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USCIRF Continues To Challenge Saudi Texts Used At Islamic Academy In Virginia

By Howard M. Friedman

Last week (June 11) the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) issued a long press release indicating that Arabic-language textbooks used at a Saudi government school in Northern Virginia, the Islamic Saudi Academy (ISA), still contain a number of passages that incite religious intolerance and violence. USCIRF says that "the most problematic texts involve passages that are not directly from the Koran but rather contain the Saudi government?s particular interpretation of Koranic and other Islamic texts." USCIRF also urged the U.S. State Department to publicly release copies it has received of all the textbooks used at the school. ISA is one of 19 international schools run by the Saudi government. (See prior related posting.)

In a June 13 response to USCIRF published on its website, ISA says: "The Academy has repeatedly extended invitations to the USCIRF to visit its campus, review materials and meet with teachers and administrators, in order to establish a constructive dialogue. But the USCIRF has refused to accept these invitations, which speaks volumes about the seriousness of the commission?s intentions."

Full post as published by Religion Clause on June 16, 2008 (boomark / email).