Israel and Tunisia rank highest in the Middle East in education for tolerance and peace, according to a study released on Tuesday.
Research by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-SE) showed that Tunisia is no less tolerant than Israel, after educational reforms, while the Egyptian school system does not teach democratic values.
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"A comparative report shows that the Egyptian people have not been taught the importance of democracy and accepting others," the report explains. "While school textbooks in Egypt urge tolerance towards Copts and call for religious moderation and peace, they deny the existence of the State of Israel and contain anti-Jewish material...The Egyptian curriculum emphasizes self-sacrifice for the sake of the homeland and war narratives, rather than peace."
In contrast, Tunisian textbooks "preach the importance of negotiating,
and of peace and respect for others. A ninth grade Tunisian textbook
states that 'tolerance is a fundamental principle in the Koran,'" Dr.
Eldad Pardo, and IMPACT-SE researcher, explained. "'So how is it that
some people have used Allah's book as an instrument of extremism and
narrow-mindedness' the students are asked."
Tunisian textbooks
also show Israel on their maps and mention the State of Israel, unlike
those in the PA, Iran, Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries.
The
Palestinian Authority came far behind Israel and Tunisia in the
rankings. Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria were towards the bottom of the
scale, with Iran ranking lowest.
The IMPACT-SE report used UNESCO principles to analyze textbooks from countries throughout the Middle East.