houthis, the Sururiyya” as “errant groups” that are “purportedly religious but are in fact the opposite”.
” Slight” reforms on opinions on Israel and Zionism. The report acknowledges that there are” slight” changes in the portrayal of Israel and Zionism, but that those changes are” an encouraging sign that progress may include attitudes toward Israel and Zionism ] in the future. Saudi textbooks removed a libel falsely accusing Israel of the 1969 arson of the al- Aqsa mosque ( which was carried out by an Australian Christian fundamentalist ), an excerpt defining “patriotic poetry” to include that which “oppos]es ] the Jewish settlement of Palestine”, and passages glorifying the First Intifada at Israel’s expense. However, textbooks continue to not recognize Israel, not include it in maps, and refer to it as an “occupying” power.
Saudi Arabia still needs to improve its textbooks when it comes to reforming them, but it has made significant progress in recent years in its education regarding jihad, Jews, and Christians. These reforms, coupled with increased religious tolerance from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco, is a direct outgrowth of the Abraham Accords. By formally incorporating the kingdom into the Abraham Accords, the Biden administration should capitalize on this opening. Saudi Arabia’s membership in the Accords would strengthen American interests in the region and counteract Iranian and other Islamist forces.
