Egypt to teach Judaism in schools to counter fanaticism

Egypt appears to be following Morocco in promoting the teaching of Judaism in schools. Whereas Morocco seems keen to teach  its Jewish history and heritage, Egypt is more focused on using religious values to  counter Islamist extremism and intolerance. The Jerusalem Post quotes a report in al-Monitor: (with thanks: Roger)

Egyptian schoolchildren (Photo: Al Ahram online)

In an unprecedented move, the Egyptian parliament recently commended the Ministry of Education on approving a new school subject: religious values ​​and verses that have the same meaning in the three Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Al-Monitor reported. 

 The decision will allow Egyptian students to study verses from the Jewish religion for the first time ever. “The Ministry of Education’s approval of the subject of religious values shared between the divine religions expresses the state’s keenness to spread the values ​​of tolerance and fraternity,” declared Kamal Amer, head of parliamentary defense and the National Security Committee in the Egyptian Parliament.

 The three religions “include common values ​​that students must study to be able to confront the extremist and takfirist [apostasy defying] ideas that backward groups are working on to spread in society,” Amer continued. “President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is keen to teach youth the values ​​of respect for others, tolerance and rejection of fanaticism and extremism," he said. "This is why the Ministry of Education decided to teach the subject of common values ​​in schools.”

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