Arabia vs. Indonesia, Turkey, Iraq...

What to make of this? Via Glenn Reynolds, WaPo reports disturbing Saudi mendacity: This is a Saudi textbook. (After the intolerance was removed.)

Saudi schools - from first to twelfth grades - continue to teach hostility and intolerance from a Wahhabist perspective, despite claims to the contrary by Prince Turki al-Faisal, the Saudi ambassador to the United States.

The article, by the Post's Nina Shea is a frightening read. It is a powerful substantiation of what some observers have been pointing out for some time, but goes much further: That various Muslim sects not only see themselves as at war with the West, but at war with each other.

It is going to be rather difficult for elements of the Left and their supporters to blame "neocons" in the West on Saudi official policy or Saudi backed Wahhabist terrorism against Shiites and others.

This guest blogger's take on the situation is that the Saudis and their ideological kin are the exception, not the rule in modern Muslim politics.

The world's largest Muslim nation, Indonesia, stands in marked contrast. A democratic Republic, at once predominantly Muslim and part of the 21st Century.

Perhaps this guest blogger is missing the news, but he doesn't recall Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono claiming Thailand should be "wiped off the map", or reading that Indonesian schools teach the inferiority of women and non-Muslims, or that Indonesia is a state sponsor of "insurgents" in Iraq or suicide murderers in Israel. Rather, Indonesia appears to be the model for the future of political Islam. Is this too much to ask of Arabia? Or Iran? Or Syria? Or "Palestine"?

Indonesia is a scattered archipelago. Perhaps the discipline that comes with hard work, industrial investment and success is what makes Indonesia unique compared to its Shiite and Wahhabist sister nations, for whom pumping oil is the singular achievement.

Turkey, as well: Modern, Islamic, democratic, developing industrially and socially. Iraq has started on the path, too. Which, in this guest blogger's opinion, demonstrates that Islam is not the problem. (Sorry, Al!)

If Saudi's Wahhabi textbooks are a measure of Wahhabist intentions, then modern Muslims everywhere are targets. Iran's hard-liners have already threatened Turkey. It is in everyone's better interest, then, for the modern Indonesian/Turkish model to root itself throughout the entire ME.

To quote Michael Ledeen (with apologies): "Faster, damnit."

Update: If the story published by WaPo turns out to be false, that the Wahhabist intolerance has indeed been expunged from Saudi school textbooks, then your guest blogger will report it. With or without veracity of the specific WaPo report, substantive reform in Arabian and ME schools remains an issue with serious global consequences.

Upperdate: Seems the educational system in KSA lacks advanced English studies. Apparently, two hearty young lads from that storied land decided to enroll at a Florida high school... and took the school bus. Hey, look, the Saudis are our friends. Hat tip to Michelle.

Ranald Hay

Update: Commentor John P. blows my thesis clear out of the water, and finishes with ""People want to believe that a moderate and modernising Islam exists; they will do anything in their power (their imagination) to conjure up this non-existant animal because they find the exercise comforting."

...or out of sheer ignorance, as in *Yours Truly*. Thanks for reporting the pervasive influence of Wahhabi "educational" funding, John P. It is an Arabia vs. Indonesia, etc. scenario, but it's not what your guest blogger had thought.

Posted by Ran at May 21, 2006 01:47 PM