Books and Propaganda
Reader comment on item: Cairene Book Covers

Submitted by Sammish (United States), Jul 31, 2008 at 11:36

I always wondered why many so-called educated Egyptians as well as other Arab nationals have a very unidimentional and extremist view of Israel as a major problem or sore in the middle east region. Their diatribes against the Jewish state in many TV interviews (not only counting the state controlled media but also the seemingly privately owned and powefull media giants like Al-Jazeera) seem completely out of place due to their educational background and attainment which most have acquired in western universities and colleges. It is a puzzle.

One would think that their educational years in the west would exposed them if not to the lies and propaganda of anti-jewish rants but at least to the art of rational and factual human inquiry about the true nature of jewish history and civilization.

I believe that these same "educated" people are the authors of these books or translators of Nazi books from europe. These authors are not the backwards turban wearing medrasa graduates, they are modern educated intellectuals, newspapers editors and university professors (I am sure they are exception) whose sole goal is the undermining peace and rapprochement of Jewish state with its arabs neighbors.

However, I truly believe that the most damaging problem lies not in these printed books targeting the literate few adults but the eductional books and curricular contents of history books targeting elementary, junior and high school students in Egypt. The situation is alarming because I have seen the contents on some websites. What is taught to children is extremely counter-productive and outright criminal against human reason and decency. The elementary school books about geography and history are revisionist and outright anti-semitic to the core. How can anyone see any postive changes in the political outlook of the region when children are fed such lies and propaganda.

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