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The change takes place as from 2004-2005 school year
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AMMAN,
December 30 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Jordanian
Education Minister Khaled Tuqan Tuesday, December 30, was quoted as
saying that schools will get new textbooks in the 2004-2005 school
year that will make the difference between "terrorism and
legitimate resistance".
The
Jordanian declaration comes only days after the Gulf Arab Council
states, during their summit in Kuwait last week, adopted a charter for
educational reforms with a view to "reformulating school
curricula" in member states and preventing "the influence of
youths by extremist ideologies".
“The
question of introducing notions pertaining to violence and
differentiating between terrorism and legitimate resistance comes as
part of a comprehensive human rights program," Tuqan told the
pro-government Al Rai newspaper, according to Agence
France-Presse (AFP).
“The
Ministry of Education is working with the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to introduce
international values and notions of human rights and peace into
curriculums," he said.
He
said the project is aimed "to spread reconciliation focusing on
values, Islamic teaching as well as Arab and Islamic heritage and
international law ... in order to increase awareness among
students".
“Jordan
has been working on this program for more than two years. It is not a
spur of the moment," he said, adding that the project which will
be implemented in the next school year.
Arab
and Muslim countries like Jordan have come under pressure from the
West following the September 11, 2001, deadly attacks on the United
States to speak out against such acts carried out in the name of
Islam.
However,
Tuqan told Al Rai that Jordan was not motivated by any
political reasons.
Fawwaz
Jaradat, the head of school curricula at the Education Ministry,
echoed the Minister and told Al Dustour daily that the new
notions that material in the revamped textbooks will focus on
"human rights in combating occupation, the differentiation
between terrorism and legitimate resistance, the concept of
terrorism".
There
were no details mentioned by the Minister or the head of school
curricula on the definition of “terrorism” or that of legitimate
resistance, a controversial issue that is still unsettled due to huge
differences between the West on one side and Aran and Muslim
countries, on the other.
Since
the early1990s, several Arab and Muslim leaders - including Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak - have been urging the international community
to agree on a definition for “terrorism” to be applied worldwide.
So
far, the issue is still open, with Arab and Muslim countries
complaining that acts of resisting occupation, especially in
Palestinian territories - under the Israeli occupation - are often
branded “terrorism” by Israel and its western allies.
Jordan's
King Abdullah II has been pushing to implement democracy in his
country and has called on the government and parliament in November to
take the lead in making the desert kingdom an example of democracy in
the Arab world.
Early
in December Saudi Arabia, under huge pressure from Washington since 15
of the 19 hijackers responsible for the September attacks were Saudis,
also announced plans to shake up its educational system to promote
moderation and tolerance.
Saudi
Defense Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz said in remarks
published December 5 that the reforms "aim to strengthen
principles, manners, and Islamic behavior in the young generation, and
the rooting of proper understanding".
Also,
a Kuwaiti education official told parliament Monday, December 29, that
the Gulf state is in the process of changing a number of school
textbooks to promote tolerance and equality and to fight violence and
extremism.
