DAMASCUS — It didn’t take long for Syria’s new rulers to impose their Islamist ideology on Syrian society.
What may be surprising is the way the new interim government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, has tried to manipulate reality. After its plans to change the school curricula stirred uproar last week, the government announced that it had retracted the proposal.
The fact is that the government did not back down, and appears it won’t do so in the future.
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The proposed changes included removing some scientific topics and images of historic figures and statues, according to a statement from the Education Ministry. However, Nazir al-Qadri, the education minister, tried in a separate statement to downplay the changes, claiming that they were limited to the school subject of the Islamic religion.
Later in an interview with the Saudi television station, Al-Arabiya, the minister confirmed the changes, raising questions about the interim government’s continued attempts to deceive Syrians with contradictory statements.
In the interview, the minister was evasive: “What we have done is a slight amendment and not a radical change to the curricula.” He avoided describing “deleting paragraphs, information, or images” as part of the amendments, considering them a change that “serves our revolution,” according to his words.
Despite this, he did not clarify what or who is meant by “our revolution.” Does it include all Syrians, including those with very different goals and ideas?
Evolution questions
Despite the statement denying any changes to the curriculum, the minister acknowledged the removal of scientific sections, including Evolution.
“The science subjects were not modified,” he declared. “But theories that were proven false were removed.”
The minister spoke confidently about the “falsehood” of these theories, without clarifying the foundations or criteria on which he and his committee relied in making this decision.
It is unambiguous that the minister is committed to formulating a curriculum that is consistent with the teachings of Islam, not with the values of citizenship and the principles of comprehensive education,.
As for removing images of historical figures and statues, Al-Qadri said: “Even if they were removed, what’s the problem? What’s the problem as long as the information wasn’t removed? What’s the problem with removing an image? Does removing an image restrict anyone’s freedom?”
Al-Qadri’s answer reflects a limited understanding of freedom, which must include the right to knowledge and access to information without religious restrictions.
Meaning of freedom
Freedom is not just a narrow personal sphere related to the actions of individuals, but rather a broader space that includes the freedom to think and learn about various ideas and theories, even those that you may not agree with.
Removing images or information to match certain religious or social standards narrows individuals’ horizons and confines them to a narrow intellectual framework that does not allow them to see the full picture or independently form their own opinions.
The questions remain: Does Al-Qadri genuinely not understand that knowledge is an integral part of freedom? Or is this a deliberate policy to serve certain goals that are bound to restrict freedom?
These statements reveal the deep gap in the understanding of freedom among extremist groups, who may believe “in good faith” that the removal of an image will not affect individuals’ freedom.
Ottoman history
In the same interview, the minister confirmed the decision to replace the term “Ottoman occupation” with “Ottoman conquest,” justifying it by saying that “the Syrian regime was more unjust than many regimes.”
It is odd for a minister in a transitional government to make comparisons between two unjust regimes. Isn’t it his duty to acknowledge the mistakes of both sides without favoring one injustice over the other?
In the minister’s opinion, there is no comparison between the injustice of the Ottoman rule and the Assad regime. He deliberately ignored the history of Ottoman crimes against Syrians, such as the Maronite-Druze massacres, the imposition of exorbitant taxes and economic injustice during the Ottoman rule.
The Ottoman authorities also used repression against any opposition, and carried out public executions to terrorize the population, such as the execution of dozens of Syrian intellectuals and leaders in Marjeh Square in Damascus and Burj Square in Beirut in 1916, known as “The Martyrs of May 6.”
Extreme inclinations?
The most important part is the rule of law. The minister said that they removed the word “law” and replaced it with the word “Sharia” — the Islamic Sharia.
“Is there a difference between Sharia and law?” he asked, ignoring the fact that some applications of Sharia may contradict international human rights standards, such as the rights of women and minorities.
This could result in restrictions on freedom of thought, as happened with the removal of scientific subjects that are not compatible with the Islamic religion, including Evolution.
Al-Qadri’s interpretations of both law and education expose the new Syrian government’s vision in general.
What’s most dangerous in this is how they have tried to deceive the public. They claimed that their decision to change the curricula have been reversed, while they are implementing the changes on the ground. It is the clearest confirmation that the interim government’s approach is inclined towards extremism.
