School Textbook Banned for Offending Christianity
ICC Note:
A text book was banned in Turkey after Christians complained that it painted them in a bad light and blasphemed Jesus. Those associated with the book claim that no harm was done and that they only wrote the truth. They said, “Jesus is a prophet for Muslims. God gave spirits to humanity equally. Islam doesn’t offend any religion. It is people from other religions who offend Islam and offend each other,” he added. It is this underlying attitude which is disturbing. It is little things like this, putting Christianity or Judaism in a negative light, that causes problems between Christians and Muslims, especially in Turkey.
09/11/2012 Turkey (Rudaw)- The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Education has decided to ban a school textbook which is said to offend Christianity.
An official from the ministry said that the textbook, used in Islamic studies courses, would be removed from the education system.
While it mainly discusses Islam, the book also studies Christianity and Judaism. It was intended for students in the 11th grade.
The textbook states that Jews consider themselves the holy people, adding that they also believe that those who have not received the spirit of Judaism are nothing but ghosts and animals.
Regarding Christian beliefs, the book says: “The Jews consider Christ as a rebellious idol worshipper. Christ will not die, but remain in the lake of fire forever.”
“The Jews believe that Christ came to earth through adultery and that Nazareth churches were places where the unclean people gathered,” it also reads.
As soon as the education department in Zakho became aware of the issue, it sent a letter to the Ministry of Education saying that Christians believed their religion was being disrespected in the book.
In June, the ministry responded by sending letters to all education departments in Kurdistan, letting them know that the textbook had been banned.
The ministry also indicated that all copies were being recalled immediately.
Burhan Abdulla, an official from the Ministry of Education, told Rudaw that, in addition to withdrawing the book from the curriculum, the minister of education had summoned the overseer of the Suryani department “and told him that he must carefully investigate things that are written about Jesus and Christianity.”
More than 100,000 copies of the textbook had been issued to schools; each copy cost 1,000 dinars.
Abdulla maintained that they will not destroy the whole textbook; instead, they will remove the section that has offended Christians.
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