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Dr. Ahmed A. Al-Banyan, Educational Research, Ministry of Education, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

This research aims to understand the Arab and Muslim image in American textbooks; in terms of knowing how such books contribute to establishing a stereotype of Arabs and Muslims in the Western community, defining their role in formulating the students perceptions, and realizing how students deal with their community and other communities, through the stereotypes these books instill in their minds and emotions during their various educational stages.

A research team was formed to conduct this research through analysis of selected textbooks approved for public education in the United States of America.

These themes form what may be called “the conception and value structure” produced by the educational discourse in its various manifestations in the analyzed books.

The researchers conducted qualitative analyses of the books to identify the contexts and conceptions that produce the five-component analysis units along with their positive, negative, or neutral stance towards Islam, Muslims, and Arabs. These components are Islamic, national, social, cultural, and economic.

For the purposes of this research, 300 public textbooks were brought from the USA. They dealt with various educational subjects both in the fields of science, i.e. mathematics, physics, chemistry, and statistics, and the humanities, i.e. language, literature, linguistics, and social sciences. A total of 52 books were selected initially, which were then reduced to 18 books, as these included the information needed for the study. According to the American Textbook Council (ATC), these were the most commonly used books in many states such as California, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, New York, Texas, and others. In addition, they were published by reliable publishers including “Prentice Hall”. The selected books also cover more than one school grade. One book, for example, is used for the entire junior high school stage. It is arranged so as to be taught over a period of three (3) years. Every book runs into an average of no less than 600 pages. These books addressed the social, historical, geographic, cultural, and literary syllabi.

4. Concentrating on the written material, i.e. text, documents, and subject titles; and non-written materials, i.e. pictures and maps.

5. Studying pictures, drawings, technical designs, subject titles, and other material which may convey hidden messages and concepts.

6. Examining the meanings and implications of the words, and their emotional, cultural, and religious impact.

7. Studying hidden messages through exploring the implicit messages and symbolic codes within the text.

8. Following selective patterns of presenting the information and employing them within the context; and exploring various levels of the cognitive and value discourse in the text.

General stance of the textbook	Neutral	Positive	Negative	Total
Number of books	9	4	5	18
Percentage (*)	50%	22.2%	27.8%	100%

The total number of the textbooks approved for public education in the United States of America, which have been subjected to the content and discourse analysis is 18 books.

50% of the total number of the books had a neutral stance towards Arabs and Muslims.

22.2% of the total number of the books had a positive stance towards Arabs and Muslims.

27.8% of the total number of the books had a negative stance towards Arabs and Muslims.

The textbooks used at public schools of the United States of America address the Arab and Muslims issues from two perspectives. While some authors resort to fairness in stating the truth as it is, others try to draw a negative picture about the Islamic religion or Arabs through a number of issues as shall be explained below.

This subject is addressed in all textbooks. However, the presentation differs from one book to another in terms of positive or negative. This may be summarized as follows:

Most of the textbooks analyzed address Islam as one of the major religions of the world. The book entitled “Literature – The Reader’s Choice” indicates that Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have one thing in common: they all believe in one God (p. 413). It also states that Islam recognizes the other religions and classifies their followers as “the people of the Book”. Likewise, the textbook “Geography - the World and its People” indicates that Islam is one of the major religions.

The World History - Connections to Date states: “Within 200 years, Muslims had built a great empire and a major new civilization” (p. 188). The book adds that, for Christians and Europeans, Islam was a source of threat and worry. Even after Islam had become no longer a source of threat, the Christians continued with their aggressive attitude towards the Islamic World.

The textbook “The World and its Peoples”, in more than one place (pages 221, 222, and 223 for example), correlates Islam to the Arabs in an attempt to infuse the concept that Islam is an integral part of the lives of the Arabs. The Cultures of the World textbook refers to the impact of Christianity in forming other cultures (p. 17). Here, the reader senses a pro-Christian partiality and an attempt to degrade other religions.

The textbook “The Geography of the World Today” states that Islam, over the years, has divided into two (2) major sects and a large number of parties (p. 440). The Sunnah Muslims are sometimes called “Orthodox Muslims”. The book discusses the Sufis (Mysticism) saying that many Muslims exercise contemplation and fasting for long periods of time, and they donate all their property. By doing so, they hope to purify their souls and become closer to Allah. The question is: would contemplation, fasting, and donation be the means for such a relation with God? Undoubtedly, these acts reflect the Sufis’ practices; they do not represent Islam.

Some of the books tried to give distorted and incorrect information regarding the reasons for adopting Islam. The Geography of the World Today textbook mentions that non-Muslims “had to pay the non-believer tax”. Some people converted to Islam in order to escape such tax” (pages 186, 573). The book made no mention of the Muslims’ issue of paying the Zakat. This reflects a failure in introducing adequate and objective information and an attempt to unfairly expose what seems to be Islam’s injustice against believers of other religions.

On page 186, the book adds that non-Muslims in India converted to Islam in order to obtain high-level government jobs. The book states: “Like Muslim rulers elsewhere, the Delhi sultans generally did not force their Hindu subjects to adopt Islam. Instead, non-Muslims had to pay special taxes. Some Hindus did become Muslims, however, because only Muslims could hold high-government jobs.”

The books concentrate on terrorism by some Muslims against others as a result of oppression and frustration. However, all the books overlook the injustice and hostility inflicted by non-Muslim peoples against Muslims and other nations under weak justifications. The textbook: “Literature – The Reader’s Choice” defines terrorism as the use of force against non-military targets (p. 477). Although the book does not correlate terrorism with Arabs, yet it encourages this concept through speaking about bombing civilians. In this respect, it concentrates on countries of the southwest of Asia (the Middle East). The book also includes a poem by the Jewish poet Ihuda Amachi in which he condemns the use of bombs. The textbook: “Geography of the World Today” refers to the attack of September 11 on the USA where thousands of people were killed. The book states: “On that day, fundamentalist Muslim terrorists stunned the world by hijacking four commercial airplanes. The terrorists crashed two of the planes into the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center, collapsing the buildings. The third plane hit the Pentagon, just outside Washington, D.C. and the fourth crashed in rural Pennsylvania” (p. 130). The Social Studies Textbook states: “The United States of America determined that the September 11 attacks were planned by a terrorist group based in the Central Asian nation of Afghanistan” (p. 663).

The textbook: “The World History - Connections to Date” states that Muslims envisage Jihad as an effort in the service of Allah. The book adds that: “Jihad has often been mistakenly translated simply as “holy war”. In fact, it may include acts of charity or an inner struggle to achieve spiritual peace, as well as any battle in defense of Islam” (p. 258).

The textbook: “The World and its Peoples” deals with Muslims’ Jihad in occupying land in order to spread the religion of Islam and how Muslims forced others to adopt their religion, which was then adopted by the majority of those nations occupied (pp. 222, 223). The book mentions only one battle in which the Muslims were defeated in the year 732 in France (pp. 223, 224). It also states: “The Arab warriors swept everything before them. They believed that they had been chosen to spread God’s word. Muslims went to battles with the belief that death would carry them to paradise” (p. 222).

The Cultures of the World textbook describes Jihad as the “Holy War” to purify Islam (p. 92). The book states: “Islam taught that Muslim warriors who died in the service of Islam would win a place in paradise” (p. 572).

The textbook: “The World Explorer – People, Places, and Cultures” states that Muhammad said that woman and man are equal before God. Both are required to use decent dress in public places. However, there is a debate concerning women’s behavior in life in general. Partially, this debate concerns the veil. While some people think that a woman should veil everything except her eyes, others think that this should be left to the woman’s discretion.

The textbook: “The World Cultures Today” deals also with the veil. It mentions that in the old Islamic communities, women had more freedom than they have nowadays. Furthermore, it deals with the situation of women living in isolation from men in all activities and considers this as an obstacle to women’s freedom (p. 583). Speaking of women in the Middle East, it mentions that the laws of the conservative areas (Riyadh, Tehran) require that women must be veiled when they go outside their homes. It compared this situation with its counterpart in other countries of the Middle East where most women walk freely and unveiled. This is an attempt to impress the reader with the implications of the veil as a major issue. It also creates confusion for the reader as to what seems to be contradictions in the Islamic World. It reads: “In conservative places like Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, or Tehran, Iran the law requires women to be veiled when they go outside their homes. In other Middle East cities, such as Ankara, Cairo, Damascus, and Amman, most women walk along the streets freely and remain unveiled” (p. 599).

The textbook: “The Geography of the World Today” presents a study and analysis of the countries of the area on an individual basis. It starts with Turkey (p. 173) and says that Turkey became a republic in 1923 (p. 174) with Kamal Ataturk as the first president. Under his rule, Turkey became a modern country. Women were given the same rights as men. Men and women were forced by the law to abandon the conventional costume, and most women stopped wearing the veil. Ataturk directed his country towards Western policy more than to the Arab World. Today, the life style of Turkey is similar to that of Europe. However, the people remained Muslim and so did their country. The book states: “Women were given the same legal rights as men; all children were required to go to school, and people were forced to abandon traditional clothing. Most women then stopped wearing the veil.”

This has an implication that women were oppressed and abused by Islamic teachings, which constitutes an attempt to defame Islam as a religion. In addressing women and their situation, the reader realizes that, according to the book, the Muslim woman’s issue should be measured against western cultural criteria in an attempt to advance the concept that Islam did not consider women’s rights an important issue. The book ignores the rights provided to women by Islam.

None of the books analyzed failed to mention the Prophet. The textbook: “Literature – the Reader’s Choice” provides a brief summary of Prophet Muhammad’s life (p. 448). On page 413, an artistic piece, said to be Persian, shows a man on the back of a horse, which has a human face, and angels flocking around. Now the question is: what is the purpose of showing such a picture, if not for all to depict the mythical incident of the Prophet’s ascension? The textbook: “The World History – Connections to date” deals with the Islamic world from the inception of Islam until the time of the Ottoman Empire. The book starts telling the life of Muhammad by showing a group of people sitting in Makkah. In a quiet corner in the market, which was crowded with vendors offering their wares in loud voices, a huge black man with a black beard is shown talking to a small group of people (p. 256). The World and its Peoples tells the life of Muhammad under a prominent title, which is “The Revelations of the Prophet” (p. 226). In fact, this has been the only place where the title “prophet” is used. In all other places, the book uses “Muhammad” only, without referring to him as a “prophet”.

On the other hand, “The World’s History and Geography” states that when Muhammad was young, he traveled in the Middle East and, “he had been influenced by the beliefs of the Jews and Christians he met”. In the “History of the World: People, Places and Concepts”, the author assigned a section titled “The Life of Muhammad”, where he states: “Muhammad became caravan manager. Meeting people along the trade route, Muhammad probably heard the teachings of Judaism and Christianity”, (p. 157). The book also mentions that Muhammad “forced the people of Madinah to acknowledge Allah as their only God”, (p. 144).

The apparent intent here is to increase the status of Judaism and Christianity and degrade Islam through highlighting the fact that Muhammad had been influenced by them and that he did not come up with anything new but that he only copied their teachings. It is clear that the author tries to degrade Islam through defaming Muhammad because he “forced people to adopt Islam”.

The author of The World Geography and Culture wrote about Islam. He describes Muhammad as a man who rode the camels and lived in the city of Makkah (p. 223). The author writes: “God sent the angel Gabriel to a man named Muhammad, an ordinary camel driver who lived in the city of Mecca. Muhammad was told that he was God’s chosen prophet or messenger”. It is apparent that the author tried to degrade Muhammad’s personality (putting him in the image of a bedouin who comes from a primitive background).

The textbook: “Literature – the Reader’s Choice” introduces the Holy Quran as, “according to the Muslims’ belief, the book that was revealed directly by God to the Prophet Muhammad”, (pp. 434, 448). The book adds that it was written thirty (30) years after the death of Muhammad, (p. 43) - twenty (20) years in another place (p. 448)! This reflects the inaccuracy in presenting the information. Also, the textbook: “The World and its Peoples” states that: “When Muhammad preached in Medina, some of his followers wrote down his messages. They were gathered in a book known as the Quran, which is the holy book of Islam”, (p. 226).

It is very well known that the above is not true. The Holy Quran is the words of God. It was revealed to Muhammad by Gabriel, the angel.

Punishment was only mentioned once in the World Geography Today textbook. Writing about Nigeria, the book says that Muslims wanted to apply the Islamic Sharia rules to certain crimes, which was opposed by the Christians (p. 508). The book states: “Sharia bans alcohol and allows severe punishment, such as cutting of a hand for certain crimes. While officials say that Sharia would apply only to Muslims, many Christians are concerned”.

The textbook: “Literature – the Reader’s Choice” introduces the five pillars of Islam in a right way that reflects the truth. It also mentions Ramadan as the holy month, “the holy month of Ramadan”, and (p. 448).

The textbook: “The World Explorer – People, Places and Cultures” states that al-Hajj is a commemoration of Prophet Abraham – said to have built the first house for worship in Mecca. Muslims perform al hajj once in their lifetime, if they could afford it, (p. 527). In this respect, the textbook “The World Geography Today” states: “Many people in Islamic countries also make a special religious journey to Mecca called al hajj. Islam requires its followers to make this journey at least once in their lifetime”, (p. 102). However, the book provides inaccurate information about fasting and Eid Al Ad’ha. For example, it states that among the special Muslim days is fasting the month of Ramadan; that is fasting during the whole length of the first month of the Islamic year, (p. 109)! Needless to say, Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar year, which starts with the Prophet’s exodus (Hijri). The book also sees that the Eid Al Ad’ha occurs at the end of the pilgrimage. This also is additional incorrect information. The Hajj continues during the three Hajj days called “Tashreeq”. The World Geography Today states; “One of the religious duties of a Muslim is to make one pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. These are the two holiest places in the Islamic world. Before the development of its petroleum industry, the government of Saudi Arabia received most of its money by taxing visitors to these holy cities” (p 188).

It is worth indicating that what the author said about visiting Medina for Hajj is incorrect. Hajj is performed at Mecca only. Besides, what is the importance of mentioning that the Saudi government imposed taxes on the visitors of those two holy cities?

In brief, the books that were analyzed have addressed one or more of the following subjects: religion, terrorism, Jihad, the woman in Islam, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Qur’an, punishment, and the pillars of Islam. We have reviewed each one separately. In general, the image of Islam, Muslims and Arabs has been handled in an objective way in most of the books analyzed. However, certain negative remarks about introducing the information are summarized below.

1. Synopsizing, which distorts the presentation, as is the case in introducing the Pillars of Islam.

2. Error, which confuses the reader. For example, some books do not differentiate between the Holy Qur’an and the Noble Hadeeth (the Prophet’s Traditions).

3. Selectivity, which creates an incorrect stereotype. For example, in addressing terrorism, only the acts of the fundamentalist armed groups against others are mentioned. Terrorism exercised by other countries and fundamentalist Jewish and Christian groups is totally ignored.

4. Distortion of Facts, which leads to insult. For example, one of the books states that some people adopted Islam as a result of pressure; either to escape payment of the non-Muslim fees or to get a good job.

The textbook entitled Geography – The World and its Peoples and under the subtitle of “The Persian Gulf Emirates” discusses Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates and describes their locations (p. 495). It says that such countries benefited from the oil revenues to build a more prosperous economy. The book also mentioned the Algerian liberation war and calls it “the national war” (p. 467). Talking about Morocco, the book states, “During the 600s, Arab invaders swept into Morocco. A century later Arabs and Berbers together crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and conquered Spain” (p. 468).

The book also speaks about the national war in Lebanon. It mentions the war between Muslims and Christians and that the Muslims were 70% of the total population (p. 490). It, then, refers to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and to its withdrawal from the south in 2000. The reader would expect to read something about the Sabra and Shatila, or any other massacre carried out by the Jews. However, the book does not make any mention of that.

The History of the World – Connections To Date, in its discussion of the religious revival, states that “Islamic reformers (often called fundamentalists by Westerners) did not reject modernization, but they did reject Westernization”, (p. 910).

The World Geography and Culture wrote about the Arab countries in a separately assigned unit (Unit 5, pp. 206 – 255). But, it is apparent that the book concentrates on Israel and speaks about it in more detail. It tells the story of Abraham’s father and that God had promised them the land of Palestine when they worshipped him.

The Geography – The World and its Peoples textbook writes about Iran, (pp. 499, 500). It mentions the Iranian revolution and the establishing of the Islamic Republic, which is ruled by the religious Muslim leaders. It also deals with Afghanistan (p. 500) and the Talibans stating that they “strictly apply the Islamic religious teachings; and they limit personal freedoms, especially of women”.

The World Explorer – People, Places and Cultures expounds the West-African kingdoms. It deals with Mali and the spread of Islam there, (p. 375). In another textbook entitled The World Geography Today we find two pictures; one from Australia and the other from Afghanistan side by side, (p. 118). While the picture of Australia reflects development, the picture of Afghanistan reflects poverty and underdevelopment.

The Cultures of the World textbook, unit three, pages 203 - 206 deal with the struggle between the Muslims and the Hindus. On the other hand, pages 223 –224 deal with the struggle between India and Pakistan about Kashmir and the Muslim reaction toward this struggle. On page 571, the book compares Islam, Christianity and Judaism. It says that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) called the Jews and Christians the “people of the Book”, and that they are given a special status as that of the non-Muslim protected people. The book indicated that when many Middle East countries adopted western technologies and cultures, Muslims thought that westernization endangers Islam, which means they thought of returning to the basic values established by the Holy Quran.

The books that have been analyzed did not overlook the Arabs and Israel issue. However, while some books dealt with it in a small number of pages, others used complete chapters to deal with it. All books concur that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. The name of Palestine does not occur in the maps; only Israel’s. The Literature – the Reader’s Choice book mentions on page 412 that the Jewish settlers have reestablished the ancient State of Israel in the Palestine areas, the previous subordinate of the Turkish Empire. Using the phrase “reestablished the ancient State of Israel” implies the viewpoint of the book that the land belongs to Israel and that they finally were able to retrieve it. The Geography – the World and its Peoples deals with Israel in the second part of Chapter VII (pp. 482 - 486). It states “Prejudice against the Jews caused them much hardship. In the late 1800s, some European Jews began to move back to Palestine. These settlers, known as Zionists, had planned to set up a safe homeland for Jews in the ancestral land”, (p. 485).

The above statement is a clear declaration of Israel’s right to live and establish a state on another people’s land. It also reveals that the book’s author feels great sympathy for the Jews through relating the catastrophe they endured in Europe and the oppression of the Germans against them.

The World Geography Today states that the Hebrews established their state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean in 1000 BC. This also is another indirect indication that the Jews have a right in the land that falls within that area. The book attributes the Arab - Israeli conflict to two reasons. They are: (1) cultural, which reflects the strong relation between people and place, and (2) economic, which reflects the desire to own underground natural resources. The book continues: “Hundreds of thousands of Arabs left Palestine after Israel declared independence in 1948”. This calls for looking into two points, (1) did the Arabs leave Palestine of their own free will, and (2) had Israel been a recognized state under colonial occupation, such as Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon, to have the right to declare independence in 1948? This makes clear the implied purpose of the text. It impresses upon the reader that Israel existed before that date; then it obtained independence. This is another indirect declaration that the Jews have the right to establish a state called Israel as long as it existed before occupation.

The World Cultures also deals with the Arab-Israeli conflict for the liberation of Palestine. In this context, the reader’s attention is diverted into one fact, which is the historical right of the Jews in the Palestinian land. Two maps were also illustrated on pages 549 and 554 bearing Israel’s name and ignoring the Palestinian state. Also, on page 549, pictures of fruits were shown as products of Israel. The authors did not even state the name of the Palestinian state in their listing of the countries of the area, “The countries of the eastern Mediterranean are Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and Cyprus (p. 173). In dealing with the Arab-Israeli wars, it was obvious that the book holds the Arabs, particularly the Palestinians, responsible for the disturbances and problems in the area. “These Palestinian Arabs have continued to be a problem in the Middle East” (p. 177). The same attitude continues on page 178 as the book deals with the Palestinian refugees and considers them the causes of problems for Israel. They attack Israeli civilians, cities, and airplanes! Here, the book considers them as terrorists, with no mention at all of the acts taken by Israel against the unarmed Palestinian civilians, children and women. This is a glaring example of injustice, prejudice and bias. The book states, “These guerrillas often cross national borders and attack towns in Israel. They have also attacked citizens of Israel and the airplanes and property of Israel throughout the world” (p. 178).

The textbook: “The Geography and Culture of the World”, under a separate title: “The Arab-Israeli Conflict”, deals with this subject in the same way as the previous books do in that the Jews returned to their homeland according to their belief (p. 234).

American History reflects a prominent embodiment and glorification of the American ego in every school grade. It also refers to the great American personalities that made American history and contributed to American culture. The book ignores other participants in building American culture, especially the Europeans and certain Asian immigrants. It is noted clearly in the book that some historic facts are omitted. For instance, the book states that America was not discovered by Christopher Columbus and that the American people had lived there for 5000 years. However, the book does not base this information on any historical reference.

The War Culture versus Peace is widely expounded in the American History textbook. This is particularly apparent through the use of certain expressions such as war, invasion, occupation battle, attack, conflict, resistance, force, killing, oppression, victory, defeat, control, suppression, etc. The book uses these expressions in all chapters and considers that they had a clear role in American history. Such expressions are intended to educate the young generations and make them realize that American present glory and history have not been achieved easily. Destructive wars preceded this glory, starting with resistance against the new comers and occupants of the land. The American achievements were not brought about easily, but they were marked with bloodshed, according to the book. Undoubtedly, such presentation does affect the young generations, whether directly or indirectly, particularly in respect to not objecting to bloodshed to save the American nation.

The American History, in all chapters, has a non-deniable invitation to and concentration on capitalism. It intends to inculcate the notion that the concept of capitalism is the base and nerve center of life. To insure material interests and financial benefits, there is not objection against bloodshed and cheating of others. It is also noticed that financial and administrative organizations constituted now and then are concerned with the economic and financial reform.

The political concept is made clear and emphasized by the author of The American History book considering that the study of history is basically a political study. The purpose of studying past history is to gain examples and lessons; the study of the present is to anticipate the future and plan for it in accordance with the outcome of the present day. The reader of this book finds that author has exaggerated the political side of it. the incidents that have occurred were interpreted from a political point of view. The internal wars, bloodshed, and suppression that have been exercised against certain peoples and tribes have been carried out for the purpose of developing the community and saving it from foreigners’ domination. On the other hand, the religious people tried to justify enslaving certain categories of people, such as farmers, on the basis that God had created them to be so and that they must remain slaves and poor. Therefore, the majority of the political expressions used in this book fall within the framework of: injustice, suppression and slavery. There is also an attempt to justify that intervention in those wars is to ensure peace whether in the United States of America or in the world, with special emphasis on the justifications for the American involvement in WW1 and WW2.

Within the National Theme, the books deal with one or more of the following subjects: Arab countries, non-Arab Islamic countries, the Arabs and Israel, the concept and formation of the Identity, the war concept versus peace, capitalism, and centralism and politics. We have discussed each subject separately. In general, it is noted that the image of Islam and Muslims has been addressed in a non-objective method in some of the books analyzed. Some negative remarks in the presentation of the information are indicated below:

This is clear in stating certain information and avoiding other facts. For instance, the books compare an Islamic country such as Afghanistan and an advanced country such as Australia where it presents some pictures reflecting poverty and underdevelopment of the Islamic country, which leaves a negative impression in the reader’s mind. Another example is that the Arabs did not accept the UN resolution to divide Jerusalem, in an attempt to indicate that the Arabs are the cause of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Another example is the attempt to document the Jewish declaration that Palestine is originally a Jewish land, which impresses the reader with the Israeli right to the land.

This is represented in showing the Palestinians as the cause of problems for Israel. The books describe the Palestinians as terrorists who attack the Israeli cities and civilians and airplanes. The books also attempt to pass on a stereotype of the Islamic countries in that they have many problems and disturbances.

This is reflected in stating that Muslims bear hatred and violent intentions towards others, especially against the West.

The books provide only limited information about the Arab and Islamic countries. It does not exceed a small number of lines in some books and is neglected in others. On the opposite side, justification is noticed in dealing with other countries, such as Israel.

The books describe the Jews as an innocent people who were homeless and a target for terrorism and who have a right to the land of their ancestors.

This is particularly clear in describing pride in the American culture as it is locally developed and not imported. It also includes denial of certain historic facts such as the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.

Every result must have a motivation. For instance, the internal wars marked with bloodshed, were motivated by the necessity of peace and maintaining stability. This as a bare fact may not be wrong; defending the country is a legal issue. But, the problem lies in extending this concept to legitimate fighting other countries based on unproven basis that such countries cause a threat to its interests.

The World Cultures deals with the Bedouin life and describes Bedouins as the people who live in tents (p. 581). At the same time it deals with life in the city. It says that mosques existed at the center of the Islamic community life. They served many purposes such as places for meeting, centers for study, and inns for travelers (p. 581). The World Geography Today also dealt with Bedouins and mentioned that: “of the other groups of people living in the Middle East, one of the most interesting is the Bedouins. They are nomadic desert people found throughout the region”. The book adds that the life of Bedouins is marked with continued moving from one area to another in search of water and pasture and with the passage of time they settled in cities. On page 180, the book again discusses the Bedouins. The reader notices clearly the American egotism and exaggeration in highlighting American superiority as compared to others. This is particularly apparent as the authors mention the help provided to the Bedouins and employing them by Aramco, “When American oil companies first moved into Saudi Arabia in the 1930s, they hired Bedouins as laborers and trained them to drive and maintain trucks” (p. 180).

The World History – People, Places and Concepts (the teacher’s handbook), in dealing with the spread of Islam, includes a picture, which illustrates Bedouins and camels. It tried to degrade the Arabian Peninsula and only mentioned that the life is Bedouin type; the Arabian Peninsula is just a desert; and that the people who live there are Bedouins living in places with water. Page 156 of the book reads: “The Arabian Peninsula, or Arabia, is in southwest Asia. The peninsula is almost entirely a desert. Some people live in this area as Bedouins, or nomads. Others settled in the few places with water”.

The previous statement indicates an apparent prejudice in explaining features of the Arabian Peninsula. The civilization level of the country of the Two Holy Mosques is almost similar to that of Western civilization. It even transcends in certain other material and moral aspects of civilization. Roads, construction, and factories are examples of the material civilization, while ethics, decent treatment, education, etc. are examples of the moral. These indicate that there are civilized people who can communicate and co-exist with the whole world.

The world History – Connections To Date deals with slavery as saying that slavery existed in the Islamic World cities, as much as it did in Greece and Rome. Slaves were brought from the lands occupied by Muslims such as Spain, Greece, Africa, India, and Central Asia. The book states that Muslims would not be enslaved. Non-Muslim slaves would not be freed unless they adopted Islam. The book adds: “Islamic law encouraged the freeing of slaves. Many slaves bought their freedom, often with the help of charitable donations or state funds” (p. 267).

The “World History and Geography” discusses social groups and slavery in the Islamic community. Women, according to the book, “were not the only group to be treated unequally in Muslim society. Non-Arab converters to Islam did not have as many privileges as Arab Muslims did” (PP. 187, 188). The book adds that among the community groups are the slaves, and that “the Quran forbids enslavement of Muslims and protected peoples but not the institution of slavery”.

The World and its Peoples states that the cultural variations between the Europeans and the Middle East people cause some kind of opposition, and that the Europeans believed that they had a mission of promoting the underdeveloped people to civilization. To be able to support this, the Europeans tried to depict an erroneous image of Islamic communities. They described Muslims as corrupted people who treat women in a way not different from the way they treat sheep. The attempts to equalize women’s education with that of men were met with opposition by the conservative Muslims (p. 502). The book describes women’s situation in the Middle East as “Women (who) were caught in the middle. Westerners ridiculed their traditions. But their own society regarded any change as being against their religion”.

The World Geography and Culture described women in the Arab countries as being restricted, and that they must cover their faces. Page 225 of the book reads: “Some Islamic countries are stricter than others. Saudi Arabia, for example, is a very strict Islamic country. In Saudi Arabia, women cannot show their full faces in public; cannot drive the car or travel alone; and cannot take jobs outside the home”.

Needless to say that there is an apparent prejudice on the part of the author against Islam and Arab countries in general, and Saudi Arabia in particular in respect of women’s issue by showing them as being restricted, oppressed and having no freedom. The author must have made a mistake by stating that women “cannot take jobs outside the home”.

The Geography – the World and its Peoples shows a picture of a group of men in Saudi costume sitting in a circle around their meal (p. 447). The book comments on the picture by saying: “Traditionally, the Arabs use their hands for eating. Before they start, everybody must wash his/her hands with water. Then they take up their food shaped like balls. There is an old saying that using three fingers is the best. Using one finger for eating implies hatred; two fingers is a sign of arrogance; three fingers follows the Prophet’s way of eating; and four or five fingers reflects greediness”.

In brief, the social theme has addressed a variety of subjects. They are: democracy, Bedouin life, and slavery in the Islamic community, image of the Arabic woman, and customs and traditions. We have discussed each subject separately. In general, it is noticed that the image of Islam, Muslims and Arabs has been addressed in an objective method in some of the books analyzed. Some negative remarks in the presentation of the information are indicated below:

This is reflected in showing slavery as if it were an Arab or Islamic industry; giving what seemed to be indications that Muslims may enslave others, but they may not be enslaved by any body; displaying casteism in Islam; and showing women as if they were oppressed, confined, and with no freedom.

This is reflected clearly in claiming that there is only a small number of educated Saudi girls; suggesting that education in Saudi Arabia in respect of women can not produce highly educated women; and by stating that Saudi women do not work outside the home.

This is particularly clear in the allegation that democracy is non-existent in the majority of the Middle East countries; and, consequently, branding these countries for despotism and suppression.

The Muslim woman was presented from the Western cultural perspective, which must be used as an example to be copied. The textbook “The World and its Peoples” states that the Europeans tried to justify their colonization of the Middle East because they were trying to upgrade the underdeveloped peoples (p. 501). For this reason, they used a stereotype of the Islamic communities, which shows an alleged corrupted, non-ethical life in the Middle East.

The books presented the Bedouin life as if it were the prevailing type of living among Arabs and Islam as a religion of a primitive group of humans. It also stressed that the Europeans had the merit of educating and civilizing the Arabs. Pictures were used by certain authors to help them in reinforcing some of their views. The textbook “The World and its Peoples” shows a picture of a camel carried on a pick-up with an accompanying comment that reads; “Today, examples of old and new roads are still seen in the Middle East” (p. 502).

Certain incidents were presented on a selective basis with pictures supporting them. The textbook “Literature – The Reader’s Choice” addresses modern African literature. Under one of the pictures used, a footnote reads: “An Egyptian School” (p. 104). The picture reflects an old building with a water collection point, little children, and a veiled teacher in front of them. the question here is: does this picture represent all of the Egyptian schools? The book also shows the picture of a woman in a poor condition walking on a dirty road along a mud wall on a sunny day. It was placed as an introduction to the translation of a poem by the poet Nazek Al-Mala’ika titled “The Elegy of a Worthless Woman”!

The textbook “Geography – the world and its Peoples” deals with Islamic Civilization and describes it as “the rich culture” (pp. 228-233). Under a prominent title, it states that the Islamic golden age is best marked by education, scientific research, arts and literature. It also deals with the Islamic scientists’ accomplishments in algebra, astronomy, chemistry, physics, and optics. But, before that statement, it said that they have benefited from the Indian and Persian scientists (pp. 228-233).

“The World History – Connections to Date” also discusses the “Golden Age of Muslim Civilization” (p. 266). It deals with the establishment of “the House of wisdom” and the endeavor to translate various sciences of the past into Arabic. The book explains how the great works of the Abbasaids age formed the Islamic world culture as much as the Greek and Roman sciences formed the western culture. The textbook “Social Studies” referred expressly and clearly to the benefit to other nations from the Arab inventions. This constitutes part of the objective aspect in presenting the information and knowledge to the students, for which the author deserves recognition. Unit I, page 109 deals with the astrolabe, invented by Arab Muslims, and how it helped Europeans considerably in their voyages. It reads, “European map makers built on the knowledge of many travelers and geographers around the world. One tool in particular that helped them was developed by Arabs. It was the astrolabe, an instrument that helped sailors use the sun and stars to find their location in latitude – their distance from the equator”.

The textbook “The World History and Geography” also deals with the signs of civilization. It mentions that the Arabs developed many new methods in the commercial transactions, such as the invoices for dealing with other countries. They also established the concept of cooperative and shareholding companies. The books considers that many commercial terminologies used in English today, such as “check” and “risk” are Arabic in origin.

The textbook “The World History – Connections to Date” states that the Arabs, influenced by the teachings of Muhammad, headed towards the Persian and Spanish emperors and in a short period of time the Arab empire expanded from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian borders. The book also deals with the way the Arabs treated the people of the occupied countries. It states that the Muslim leaders imposed on non-Muslims special taxes but they allowed the Jews and Christians to exercise their religious rituals and apply their own laws. On page 262, the book states: “Islam had no religious hierarchy or class of priests. In principle, it emphasized the equality of all believers, regardless of race, sex, class, or wealth”. The author of “The World History – Peoples, Places, and Concepts” (the teacher’s handbook) also indicated that the Muslims spread Islam after Muhammad who taught them that among their duties is to spread the Islamic religion. He also adds that Islam reached Persia and Spain.

The textbook “The World and its Peoples” deals with the development of the Umayyad state. However, it generalizes the topics and selects them in an illogical manner. This is best described in the following extract: “Though they {Umayyads} made many positive changes, the caliphs faced rebellions by conquered people who resented Umayyad taxes. Many non-Arabs who had become Muslims wanted a greater voice in the government. In addition, there were some Muslims who criticized the Umayyad rulers for drinking wine, which Islamic teaching forbade” (p. 224).

The information provided in the above extract is inaccurate. It refers in the beginning to the resentment against tax payment. Then, it deals with the non-Arab Muslims. The book seems to imply that the taxpayers were only the non-Arab Muslims. Also, dealing with Umayyad rulers seems to provide inaccurate information. It describes them as though they drank wine, which does not seem to be true.

Although Islamic history is of great importance, the author of “The world History – Peoples, Places and Concepts” (the teacher’s handbook) neglected that completely. It seems as though he skips about 700 years of Islamic history. Indisputably, that period was very rich in civilization accomplishments, from which the Western world has benefited, especially in Andalusia. The author overlooked the decisive battles and the people who played a major role in Islamic history. On the other hand and in a separate chapter, the author deals with the civilization changes of other communities and the reforms made by certain reformers. For example, he mentions Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and Lyndon Johnson, in addition to the feminism freedom movement. It is well known that many Muslim leaders and persons played a major role in changing the world’s civilization, but were not referred to by the author.

The textbook “The World and its Peoples” suggests that the identity crisis during the past 200 years has brought about tremendous changes in the Middle East (p. 506); the challenges of the West have also forced people to search for new identity and loyalty. It adds that occupation of the Western countries with their weapons and technology of some parts of the area have forced Islamic intellectuals to inquire why God allows the Europeans to advance technologically over Muslims; why does He allow Muslims to be defeated and their lands occupied! Some Muslims believe that these are signs of their being away from following the Islamic teachings, and that returning to Islam more seriously would probably solve the problem.

In short, the books that have been analyzed dealt with this theme through a number of subjects, including Islamic civilization, Islamic and Arabic expansion, Islamic history, and the Arabic and Islamic identity. In general, the image of Islam, Muslims and Arabs has been dealt with in an objective manner in some of the books analyzed. Some negative remarks in the presentation of the information are indicated below:

Only one side of Arab history was dealt with, which is the internal disturbances and wars. The bright sides of this history were overlooked. For instance, in more than one place, the textbook “The World and its Peoples” mentions that Islamic history is full of turmoil and conflicts (pp. 222, 224, 225, and 227). It also states that Saladin lived in a critical period when Muslims were fighting one another to rule over parts of the empire. It also mentions that when Saladin became the leader of the Syrian army, he was able to defeat his Muslim rivals (p. 235). The book adds that the conflicts among Arab countries continued and that such conflicts defeated the efforts of a unity in the Middle East.

This is reflected in mentioning that the Muslim caliphs faced rebellions by people who resented Umayyad taxes; and that the Umayyad rulers drank wine. It is an apparent attempt to show the discrepancies between the Islamic instructions and the actual practices of the Muslim rulers.

The textbook “The World and its People” relates Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt. It indicated that the Mamlukes’ defeat showed that Europe was more advanced than the Middle East; and, according to some scientists, this realization initiated a struggle about defining the Middle East identity (p. 501). Under a separate title of “Attempts for an Arabic Unity”, the same book relates Nasser’s attempt to unify the Arabs and nationalize the Suez Canal. It explains how France, Britain, and Israel attacked Egypt, but the USA and the UN forced them to withdraw. The following extract explains the Arabs’ reaction: “Nasser emerged as an Arab hero who dared to confront what many referred to as “the imperialist war” (p. 504).

The author of “The world History – Peoples, Places and Concepts”, under a separate subtitle “Civilization in North America”, glorifies North American civilization, and, in particular, gives details of American civilization (p. 264). The book also reflects the American egotism. Dealing with the Vietnamese war, the book does not state that the American withdrawal from Vietnam was due to the losses incurred by the USA, but rather because the citizens claimed that the American soldiers should be called back home.

The textbook “The World Geography Today”, under a separate subtitle, “Why It Matters”, states the following: “Huge oil deposits lie in the Persian Gulf region. How the countries there manage this resource affects the U.S. economy… learn about the relationship the United States has with oil-rich countries in this region” (p. 433).

At the same time, the textbook “The World History – Connections To Date” mentions that oil distribution in the region is not proportionate. While oil-rich countries, such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have low-density population, densely populated countries, such as Turkey and Egypt have low oil reserves. Also, the textbook “Cultures of the World” dealt with oil. It addressed the Arabian Peninsula and the reasons behind its importance. It mentions that it plays a significant and vital role in the economy of the world. One reason is that, irrespective of its desert surface, it houses tremendous amounts of oil (p. 553). It also witnessed the emergence of Islam; the city of Makkah attracts Muslims from all parts of the world.

The textbook “Geography of the World Today” states that exploring oil in the lands around the Persian Gulf has attracted the world’s attention to focus on the Gulf countries. It adds that 60% of the oil reserve known today lies in the Middle East area (p. 183).

The textbook “The World Geography and Cultures” dealt with oil in the Middle East area, especially Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Countries, and its role in improving the economic standards in these countries. Under a separate subtitle “Oil and Water”, the author deals with the unity of the OPEC member countries.

“The world Geography” textbook addresses the importance of oil in the Middle East region, especially in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Countries, and its role in improving the economic standards in these countries. Under a separate title “Industrial Growth”, the author states that the Arab countries depend on oil and petroleum industries.

Oil and its impact on economy have been tackled under this theme. In general, the image of Islam, Muslims and Arabs in the textbooks analyzed was tackled in an objective manner. This subject has been addressed in terms of “oil has provided the Middle East countries with power and an outstanding economic and political situation”; and “oil has helped in improving the economic standards of the Middle East countries, including their ability to construct factories, hospitals and schools”. However, some negative remarks in presenting the information are indicated below:

This is particularly apparent in stating that irrespective of the oil richness in the Middle East area, the majority of its population still adheres to the rural traditional and cultural way of living.

This is reflected in stating that the differences among oil-rich countries and other Arab and Islamic countries have created resentment in the area, a resentment which is given voice through envy and hatred.

-“The World and its Population” states “Abdulaziz, who ruled a kingdom in the interior of the peninsula, absorbed Mecca, Medina and other adjacent territories to found the kingdom of Saudi Arabia” (p. 504).

-“Geography of the World Today” presents information taken from the CIA about Saudi Arabia including death rate among infants. According to the book, this rate is 51 cases per 1000 deliveries, which is the fourth highest after Afghanistan, 147; Yemen, 69; and Iraq, 60 (pp. 430, 431). This may impress the reader with the low health care standards provided to the citizens. The book deals with the largest cities in southwest Asia, including Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. It contrasts between open markets and narrow roads in the old parts of such cities and air-conditioned markets and wide roads in the modern parts (p. 442). The book also shows a picture of a Saudi person who stands by a Cadillac with the following comment: “Saudi Arabia’s oil economy produces huge incomes for the country’s royal family, government, and businesspeople. The country’s elites use some money to buy imported luxury goods, such as automobiles. In recent decades, the modernization of the country has greatly altered many traditional ways of life” (p.444).

-The textbook “The World History – Connections To Date” tackles the western colonization of the Islamic world, and deals with the Wahhabiah. It mentions that this movement, which occurred in the Arab Peninsula, rejected the monotheism schools and the laws that were set during the Ottoman empire. It called for solidarity, purity and the simplicity in the basic teachings of Muhammad. It was led by an Arab leader against the Turks. Although he was not victorious, the movement remained in existence and its teachings are still influential in Saudi Arabia, (p. 640).

-The textbook “The World Explorer – Peoples, Places and Cultures” deals with women in Saudi Arabia. Page 529 includes a paragraph which reads: “Many laws in Saudi Arabia deal with the role of women, protecting them in certain ways, but also forbidding them to do some things”. The book adds that women put on long black cloaks when they go out to public places. Their faces must also be veiled. This is one of the government laws. Another law is that women cannot drive cars. At home, women stay in areas specially designed for them when there are visitors.

It is worth mentioning here that the books, did not mention either directly or indirectly, the important and influential role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, or its effective participation at both the official and the public levels in the liberation of Kuwait.

The textbook “Social Studies”, for example, discusses the wars of the Americans. It deals with the American role in the Desert Storm operation during the Gulf war. It deals with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the attempt of President Saddam Hussein to dominate Kuwait as an oil-rich country. In 991, the USA executed the Desert Storm operation and attacked the Iraqi forces in Kuwait (p. 660).

Also the textbook “The World History and Geography” deals with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the attempt of President Saddam Hussein to dominate Kuwait as an oil-rich country. In 1991, the USA executed the Desert Storm operation and attacked the Iraqi forces in Kuwait (p. 709).

In general, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was addressed in an objective approach. However, some negative remarks in presenting the information are indicated below:

2. An attempt to manifest that the main beneficiaries of oil are the Royal Family, the government, and businesspeople; and that mass people are not benefiting.

3. Neglecting some important information about Saudi Arabia, which should be included as part of the context. An example is the Kingdom’s effective participation in the Kuwait liberation war.

Based on the analysis results of the public education textbooks in the USA, and the distorted image of the Arabs and Muslims in certain parts of such books, the research team submits the following recommendations:

1.Coordinating with the Arabic and Islamic communities in the USA to exert the maximum efforts needed to change the contents of those books which reflect bias against Islam and Muslims, with emphasis on developing dialogue, coexistence and mutual respect mechanisms with others to achieve this goal.

2.Convening international conferences directed towards the Arab/West relationship to discuss the future results of the contents of the textbooks in providing incorrect images of Arabs and Muslims in the minds of the new generations in the West; the impact of such images on the Arab/West relationships in general; and the mechanism of improving such relationships.

3.Publicizing the results of this study in the various Western media for the purpose of conveying a specific message that Arabs and Muslims seek to have peace, coexistence and tolerance with others. The contents of the public education textbooks, which include an incorrect stereotypical image of Arabs and Muslims does not serve such objectives.

4.Establishing a permanent committee at the Ministry of Education to be entrusted with the task of reviewing the textbooks of other Western countries; submit relevant studies for further discussion of the image of Islam, Muslims and Arabs contained therein; and submit the necessary recommendations to correct the mistaken concepts included in such textbooks.

5.Coordinating with the Saudi academies and Islamic centers abroad to establish units to follow up the respective educational textbooks.

6.Coordinating with scientific institutions, universities, and research centers in the West to prepare studies about the Arab and Muslim image in the educational textbooks and to establish the means of improving such image.

7.Conducting studies aimed at tracking the source of formulating the Arab and Muslim image in the American educational curriculum.

8.Conducting analytical studies of the Arab and Muslim images in other Western countries and comparing them with the results of this study.

9.Highlighting in the educational textbooks and the Arabic and Islamic media the tolerance of Islam, its peaceful coexistence values and its respect for other peoples and religions.

10. supporting and encouraging Arab and Muslim researchers and writers to increase their academic productivity and to publish it through international and reputed publishers in the USA.

11. Providing the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and embassies in the Western countries with the results of this study so that they may find remedies for its negative results using the appropriate means as may be suitable for their respective communities and in accordance with the proper discourse to improve the Arab and Muslim images in such communities.

12. Utilizing IT in establishing TV and radio channels in various languages to include programs that address the targeted communities to correct the image of Islam in accordance with an advanced media strategy. The present media and satellite channels may also be used for this purpose.

13. Establishing WEB sites to address the western communities for the purpose of correcting the Arab and Muslim images.

14. Benefiting from the experience of the research team who prepared this study in performing tasks of relevance to this important aspect.

15. Conducting one or more studies about the Arab and Muslim images in the religious educational textbooks in the USA and comparing them with the results of this study.

16. benefiting from the methods of preparation of the highly professional and technical textbooks in the USA in preparing local textbooks.