Nonproliferat Subcommittee on Terrorism

Saudi Arabia's Troubling Educational Curriculum Nonproliferat Subcommittee on Terrorism

Saudi Arabia is an ally in the fight against terrorism. Many of the same terrorist organizations that threaten the United States also desire to overthrow the Saudi Government and break our partnership with the government. It is a key member of the Coalition to Fight ISIS. In 2016, Saudi Arabia adopted strict laws prohibiting fundraising for terrorism, jointly designated support networks for al-Qaeda and the Taliban. However, the Saudis still have much more they need to do at home to counter the sources of extremism in the region. The battle against terrorism will ultimately have to be fought and won on the battlefield of ideas. The Kingdom is playing the role of both arsonist and firefighter when it comes to Islamic extremism. Nowhere is this more evident than the textbooks Saudi Arabia produces to teach young people. For too long, Saudi Arabia's education curriculum has inspired the very ideology that is at the root of many terrorist organizations like ISIS and al-Qaeda. Saudi textbooks are full of anti-Semitism, conspiracy theories, and calls to violence that have incited students both at home and across the world. This poisonous ideology has provided the groundwork for generations of extremism. ISIS adopted official Saudi textbooks for its schools in 2015 until that terrorist organization could publish its own textbooks. Its export of hateful material through Saudi-funded schools abroad has helped spread the toxic ideology to more tolerant and open Muslim communities in countries such as Kosovo and Indonesia.