The newly appointed Syrian education ministry has announced changes to the school curriculum that have sparked outrage on social media. Critics condemn the changes as an Islamist slant, citing alterations to phrases and the removal of chapters on scientific topics.
Syria’s new government is facing backlash after announcing changes to the school curriculum, including introducing what some critics say is an Islamist slant to teaching.
The changes, published in a list of amendments on the education ministry’s official Facebook page, include changing the phrases “path of goodness” to “Islamic path,” and “those who have are damned and have gone astray” to “Jews and Christians” – which pertains to an ultra-conservative interpretation of a verse in Islam’s holy book, the Quran. The modifications also redefine the word “martyr,” from someone who died for the homeland to someone who sacrificed themselves “for the sake of God.” Some chapters were removed entirely, the list shows, including a chapter on “the origins and evolution of life.” It is not clear yet whether the amendments have yet been rolled out, but they would apply to all students from ages 6 to 18. While some changes renouncing former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime were welcome to those reacting online, the religious chapter modifications sparked outrage on social media. The newly appointed ministry assumed its role last month after Assad was toppled by rebels led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), a group that emerged out of a former al Qaeda affiliate. Its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has in recent weeks sought to distance HTS from al Qaeda, touting a new government that thrives on tolerance and inclusivity. Before he was ousted Assad led the Baath Party, a secular, nationalist party that had been in power in Syria since a 1963 coup d’état. Some social media users questioned why an interim government is making amendments to the curriculum, while others rejected what they perceived as attempts to “erase” parts of the country’s history. “The current government is a caretaker government that does not have the right to make these amendments to the curricula,” one user commented on the ministry’s Facebook pos
SYRIA EDUCATION CURRICULUM POLITICS RELIGION
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