Congressional Record, Volume 151 Issue 164 (Sunday, December 18, 2005)

[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 164 (Sunday, December 18, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H12186-H12187]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

EXPRESSING SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING EDUCATION CURRICULUM IN SAUDI
ARABIA

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree
to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 275) expressing the sense of
Congress regarding the education curriculum in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia.
The Clerk read as follows:

H. Con. Res. 275

Whereas the terrorist attacks on the United States on
September 11, 2001, were carried out by 19 hijackers,
including 15 Saudi Arabian nationals;
Whereas since September 11, 2001, multiple terrorist
attacks have occurred inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that
were carried out by Saudi nationals;
Whereas Saudi nationals have joined the insurgency in Iraq,
carrying out terrorist activities and providing financial
support;
Whereas the Government of Saudi Arabia controls and
regulates all forms of education in public and private
schools at all levels;
Whereas Islamic religious education is compulsory in public
and private schools at all levels in Saudi Arabia;
Whereas the religious curriculum is written, monitored, and
taught by followers of the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam,
the only religion the Government of Saudi Arabia allows to be
taught;
Whereas rote memorization of religious texts continues to
be a central feature of much of the educational system of
Saudi Arabia, leaving thousands of students unprepared to
function in the global economy of the 21st century;
Whereas the Government of Saudi Arabia has tolerated
elements within its education system that promote and
encourage extremism;
Whereas some textbooks in Saudi Arabian schools foster
intolerance, ignorance, and anti-Semitic, anti-American, and
anti-Western views;
Whereas these intolerant views instilled in students make
them prime recruiting targets of terrorists and other
extremist groups;
Whereas extremism endangers the stability of the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region, and threatens global
security;
Whereas the events of September 11, 2001, and the global
rash of terrorist attacks since then, have created an urgent
need to promote moderate voices in the Islamic world as an
effective way to combat extremism and terrorism;
Whereas the report of the National Commission on Terrorist
Attacks Upon the United States stated that ``Education that
teaches tolerance, the dignity and value of each individual,
and respect for different beliefs is a key element in any
global strategy to eliminate Islamist terrorism''; and
Whereas the ascension of King Abdullah to the throne in
August 2005 presents a new opportunity for education reform
in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress--
(1) urges the Government of Saudi Arabia to reform its
textbooks and education curriculum in a manner that promotes
tolerance and peaceful coexistence with others, develops
civil society, and encourages functionality in the global
economy;
(2) urges the President to direct the Secretary of State to
use existing public diplomacy channels, international visitor
exchanges, professional development, and educational reform
programs, including those under the Middle East Partnership
Initiative and the Broader Middle East Initiative, to focus
on the issue of educational reform in Saudi Arabia in
accordance with the objectives enumerated in paragraph (1);
(3) expresses extreme disappointment with the slow pace of
education reform in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia;
(4) urges the President to take into account progress in
meeting the goals outlined in paragraph (1) when determining
the level and frequency of United States
bilateral relations with the Government of Saudi Arabia; and
(5) requests that the Secretary of State examine the
educational system in Saudi Arabia, monitor the progress of
the efforts to reform the education curriculum, and report on
such progress, in classified form if necessary, to the
appropriate congressional committees.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) and the gentleman from California (Mr.
Lantos) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.

General Leave

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution
275, which expresses the sense of Congress regarding modifications in
the education curriculum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
It is unfortunate that some of the textbooks which are used in Saudi
Arabian schools foster intolerance, ignorance and anti-Semitic, anti-
American and anti-Western views. Extremism in

[[Page H12187]]

any form endangers the stability of the Middle East and undermines the
efforts to create a conflict-free environment. There is an urgent need
to promote moderate voices in the Islamic world as an effective way of
fighting extremism.
Educational reform, with an emphasis on tolerance and respect for
religious differences, can enhance the possibilities of harmony in this
troubled region. Our children need to learn the concepts of peace and
tolerance, not war and hatred.
The resolution recognizes the opportunity presented by the ascension
of King Abdullah to the thrown in Saudi Arabia to call for education
reform in his country.
It also establishes that progress on such reform is a priority for
the United States and a factor to be considered when determining the
level of our diplomatic engagements with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
It also urges the President to direct the Secretary of State to use
the means at her disposal to assist the Saudis in such education
reform.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important
resolution. I congratulate my colleague from Florida.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.

{time} 1500

Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume,
and I rise in strong support of this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, first, I want to commend my good friend and
distinguished colleague from Florida (Mr. Davis), a former member of
the International Relations Committee, for introducing this most
important measure relating to the curriculum in Saudi Arabia. We all
appreciate his leadership on this important matter.
Mr. Speaker, as all of us as parents know, we have an enormous
obligation not only to ensure that our children receive an education
which will enable them to function in this century, but that their
education include an important quotient of understanding other
religions and other cultures, and an education that resists the
temptation to demonize those that we do not understand.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Saudi Arabia has singularly failed to
accomplish this important task. The extremist Wahhabi religious
education which is present in Saudi schools encourages and promotes
extremism, viciously anti-American, anti-Western, and anti-Semitic
attitudes. It fosters hatred and intolerance.
It is no surprise, Mr. Speaker, that 15 of the 19 hijackers on
September 11 were Saudi nationals. The vile hatred filling the minds of
so many young Saudis in schools makes them prime targets for terrorists
and other extremist groups. I urge all my colleagues to support this
important resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Davis).
Mr. DAVIS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the ranking
member, Congressman Lantos, for his support on this legislation that
has been pending for about 3 years, and the chair of the committee,
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, my colleague from Florida, and also
the cosponsor of this legislation, Mr. King of New York, the chairman
of the Homeland Security Committee.
As has been described, this resolution is actually very simple. It is
constructive pressure on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to reform the
content of their school system to rid that content of anti-Semitic,
anti-Western extremist material that is forced upon the education
curriculum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by radical extremists in the
Wahhabi sect in Saudi Arabia.
This legislation is the product of two trips I have taken to the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Like many Americans, like many Members of
Congress, I searched for the answers after September 11 to make sure
that what happened on that day would never happen again. My personal
search, my search as a Member of Congress, took me to the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia just a few months after September 11.
I visited, as did other Members of Congress, with the Minister of
Education of Saudi Arabia and with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia,
now the King of Saudi Arabia. The King of Saudi Arabia understands this
problem. For far too long, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has allowed
radical elements within the country to control the school system. As
was mentioned by Mr. Lantos, it is not a coincidence that 15 of the 19
hijackers on September 11, 2001, came from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
What this legislation specifically says is that the Congress is
directing the President of the United States to provide a report to the
Congress and to the American people as to the status of efforts by
Saudi Arabia to reform their school system, and we are in fact
pressuring and calling upon and encouraging the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
to do exactly that.
We need to have a relationship with this country that allows us to be
open and honest in expressing our concerns. These are not just issues
within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. These are not just threats of
terrorism to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. These
are, in fact, as we sadly know from our history, threats to the United
States as well.
There has been a report card issued by the 9/11 Commission in the
last few weeks about the efforts of this country to learn from
September 11. I am sad to report that one of the areas that received a
D was the failure of this Congress and this administration to openly
discuss changes and to make changes in our policy towards the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia. It is my hope today that this resolution represents an
overdue step in that direction as Democrats and Republicans coming
together, I believe unanimously, to say to the administration that it
is time to speak out on this issue and to do so constructively.
Mr. Speaker, on this Sunday in my hometown of Tampa, in my State, it
is a game day for many communities. I believe what the United States
Government needs in the war on terrorism is the same thing that the
Tampa Bay Bucks need right now in my hometown, which is a strong
defense and a smarter offense. A smarter offense is identifying the
root causes of terrorism and aggressively addressing them.
This is, in fact, one of the root causes of terrorism. It is the
creation of extremism and extremists in the schools of Saudi Arabia in
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. And this bill represents an attempt to
work with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to put an end to that root cause
of terrorism as well as others.
I want to urge my colleagues to join Congressman Peter King and me,
Congressman Lantos, and Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen in strongly and
unanimously supporting this resolution.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my friend for his
thoughtful and powerful statement.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gillmor). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that the
House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con.
Res. 275.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will
be postponed.

____________________