Jordan textbooks to explain resistance

“The question of introducing notions pertaining to violence and differentiating between terrorism and legitimate resistance comes as part of a comprehensive human rights programme,”  Education Minister Khalid Tuqan told Al Rai newspaper on Tuesday. 

“The ministry of education is working with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to introduce international values and notions of human rights and peace into curriculums,” he said. 

He said the project was 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 programme for more than two years. It is not spur of the moment,” he said, adding the project will be implemented in the next school year. 

Tuqan told Al Rai Jordan was not motivated by any political reasons. 

Human rights

Fawwaz Jaradat, the head of school curricula at the education ministry, echoed the minister and told Al Dustour daily that the material in the revamped textbooks would focus on “human rights in combating occupation, the differentiation between terrorism and legitimate resistance, the concept of terrorism”. 

“Jordan has been working on this programme for more than two years. It is not a spur of the moment.” Khalid Tuqan, Eduation Minister

Jaradat also said the curricula would be “enriched” with different issues such as expressing one’s opinion and the intellectual property right.

Jordan’s King Abd Allah II has been pushing to implement democracy in his country and he 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. 

Arab and Muslim countries like Jordan have come under pressure from the West, following the 11 September attacks on the United States, to speak out against such acts carried out in the name of Islam.