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Last update - 19:33 30/01/2007 Report: Iran schools teach 'war curriculum,' show West as foe By Reuters Iran's schools are nurturing a siege mentality in children with textbooks showing preparations for war and depicting Israel and the West as the enemy, an Israel-based think tank said on Tuesday. One textbook gave 13-year-olds a basic overview of light arms while one early reader book depicted the murder of a Palestinian toddler by an Israel Defense Forces soldier, a survey by the Center for Monitoring the Impact of Peace (CMIP) found. "Iran's war curriculum is a danger to the world's peace and security. This is the way the books develop a siege mentality in the minds of the students," CMIP director of research Arnon Groiss told a news conference in Brussels. Advertisement CMIP has produced surveys of school material in Pakistan and the Palestinian Authority and said its survey of 115 textbooks published in Iran in 2004 was the first of its kind. Groiss said all the textbooks were underpinned by the belief that Iran was a world power preparing for global "jihad," or holy struggle, with the aim of world dominance of Islam. "This has been a structural component of the Iranian regime since (the Islamic Revolution in) 1979. It is not a product of [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad," he said of Iran's firebrand president who has called for the destruction of Israel. Stories and poems aimed at primary school-age children hailed martyrs killed in defence of their country and faith, such as those who died in the 1980 to 1988 war with Iraq, with one illustrated with a rainbow dripping with martyr's blood. Akbar Nabavi, an Iranian war veteran and now documentary maker, said the report was intended to misrepresent Iran. "The American nation respects its soldiers and their cause though they are being killed in a foreign land (Iraq), thousands of miles from home," he said. "Why shouldn't we commemorate the sacrifice of our martyrs killed defending their country and their faith?" Groiss highlighted one passage in a reading book for eight-year-olds: "At that time the Israeli officer pounded [three-year-old] Mohammed's head with his rifle stock and his warm blood was sprinkled upon his (six-year-old) brother Khaled's hands." Another picture book for 10-year-olds showed veiled girls carrying rifles while material for 13-year-olds provided a basic acquaintance with weaponry, explosives and military tactics. Israel was consistently referred to as "the regime that occupies Jerusalem" and marked out on maps as "Occupied Palestine". The United States was the "Great Satan", the "World Devourer" or the "Arrogant One." Despite official opposition to the U.S. government, many Iranians remain sympathetic to the American people and held spontaneous vigils to show support for them after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Groiss acknowledged he had no recent information on the influence the textbooks were having on Iranian children. While the concept of martyrdom is central to the Shi'ite Islam which is predominant in Iran, no Iranians are thought to have directly executed suicide bombings in recent years. However, one Iranian group, which insists it has no government affiliation, says it has signed up thousands of would-be martyrs to target U.S. or British interests if Iran was attacked over its nuclear program Bookmark to del.icio.us   Diskin's faulty math Haaretz finds the Shin Bet estimate of Palestinian civilian casualties is too low. Wooing minorities The color of Barack Obama's skin has returned as an issue to the campaign.   1.   What is Sirael teaching 19:51  |  Marwaan 30/01/07   2.   Child abuse 19:58  |  Dan 30/01/07   3.   Marwaan, you are such a liar 20:03  |  Daniel 30/01/07   4.   Fair comment, of course 20:04  |  Clickfool 30/01/07   5.   open your eyes marwan 20:08  |  adam 30/01/07   6.   that is a joke, right? 20:11  |  Tina 30/01/07   7.   to #2 pathetic !???!! 20:13  |  zohra 30/01/07   8.   Marwan reads Islam media and thinks is Israeli 20:15  |  Daniel 30/01/07   9.   # 2 Dan from Oregon 20:20  |  Lynn 30/01/07   10.   clickfool 20:22  |  adam 30/01/07   11.   # 3 Marwaan 20:25  |  Lynn 30/01/07   12.   tina there is a difference 20:26  |  adam 30/01/07   13.   Marwaan... 20:27  |  Steve 30/01/07   14.   # 5 On Marwaan 20:28  |  Lynn 30/01/07   15.   Child Brainwashing is old news for anyone in the M.E. 20:29  |  Lubnani Yehudi 30/01/07   16.   # 1 Marwaan 20:31  |  Lynn 30/01/07   17.   Don`t make me laugh 20:32  |  JJohnson 30/01/07   18.   IRAN JUST PREPARING FOR NUCLEAR CATATROPHE 20:33  |  JG in USA 30/01/07   19.   Tina, get your facts straight! 20:34  |  Greg 30/01/07   20.   Sorry, Marwaan, next time a suicide bomber 20:34  |  Rachel 30/01/07   21.   Jimmy Carter,President.Does he not share some credit for this? 20:38  |  curious 30/01/07   22.   to # steve 20:46  |  zohra 30/01/07   23.   Lynn on Marwaan 20:48  |  MR 30/01/07   24.   #16 Lynn 20:51  |  MR 30/01/07   25.   Harrumphing from Adam # 10 20:59  |  Clickfool 30/01/07   26.   clickfool 21:14  |  adam 30/01/07   27.   About butchering children- Clickfool 21:16  |  Daniel 30/01/07   28.   saving the world 21:18  |  whizbang 30/01/07   29.   The Third World War is Inevitable 21:20  |  Vernon 30/01/07   30.   Go figure 21:26  |  Colin Wright 30/01/07   31.   To All Warmongers 21:27  |  Persian Kitty 30/01/07   32.   adams right, clickfool is a fool 21:29  |  dan 30/01/07   33.   clickfool you are right 21:29  |  adam 30/01/07   34.   Dear Clickfool 21:30  |  Greg 30/01/07   35.   Re: Clickfool 21:31  |  David ben Avraham 30/01/07   36.   english butched way more kids than israel 21:32  |  rob 30/01/07   37.   To Curious 21:34  |  Persian Kitty 30/01/07   38.   # 23 MR 21:35  |  Marwaan 30/01/07   39.   click fool, he did answer your question 21:39  |  rob 30/01/07   40.   # 20 Rachel 21:39  |  Marwaan 30/01/07   41.   Marwaan depicts israeli racism and prejudice on israeli media 21:51  |  Daniel 30/01/07   42.   The Iranians do have a point 21:51  |  Sjoerd 30/01/07   43.   Vernon #29, the 3rd world war is over, prepare for the 4th. 21:55  |  Voice of Reason 30/01/07   44.   By The Way 21:58  |  Marwaan 30/01/07   45.   I weep for you, Persian Kitty, and your people 22:33  |  Vernon 30/01/07   46.   zohra #7 Our president is an idiot -- However... 22:52  |  bbl 30/01/07   47.   Persian Kitty 23:18  |  schafe82 30/01/07   48.   bbl / zohra 23:30  |  schafe82 30/01/07   49.   Thank you Vernon and Schafe82 04:20  |  Persian Kitty 31/01/07   50.   They signed up to terrorize Israel too 01:13  |  Fortuna 02/02/07   51.   #2a (Lynn responding toDan from Oregon) 21:00  |  Di 16/01/08

Today Online 5 Gazans, including 3 civilians, killed as rockets pound Negev Responses: 374 Lieberman blasts Arab MKs, pulls party out of government Responses: 133 IDF troops kill Islamic Jihad's top West Bank commander Responses: 96 Hamas: End IDF raids or Shalit will become another Ron Arad Responses: 94 Amira Hass: Israelis don't get the extent of their domination over the Palestinians Responses: 100 Rosner's Domain Jewish leaders: "falsehood and innuendo used in mischaracterization of Obama" (WTR) Rosner's Mailbox: And what if Obama's a Muslim? With focus on Obama-Clinton race, veep chatter begins Olmert to American Jews: I want your voice on Jerusalem The case for bombing Iran (WTR) More Headlines 22:56 Hamas: End Gaza raids or Shalit will become another Ron Arad 22:19 IAF kills five in Gaza as rockets pound south Israel 18:21 Mubarak to Bush: Palestinian issue is core of Mideast conflict 19:03 U.S. Jews, Christians upset that Nevada caucus set for Shabbat 22:02 Amy Winehouse mulling album of 'cool' Hanukkah hits, producer says 22:33 Hamas: Abbas calls Zahar over son's death, breaking boycott of group 20:35 Security forces evacuate two small outposts in West Bank 22:23 Report: Israel won't demand PA hand over killers of IDF soldiers 21:19 State: Israeli residents' endurance to rocket fire must be enhanced Previous Editions Select Day 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan 11 jan 10 jan 09 jan 08 jan 07 jan 06 jan 04 jan 03 jan 02 jan

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