[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 123 (Thursday, July 20, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1028]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                              SAUDI ARABIA

                                 ______
                                 

                              HON. TED POE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 20, 2017

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Saudi Arabia is a crucial ally in the 
fight against terrorism. Many of the same terrorist organizations that 
threaten the United States also desire to overthrow the Saudi 
government and break our partnership.
  It's a key member of the coalition to fight ISIS, with its pilots 
flying alongside Americans since day one of the campaign in Syria. Last 
year, Riyadh adopted strict laws prohibiting fundraising for terrorism, 
jointly designating support networks for al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
  Saudi intelligence has assisted in preventing terrorist plots 
targeting the U.S. In 2010 Saudi assistance helped foil an attempt by 
al-Qaeda to conceal bombs on a cargo plane en route to the United 
States. The Saudis are also battling Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen. 
These rebels not only threaten the Kingdom but also targeted our own 
warships and destabilize the Red Sea trade routes.
  The current diplomatic standoff between Saudi Arabia and Qatar 
demonstrates that Riyadh is willing to take a stand against state 
sponsorship of terrorism in the region. This is all encouraging. 
However, the Saudis still have much more they need to do at home to 
counter the sources of extremism in the region.
  The battle against terrorism will uitimately have to be fought and 
won on the battlefield of ideas. Saudi Arabia has simply not done 
enough to defeat extremist ideology. The Kingdom is playing the role of 
both arsonist and firefighter when it comes to Islamic extremism.
  Nowhere is this more evident than the textbooks Saudi Arabia produces 
to teach its youth. For far too long Saudi Arabia's education 
curriculum has inspired the very ideology that is at the root of many 
terrorist organizations like ISIS and al-Qaeda.
  Saudi textbooks are full of anti-Semitism, conspiracy theories, and 
calls to violence that have incited students both at home and across 
the world. This poisonous ideology has provided the groundwork for 
generations of radicalization and extremism.
  In fact, ISIS adopted official Saudi textbooks for its schools in 
2015 until the terrorist group could publish its own. Moreover, its 
export of hateful material through Saudi-funded schools abroad has 
helped spread the toxic ideology to more tolerant and open Muslim 
communities in countries such as Kosovo and Indonesia.
  While the Kingdom has repeatedly pledged to remove extremist content 
from its curriculum, troubling language remains in many of the most 
recent editions of Saudi textbooks. In 2006 the Saudis committed to 
eliminate all passages that promoted hatred towards any religion by 
2008.
  Yet even today textbooks include content that discourages befriending 
``infidels,'' claims the goal of Zionism is world domination, and 
encourages ``fighting'' any polytheist or infidel who refuses to submit 
to the supremacy oflslarn. This intolerance is unacceptable and 
directly contributes to the widespread persecution of religion 
minorities that plagues the Middle East.
  Another passage in a current Saudi textbook for middle school 
students states that ``the mujahideen who are doing good deeds for the 
sake of Allah . . . should be given transportation, weapons, food and 
anything else they may need to continue their jihad.'' Messages such as 
this undermine the Saudis own counterterrorism efforts.
  By indoctrinating children into the belief that people of other 
faiths are inferior or are a threat to Islam, Saudi Arabia is ensuring 
future generations of extremists that will join the ranks of terrorist 
groups. This is not to ignore that some positive steps have been taken. 
In recent years the Kingdom has introduced passages that denounce 
terrorism and encourage dialogue with other faiths.
  But these steps only send mixed messages to easily influenced young 
minds so long as the more extreme messages remain. The State Department 
and previous administrations have also failed to hold their Saudi 
counterparts to past pledges.
  The State Department has even refused to publish reports that shed 
light ori these troubling textbooks for fear of embarrassing our Saudi 
partners. While we appreciate Riyadh's contribution to our overall 
counterterrorism efforts in the region, we must hold them accountable 
for their role in fueling the very extremism we are trying to combat. 
It is in both our countries' interest.
  In the fight against terrorism, we all need to be on the same page.
  And that's just the way it is.

                          ____________________