www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Saudi textbooks teach children not to be friends with Christians or Jews

Part of my evening troll through the news websites I came across this article from CNA.

Saudi Textbooks Promote Religious Intolerance [catholicnewsagency.com]

In the Risen Christ,
Father Anthony+

This stuff is straight out of the Qur'an. Surah 60 is clear that Muslims are not to be friends with Christians or Jews. That's just one example. I think the only avenue for peace is understanding. The problem is understanding Islam is to understand that Muslims are taught that all other religions are either corrupted and need the correction Islam (see Jews and Christians) or are completely false and evil and need to be destroyed. Finding peace with that is quite a challenge.

CDL

Father Anthony,

I heard a radio report on this. It gets much worse. Evidently, the High School textbooks actually advocate waging battle against the "polytheists", which are defined as Jews, Christians and any non-Wahhabi Muslims. Evidently, these religious views are foundational to the Saudi hold on power.

Tick, tick, tick, tick...

Gordo

ebed,

Correct. While all of the violent interpretations of the Qur'an are not mandated by the text they are mandated by the Wahhabists who have had an unholy pact with the House of Saud for many years. Read Schwartz, "The Two Faces of Islam".

CDL

Dear Friends,

A Jewish friend also told me that in Israel, mathematics textbooks do not show the "plus" sign as a "+" since this is a Christian cross . . .

Instead, they remove the bottom verticle portion and leave the "plus" sign as a horizontal bar with the upper verticle bar in the middle . . .

Christians in Europe also have a long history (which they've happily overcome) of similar oppression against non-Christians, as we know.

The famous shrine of the Zyrovitsi Mother of God, when it was under Poland's control, imposed on all Jews the requirement that they were to dismount their horses and walk with heads bowed as they passed Zyrovitsi . . .

And in Russia, Old Believers in Tsar Peter I's time who insisted on maintaining their beard and other traditions were obliged to pay a special tax for which they received a coin that portrayed Old Believers derisively. Police throughout the Tsarist empire could always ask any Old Believer to produce this coin as proof that they paid the tax . . .

That was then, of course, and this is now.

Alex

I am not surprised. From what I understand, Saudi Arabia is a kind of holy-land for Islam.

The peace that Islam offers is not the Peace of Christ. In the religion of Islam, when all are subdued under Islam, then all other religions, which are viewed by Islam as inferior, might be tolerated.

When Islam persecutes, it is for conversion by the sword or death. If you are lucky and Islam happens to tolerate your religion, it means that particular sect of Islam is not too Faithful to the teachings of the Hadiths and Qu'ran.

The god of the Wahhabi's is not merciful, so they are not merciful. However, not all Muslims are Wahhabi.

Gordo Dr. Eric could prescribe something for that tick of yours and it wont be ginko.

Do you think that'll do the tick - I mean trick? :p

Reminds me of the muppet, El-Kaboom... I suppose we should now say "Al Quaboom", no?

Gordo

Gordo,
For your ticks: Take 2 shots of vodka and PM me in the morning! :p

Dr. Eric

It will be difficult for the Wahhabi sect as they were set up as a reform within Islam.
When they captured the 2 holy cities of Mecca and Medina and incorporated the Hijaz into the Saud family empire, they destroyed totally any shrines they came across. The tomb of Eve and of the early Caliphs were completely raised down to bare sand. Any building discovered to have any conection to their great prophet can be guaranteed to be destroyed as soon as it is identified for fear that it will be a distraction (Idolatry)from worship of God. Had they captured Damascus they would have torn down the Great Mosque with the tomb of St John the Baptist in it as well as the tomb itself.

They have used their money from oil to send preachers to moslem communities all over the world and to build mosques as well. This is all about spreading their own version of Islam.

The Saudi family have ensured they have intermarried with all the families in their kingdom (many time over) to ensure loyalty of the sheiks to them. It I will be difficult for them to ensure all are on the same page in regard to any changes that might be seen as a failure to keep the spirit of their reform alive, so they will move very slowly as is their custom. Consensus is important for them.

There are some positives like in the case of the Indian Catholic priest they caught recently, they simply deported him unharmed. They could have flogged him, or worse but did not.

Vodka = nasty medicine. Now prescribe a snifter of cognac and some good Belgian chocolate truffles and you may have me cured and I won't have to PM you in the morning.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

Vodka is the appropriate drink for the Slavic Christians on the Forum. I was thinking about prescribing ouzo for you Dear Father!

YUK! :p Maybe some good Mextaxa 7 Star brandy.

Make mine a Sambucca if you dont mind.

Just as well we are not doing this in Saudi Arabia we would get more than a smacked bottom.

Is ouzo disgusting?

I guess I can find out this weekend as we are all going to St. Louis Greek Fest at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Des Peres, MO. The Church is magnificent. There is no spot in that church that is not covered with an Icon or a stained glass window; except for the pews and trim.