By Ben Evansky
Published October 16, 2012
FoxNews.com
The UN agency that promotes education wants a say in how future textbooks are written, and Saudi Arabia — a nation whose own school books have been criticized for promoting hatred of Christians and Jews — is helping to bankroll the effort.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is currently working with member states to revise its strategy for the publication of textbooks and learning materials. According to UNESCO’s website, experts from 21 countries met in Paris last month at a meeting financed by a $29,000 Saudi donation and focused in part on “ways to ensure that content aimed at students systematically reflects cultural and religious diversity, and avoids gender stereotypes.”
Then, last week, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah cut a $20 million check to UNESCO’s emergency fund.
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah wrote UNESCO a $20 million check, as the agency seeks to influence the content of worldwide textbooks. (AP)
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/10/16/un-agency-funded-with-saudi-money-wants-to-edit-worldwide-textbooks/?intcmp=trending#ixzz29a8QsFtF
“Saudi textbooks are extremely hateful and full of xenophobic texts,” said Ali AlAhmed, author of the upcoming book “Saudi School Books: Objective Education or Extremist Indoctrination?” and director of the Gulf Institute in Washington, D.C.
According to AlAhmed, the Saudi funding “shows how xenophobic governments like [that of] the Saudis are able to buy influence.” He said UNESCO was betraying its mandate to uphold “value and standards of education and tolerance” as he warned UNESCO and the UN system as a whole were “susceptible to financial buyouts from countries like Saudi Arabia.”
Categories: Arab World, Asia, Saudi Arabia, United Nations
So, what is the problem? Saudi Books need to be looked at by UNESCO? So be it!