Yesterday I posted about how Harry Pottery is now banned in Kuwait and awhile ago a reader emailed me the Ministry of Education’s guidelines for books to be excluded from schools. Check out the list below:
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Ministry of Private Education Guidelines
In accordance with the Ministry of Education’s guidelines, please find below a detailed list of the types of books and/or materials to be excluded from the School’s teaching materials and subjects.
This includes but is not limited to classroom libraries, Library collection, textbooks & Scholastic orders.
I. Books with a Religious Domain that:
1. Personify God, messengers, prophets, angles and companions of the messengers
2. Distort the messengers, their families, disciples, and traditions
3. Allege religious mistreatment between Jews, Muslims and Christians
4. Assert religion as an instigator of aggression, terrorism, activism or invasion
5. Show places of worship in an inappropriate way
6. Claim Mohammed as the “founder” of Islam
7. Describe the immigration to Mecca as, “flight” or “escape”
8. Claim Mohammed was the author of the Quran, or calling the Quran the “teachings of Mohammed”
9. Claim that Islam and other religions were spread by force
10. Offend Islamic and other religions’ traditions, the companions, scholars, and laws and legislators
11. Adopt missionary connotations when talking about religions
12. Teach Darwin’s theory of evolution or the “Origins of Species”
13. Exaggerate the differences between religious sects in Islam and other religions
14. Spread information about witchcraft, reincarnation and the transmigration of souls
15. Rephrase the Quran or other religious books by adding verses and/or chapters to it
II. Books with a Political Domain:
1. View the Arab Israeli conflict with bias and/or sympathy towards Israel
2. Focus on Jewish persecution, during the holocaust, excluding the oppression of other races’ by Hitler
3. Falsify and misinterpret the history of Arab countries
4. Denounce the policy of the State of Kuwait and its sovereignty and attack the GCC and Arab states
5. Rename the Arabian Gulf, the Persian Gulf
6. Claim the islands in the Arabian Gulf as Iranian territory
7. Claim Iran has sovereignty over the Kingdom of Bahrain
8. Distort Arab and Muslim history
9. Claim that the Crusades were caused by religious persecution of Muslims and/or Christians
10. Misinterpret Kuwait’s relation with Arab and other countries
III. Books with a Cultural Domain:
1. Show naked or immoral pictures or photos
2. Contradict Islamic law
3. View marriage as solely a sexual relationship instead of a holy union
4. Condone the eating of pigs
5. Condone the consumption of liquor, alcohol, and drugs
6. Divide or split the social unity of society
53 replies on “Ministry of Private Education Guidelines”
God, I hate this. It reminds me when I got to Kuwait customs in march at the airport and this old dinosaur custom officer, searched my bags and made a big deal about 6 law books I brought into the country. They were in English and i guess he didn’t like the cover. it took 3 hour of them questioning me and scanning through the books.
Also I think think the reason they got edgy with me is because they found Rizzla’s on me and I was on KLM.
Harry Potter books are fiction, and as such should not fall into the category of “Spreading witch craft…”
My question is, are the movies now banned too?
Quite weird that the movies are allowed while the books are not.
Bad communication between people who work in the censorship filed.
I don’t think the issues they had is wither if it encourage the the learning of witchcraft or so, but the issue is it MIGHT inspire the learning of witchcraft.
Thou I did not watched the whole Harry Potter movies, but I do understand the witchcraft in the their world is different than in our world. It can be for good and evil, debating on the person who use magic. But our world magic is not the same, and wither we like or not, stories inspire us, and people fear for their kids to learn witchcraft.
Witchcraft doesn’t exist what the hell are you talking about.
Well, maybe not to you, but many do know it exist including me. Wither you believe it or not. So lets leave it at that.
Great now have to buy books from outside the country and get them.
Not like there were many stores which were selling them anyways.
This is the best one
12. Teach Darwin’s theory of evolution or the “Origins of Species”
Kindle.
I agree with everything in the list, except for: in the Books with Cultural Domain, number 2 is too ambiguous (and out of place?) and number 4 is plain oppressive.
The rest of the list is worthy of admiration. The government should be applauded for it.
My favourite part is:
Claim that Islam and other religions were spread by force
Offend Islam and other religions’ traditions, the companions, scholars, and laws and legislators
Exaggerate the differences between religious sects in Islam and other religions
Focus on Jewish persecution, during the holocaust, excluding the oppression of other races’ by Hitler
Allege religious mistreatment between Jews, Muslims and Christians
Claim that the Crusades were caused by religious persecution of Muslims and/or Christians
Divide or split the social unity of society
You applaud your own government completely ignoring truth and simply lying to your children?
3. Allege religious mistreatment between Jews, Muslims and Christians (this happens every day around the world, including by many Muslims)
4. Assert religion as an instigator of aggression, terrorism, activism or invasion (LOL, tell that to ISIS)
9. Claim that Islam and other religions were spread by force (really?)
11. Adopt missionary connotations when talking about religions (teachers do this all the time in schools, including shaming women who don’t wear the hijab or even the niqab)
12. Teach Darwin’s theory of evolution or the “Origins of Species” (basically, science?)
Item #12 is a little tricky as it is part of the syllabus for IGCSE Biology and AS/A2 Biology.
Rather like saying Newton’s Laws should be banned.
Their guidelines are purposely vague so they can practically ban whatever they like. Didn’t think censorship could get any worse.
Ive heard Darwins theory is taught in Kuwait University :/ strange.
Yes and they also teach that the Earth is round.
Funny -_-
Did they teach otherwise at your school?? :O
Mark,
There is no such a thing as “Ministry of Private Education”. I think you’re referring to the Public Administration of Private Education.
Thats the headline on the document i was sent.
So math textbooks are banned cause they have angles?
Haha …I am sure he meant Angels.
Wasn’t surprised by the list of rules but this kind of list pretty much rules out 60-70%% of reading material out there available say in the western world. I am not a fan of banning stuff. What’s the point when people move out, study or live in other countries for a while where they are exposed to culture shock because its a world they haven’t known or read about. And in any case thanks to technology, everything can be read online in Kuwait using VPNs or proxies. I’d rather we have access to everything, read everything out there and make choices for ourselves based on our brains and choose the life we want to live and how to live. I don’t want another person to make that decision for me especially when there is a high probability he or she hasn’t even read the material before banning it because of a bias built into them from childhood.
in case you haven’t heard, you are not allowed to think and decide for yourself. and most people are content to be just like that anyway.
for those who really want it, there are ways as you have mentioned.
it’s a sorry and sad affair though when some people do go out of Kuwait and find it shocking to the point of being offensive what the rest of the world considered as the norm.
no points system here…you wud ve got 5/5
lmao i see what you did there!
In regards to I. 4 and 9, I would simply like to know how in the fuck is the Quran or Hadith allowed in Kuwait? Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) had an extensively recorded history as a war general, primarily in the last 10 years of his life, and there are numerous verses in the Quran that justify war and the act of aggression within specific parameters, including to convert kuffar/pagans.
List of military expeditions lead by Mohammed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_expeditions_of_Muhammad
Quran and Hadith verses, as well as popular Islamic scholars on forced conversions to Islam: https://wikiislam.net/wiki/Qur%27an,_Hadith_and_Scholars:Forced_Conversion
Quran and Hadith verses, as well are popular Islamic scholars on mandating peaceful Muslims should fight: https://wikiislam.net/wiki/Qur%27an,_Hadith_and_Scholars:Orders_to_Peaceful_Muslims_to_Fight
The individuals who created this list are pathetic. These types of book bannings are outright censorship. If the belief of the individuals who made these laws is that something as simple as reading a book can cause someone’s faith to be lost, then what is the strength of that faith in the first place? But of course, it’s not about that. This is 1984 type totalitarianism with the goal of controlling the masses.
Are you seriously citing wikiislam? That’s the worst site in the world that tries to pass off as “true”, it’s nothing but a load of crap. If you want actual facts go ask your local Imam or visit an Islamic scholar. Also, Surah Al-Baqarah, 256.
Did you click on the link? It’s not an article on wiki Islam, it’s a list of Quran surras, Hadith passages and Islamic scholar quotes pertaining to each subject, fully sourced. Check it yourself.
If prophet Muhammad was indeed, a “war general”, than why when he entered Makka after he won the war against the people who persecuted him and his people, why did he say to them “go your way, you are free”.
Does that sound like a talk from a war general?
No warlord would take, 23 years of prosecution and torment, by the people who he thought he was close to them, people he thought they are his family, no warlord would let that grudge go easily.
Would a war general even let go of the killer of his uncle and also a close friend? That unlace name is Hamza son of Abdul-Muttalib, the killer named Wahshi. He let Wahshi go, he only asked never to see his face so that he will not remember what he did to his dear uncle.
Please, just please go and read or watch videos in Youtube from proper sources. Learn it from its people. Or stop spreading misconception.
And Mark, I’m really surprised you even let that post out. It was off topic.
You’re arguing that Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) was not a war general, when it’s documented in the Quran, Hadith and historical documents that he was?
You say “go and read,” yes, exactly what I’m doing, I’ve read the Quran and Hadith and I’m pointing you towards links that give you the exact surrahs of the Quran and pages of the Hadith to verify that Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) was a war general.
You are the one spreading the misconception. Instead of reading the Quran, Hadith and historical documents, you use anecdotal evidence and hyperbolic statements.
Honestly it’s very sickening to hear the skepticism about this. I was taught all throughout middle school that Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) lead incredible battles such as the Battle of Badr and the conquest of Mecca. I didn’t know people were clueless about this information, as it was taught bright as day to me as a child and I read it in the Quran and Hadith, and yet people are denying it.
He let the post through because it shows the hypocrisy of the Kuwait government’s bans.
But … but … the Quran denounces the policies of the State of Kuwait. So does the Bible in fact.
Oh dear we got ourselves a problem here.
Harry Potter is not banned in Kuwait, but is banned from being in the education system. Makes sense for a place that’s too PC…. by the way, a lot of schools in the US have a similar banned list that includes Harry Potter. We live in a PC world!
your blog gives me lotta facepalms these days.
Number 9 is a fact not a claim
Imbeciles. Kuwaiti Nobel Prize winners should speak out….oh wait. Sorry.
hahah
The list is great. Since bans on books are virtually innefective in this day and age, this list only emphasizes interesting topics that one should seek to read about. More things should be added to it.
I would understand why they would ban any controversial books which add fuel to the Zionist- Palestine case , but why would they ban anything that talks about holocaust ?
Even though there are people who believe that it is a conspiracy theory, that doesn’t give them the right to ban the books.
i could totally imagine that bearded men wrote these regulations.
I went to an American school for high school from 2005-2007. American textbooks brought from the U.S. was our main curriculum. The chapters on the holocaust in the WWII sections of our history books were all ripped out, and any mention of it in the text was censored with a black marker.
My younger brother graduated from an American school last year and his books were the same.
I guess that means that the Kuwait government denies the holocaust? Wouldn’t surprise me, but honestly it’s sickening.
Becoz the holocaust never happened.
Can anyone actually clarify – are these books banned IN KUWAIT, or are they just banned IN SCHOOLS in Kuwait? I mean, if I am checked at the airport and have a Harry Potter book, is it going to be taken? Or is it just a problem if the book is in a school library? (not that I agree with censorship, just wondering if or how it will affect everyone in Kuwait)?
My niece in the US is at a school which does not allow any books with magic in them to be in the school, (it is a religious school).
Yeah.
Persian Gulf.
Deal with it.
The irony of the holocaust is that 1000s of people – gays, disabled, gypsies etc were also murdered by the nazis and all that information is being denied to an entire generation…
‘Those who ignore history are doomed to relive it ‘. ( misquoted quote, but you get the idea )
Banning books is just a step away from burning them …..
this is for private schools only.
some ‘banned books’ in schools are for sale by bookshops .
the ministry of information has a separate list from the ministry of private education.
the goons at the airport don’t know either list and will do what they please (most likely not give a crap…)
my first harvard thesis was on the effect of this censorship in schools as it related to learning …..
https://hollis.harvard.edu/primo_library/libweb/action/display.do?tabs=detailsTab&ct=display&fn=search&doc=HVD_ALEPH009917669&indx=1&recIds=HVD_ALEPH009917669&recIdxs=0&elementId=0&renderMode=poppedOut&displayMode=full&frbrVersion=&dscnt=0&vl(1UI0)=contains&scp.scps=scope%3A%28HVD_FGDC%29%2Cscope%3A%28HVD%29%2Cscope%3A%28HVD_VIA%29%2Cprimo_central_multiple_fe&frbg=&tab=everything&dstmp=1443378603198&srt=rank&vl(117501629UI1)=all_items&mode=Basic&&dum=true&tb=t&vl(51615747UI0)=any&vl(freeText0)=maxine%20meilleur&vid=HVD
What annoyed me the most of these instructions is the spelling of Angels !
Sincerely
The Spelling Troll
They meant angles. Personifying the Prophet at 90 degrees puts you in the slammer for 5 years.
I like your angle on that ….😶
I believe Peter Pan is on that list somewhere …. I do… I do… I do believe in …… Censorship……😧
people are so afraid to evolve, by banning thing you don’t resolve problems you create more, ignorance is the worst weapon in a society.
they can ban all they want , these days everything is on the internet people manage to find information so many different ways.
what they need to ban is violence, they should promote good behavior respect and love instead.
Anyways in Kuwait not much choices are available for book shops or library. I remember when Virgin opened they had so many great book music etc. then slowly slowly they killed it.
At this rate, I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see a blanket ban on all books in English; no questions asked.
To look at this from another point of view – at least they are banning hate speech against other groups. There are still Middle Eastern countries where official textbooks will tell you that a certain group are “Not really” muslims or that Christians are the enemy.
Thanks Kindle