Islamic school removes offensive chapters from textbooks
A Saudi-funded Islamic school at the centre of a row over textbooks believed to describe other faiths as "worthless" said today it was removing the offensive chapters from the books.
The head of the King Fahad academy in west London said the passages were being taken out of the books as a result of the controversy.
The school's director, Sumaya Alyusuf, said while the books were used in classes as "secondary sources", pupils were never taught from the offending chapters.
Dr Sumaya appeared on BBC2's Newsnight last night to defend the private school after a former teacher claimed children were taught from books describing Jews as "repugnant" and Christians as "pigs".
Today she mounted a strong defence of teaching practices in the school, insisting pupils were never taught religious hatred or intolerance.
She said the controversy had arisen from the misinterpretation of the material, which was based on the Qur'an. "I would like to make it clear that the controversial pages within the books are not taught within the academy," she said.
"However, in view of the public interest I have decided to remove those chapters from the books.
"The school is currently moving towards an international curriculum and new books are being developed for that curriculum."
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How did they do that?!? Cut them out with scissors?!?
Well it appears we now have the answer:
Muslim school to rip up textbooks that 'teach hatred'
A muslim faith school accused of poisoning children's minds against Jews and Christians yesterday promised to rip offensive chapters from textbooks.
But the move has failed to head off the threat of government intervention.
Schools Minister Jim Knight last night ordered officials to investigate the school's use of the books which are said to denigrate Jews as "monkeys" and Christians as "pigs".
The books are produced by the Saudi government which funds the private school in West London.
A former teacher at the King Fahad Academy has claimed that pupils as young as five were being exposed to the materials.
The decision to remove the offending chapters was announced yesterday by headmistress Sumaya Alyusuf.
She had initially refused to take action and maintains that the excerpts were "misinterpreted" and that the offending chapters had not been used in class.
The climbdown came as one academic claimed the Koran itself had been taken out of context by the school books. Dr Sajjad Rivzi, of Exeter University, said a verse from the holy book had been wilfully misinterpreted to condemn Jews.
"Official Saudi discourse is systematically extreme," he added.
"If their religious discourse were deliberately distorting Koranic verses and sayings from the Prophet's cousin to make certain points it would not surprise me."
The academy held a press conference yesterday to announce the offending chapters would be torn out of the two books.
Dr Alyusuf said: "I would like to make it clear the controversial pages within these books are not taught and never have been taught.
"In view of this public interest I have decided to remove these chapters from these books." She said the school - where GCSE results are above the national average - had been "shocked" at how the passages had been "misinterpreted".
The Department for Education has asked the academy to supply copies of the books, their interpretation of the contested passages and details of who they were taught to.
...
As for the declarations of Dr. Savjjad Rivzi that the qur'an has somehow been distorted, etc. I have here several verses of the qur'an (3 separate translations, very well respected by moslems) that show anyone that is not willfully blind, that allah himself referred to Jews & Christians as apes and pigs...
But first to make it easier, I shall put together, just the Yusufali translation together so the verses can be read one after the other:
005.056
YUSUFALI: As to those who turn (for friendship) to Allah, His Messenger, and the (fellowship of) believers,- it is the fellowship of Allah that must certainly triumph.
005.057
YUSUFALI: O ye who believe! take not for friends and protectors those who take your religion for a mockery or sport,- whether among those who received the Scripture before you, [That is a reference to Jews & Christians, because WE received Scriputres before moslems...ed. A.I.] or among those who reject Faith; but fear ye Allah, if ye have faith (indeed).
005.058
YUSUFALI: When ye proclaim your call to prayer they take it (but) as mockery and sport; that is because they are a people without understanding.
005.059
YUSUFALI: Say: "O people of the Book! [The book being the Bible, both Jewish & Christian, hence the "people of the book" are Jews & Christians...ed. A.I.] Do ye disapprove of us for no other reason than that we believe in Allah, and the revelation that hath come to us and that which came before (us), and (perhaps) that most of you are rebellious and disobedient?"
005.060
YUSUFALI: Say: "Shall I point out to you something much worse than this, (as judged) by the treatment it received from Allah? those who incurred the curse of Allah and His wrath, those of whom some He transformed into apes and swine, those who worshipped evil;- these are (many times) worse in rank, and far more astray from the even path!"
005.061
YUSUFALI: When they come to thee, they say: "We believe": but in fact they enter with a mind against Faith, and they go out with the same but Allah knoweth fully all that they hide.
005.062
YUSUFALI: Many of them dost thou see, racing each other in sin and rancour, and their eating of things forbidden. Evil indeed are the things that they do.
...
005.056
YUSUFALI: As to those who turn (for friendship) to Allah, His Messenger, and the (fellowship of) believers,- it is the fellowship of Allah that must certainly triumph.
PICKTHAL: And whoso taketh Allah and His messenger and those who believe for guardian (will know that), lo! the party of Allah, they are the victorious.
SHAKIR: And whoever takes Allah and His messenger and those who believe for a guardian, then surely the party of Allah are they that shall be triumphant.
005.057
YUSUFALI: O ye who believe! take not for friends and protectors those who take your religion for a mockery or sport,- whether among those who received the Scripture before you,[That is a reference to Jews & Christians, because WE received Scriputres before moslems...ed. A.I.] or among those who reject Faith; but fear ye Allah, if ye have faith (indeed).
PICKTHAL: O Ye who believe! Choose not for guardians such of those who received the Scripture before you, [That is a reference to Jews & Christians, because WE received Scriputres before moslems...ed. A.I.] and of the disbelievers, as make a jest and sport of your religion. But keep your duty to Allah if ye are true believers.
SHAKIR: O you who believe! do not take for guardians those who take your religion for a mockery and a joke, from among those who were given the Book before you ,[that is a reference to Jews & Christians, because WE received Scriputres before moslems...ed. A.I.] and the unbelievers; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah if you are believers.
005.058
YUSUFALI: When ye proclaim your call to prayer they take it (but) as mockery and sport; that is because they are a people without understanding.
PICKTHAL: And when ye call to prayer they take it for a jest and sport. That is because they are a folk who understand not.
SHAKIR: And when you call to prayer they make it a mockery and a joke; this is because they are a people who do not understand.
005.059
YUSUFALI: Say: "O people of the Book! [The book being the Bible, both Jewish & Christian, hence the "people of the book" are Jews & Christians...ed. A.I.] Do ye disapprove of us for no other reason than that we believe in Allah, and the revelation that hath come to us and that which came before (us), and (perhaps) that most of you are rebellious and disobedient?"
PICKTHAL: Say: O People of the Scripture! [The book being the Bible, both Jewish & Christian, hence the "people of the book" are Jews & Christians...ed. A.I.] Do ye blame us for aught else than that we believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed aforetime, and because most of you are evil-livers?
SHAKIR: Say: O followers of the Book! [The book being the Bible, both Jewish & Christian, hence the "people of the book" are Jews & Christians...ed. A.I.] do you find fault with us (for aught) except that we believe in Allah and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed before, and that most of you are transgressors?
005.060
YUSUFALI: Say: "Shall I point out to you something much worse than this, (as judged) by the treatment it received from Allah? those who incurred the curse of Allah and His wrath, those of whom some He transformed into apes and swine, those who worshipped evil;- these are (many times) worse in rank, and far more astray from the even path!"
PICKTHAL: Shall I tell thee of a worse (case) than theirs for retribution with Allah? (Worse is the case of him) whom Allah hath cursed, him on whom His wrath hath fallen and of whose sort Allah hath turned some to apes and swine, and who serveth idols. Such are in worse plight and further astray from the plain road.
SHAKIR: Say: Shall I inform you of (him who is) worse than this in retribution from Allah? (Worse is he) whom Allah has cursed and brought His wrath upon, and of whom He made apes and swine, and he who served the Shaitan; these are worse in place and more erring from the straight path.
005.061
YUSUFALI: When they come to thee, they say: "We believe": but in fact they enter with a mind against Faith, and they go out with the same but Allah knoweth fully all that they hide.
PICKTHAL: When they come unto you (Muslims), they say: We believe; but they came in unbelief and they went out in the same; and Allah knoweth best what they were hiding.
SHAKIR: And when they come to you, they say: We believe; and indeed they come in with unbelief and indeed they go forth with it; and Allah knows best what they concealed.
005.062
YUSUFALI: Many of them dost thou see, racing each other in sin and rancour, and their eating of things forbidden. Evil indeed are the things that they do.
PICKTHAL: And thou seest many of them vying one with another in sin and transgression and their devouring of illicit gain. Verily evil is what they do.
SHAKIR: And you will see many of them striving with one another to hasten in sin and exceeding the limits, and their eating of what is unlawfully acquired; certainly evil is that which they do.
You should also keep in mind the following, the qur'an is not only perfect but protected by allah, hence what is written in it is allah's word and immutable:
The Qur'an ("Qor-Ann") is a Message from Allah to humanity. It was transmitted to us in a chain starting from the Almighty Himself (swt) to the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (saas). This message was given to the Prophet (saas) in pieces over a period spanning approximately 23 years (610 CE to 622 CE). The Prophet (saas) was 40 years old when the Qur'an began to be revealed to him, and he was 63 when the revelation was completed. The language of the original message was Arabic, but it has been translated into many other languages.
The Qur'an is one leg of two which form the basis of Islam. The second leg is the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas). What makes the Qur'an different from the Sunnah is primarily its form. Unlike the Sunnah, the Qur'an is quite literally the Word of Allah, whereas the Sunnah was inspired by Allah but the wording and actions are the Prophet's. The Qur'an has not been expressed using any human's words. Its wording is letter for letter fixed by no one but Allah.
Prophet Muhammad (saas) was the final Messenger of Allah to humanity, and therefore the Qur'an is the last Message which Allah has sent to us. Its predecessors such as the Torah, Psalms, and Gospels have all been superceded. It is an obligation - and blessing - for all who hear of the Qur'an and Islam to investigate it and evaluate it for themselves. Allah has guaranteed that He will protect the Qur'an from human tampering, and today's readers can find exact copies of it all over the world. The Qur'an of today is the same as the Qur'an revealed to Muhammad (saas).
Pertinent Links:
1) Islamic school removes offensive chapters from textbooks
2) Muslim school to rip up textbooks that 'teach hatred'
3) USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim Texts
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
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