[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1497 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1497

  Condemning the inclusion of inflammatory and inaccurate content in 
  Iranian textbooks that is aimed at indoctrinating and radicalizing 
 students with anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic, and anti-Western sentiment 
                and at restricting the rights of women.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 30, 2010

   Mr. Roskam (for himself and Mr. Quigley) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Condemning the inclusion of inflammatory and inaccurate content in 
  Iranian textbooks that is aimed at indoctrinating and radicalizing 
 students with anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic, and anti-Western sentiment 
                and at restricting the rights of women.

Whereas an Iranian law passed in 1987 states, ``the education system plays a 
        role in shaping students politically and ensuring their adherence to the 
        Islamic Revolution'' and that ``purification takes precedence over 
        education.'';
Whereas in 2005, after being elected President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 
        reintroduced the institution of ``omur-e parvareshi'' whereby special 
        ``mentors'' from the Basij militia, the volunteer force that has played 
        a role in suppressing opposition ideas and protests, ensure that 
        students do not deviate from a narrow track of political thought, 
        Islamic values, and life outside school;
Whereas a 2007 United States Government-sponsored contract study of 85 Iranian 
        school textbooks of all grades again found numerous examples of anti-
        Semitic and anti-Israeli sentiment being taught to Iranian 
        schoolchildren, such as a Grade 5 literature book that states that ``the 
        Israeli enemies . . . occupied the Dome of Rock and they do not let the 
        Muslims pray in it . . . the Israeli enemies destroyed the school of 
        Palestinians'';
Whereas the same study also found textbooks advocating martyrdom, such as a 
        Grade 5 social teachings textbook that states that ``martyrdom is the 
        highest degree of sacrifice'' and another Grade 5 Persian language and 
        literature textbook that praises martyrdom and urges children to welcome 
        it;
Whereas the same study also found textbooks advocating against women's rights, 
        such as a high school textbook that states that ``giving the right to 
        vote to women was a clear act of hostility to Islam'';
Whereas a comprehensive 2008 Freedom House study of 95 Iranian school textbooks 
        published between 2006 and 2007 for all grades concluded that ``the 
        government of Iran is teaching the country's children to discriminate 
        against women and minorities, to view non-Muslims with suspicion if not 
        contempt, and to perpetuate the regime's theocratic ideology. 
        Discrimination and intolerance are deeply ingrained in the textbooks 
        that make up the core of Iran's school curriculum'';
Whereas the same study also found that textbooks consider Israel to be an 
        ``absolute evil'' and connect many of Iran's political issues and crises 
        to Israel;
Whereas the same study concluded that ``the discourse of the textbooks has not 
        been written with the concept of equality of all human beings, as 
        enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.'';
Whereas in 2007, discussion began to rewrite the Iranian school system's 
        textbooks to make content more Islamic, segregate between men and women, 
        eliminate subjects deemed too Western or secular, and to eliminate parts 
        of Iran's own history that could foment nationalist or anti-Islamic 
        sentiment;
Whereas Iranian women have been able to attend school and advance themselves in 
        spite of restrictions placed upon them, accounting for six out of ten 
        university students, which has produced a generation of educated women 
        who can fight for reform and for more rights;
Whereas a discussion is underway in Iran to reform the university system because 
        it currently puts women at a further disadvantage by implementing quotas 
        to limit enrollment and segregating classes;
Whereas members of groups organized to protest the educational system have 
        routinely been arrested;
Whereas the practice of gozinesh, which screens students accepted to public 
        universities for moral behavior and loyalty to Islam and the regime and 
        which had been banned in 1997, was reinstituted by President 
        Ahmadinejad;
Whereas a Wall Street Journal article dated December 31, 2009, that chronicles 
        the star system in the Iranian school system and the adversity faced by 
        so-called ``star students'' in Iran states that ``ranking in the top of 
        the class . . . means your name appears on a list of students considered 
        a threat by the intelligence ministry . . . [and] a partial or complete 
        ban from education'';
Whereas students with one star are allowed to return to school only after 
        signing a consent to give up political activism, students with two stars 
        face suspensions and interrogations, and students with three stars are 
        banned from education for life;
Whereas star students are identified by monitoring email and phone conversations 
        of people considered dissidents and activists;
Whereas the same article reported a female student who ranked 55th out of more 
        than 70,000 students on the nation's law school entrance exam, but was 
        not allowed to attend law school because of her ``star'' status, had 
        participated in the presidential campaign of opposition leader Mir 
        Hossein Mousavi and in several protests that occurred after the disputed 
        election;
Whereas the same article reported a male student who ranked 43rd out of 25,000 
        participants in an MBA placement exam was denied admission, suspended 
        for four semesters, arrested, and put in solitary confinement for 21 
        days due to his role as spokesperson for a politically active student 
        group and as editor of a political student publication;
Whereas there are many historical examples of education being used as a weapon 
        of indoctrination and a method to instill hatred toward a group of 
        people, including Nazi Germany; and
Whereas Article 26 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights 
        states that ``Everyone has the right to education. . . . Education shall 
        be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the 
        strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It 
        shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, 
        racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the 
        United Nations for the maintenance of peace.'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the inclusion of inflammatory and inaccurate 
        content in Iranian textbooks that is aimed at indoctrinating 
        and radicalizing students with anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic, and 
        anti-Western sentiment and at restricting the rights of women;
            (2) calls on the Government of Iran to reform its textbooks 
        and educational system so that it may promote peace, tolerance, 
        equality, civil debate, and the development of civil society; 
        and
            (3) urges the President regarding the conduct of Iran to 
        take into consideration the harmful and disturbing content 
        propagated by the Iranian education system.
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