Who Funds Unesco?
The UN agency that promotes education wants a say in how future textbooks are written, and Saudi Arabia — a nation whose own school books have been criticized for promoting hatred of Christians and Jews — is helping to bankroll the effort.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is currently working with member states to revise its strategy for the publication of textbooks and learning materials. According to UNESCO’s website, experts from 21 countries met in Paris last month at a meeting financed by a $29,000 Saudi donation and focused in part on “ways to ensure that content aimed at students systematically reflects cultural and religious diversity, and avoids gender stereotypes.”
Then, last week, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah cut a $20 million check to UNESCO’s emergency fund.
“Saudi textbooks are extremely hateful and full of xenophobic texts.”
– Ali AlAhmed
Critics warn that the funding will come at a price, and predict the Saudis will want input into what goes into rewritten textbooks.
“Saudi textbooks are extremely hateful and full of xenophobic texts,” said Ali AlAhmed, author of the upcoming book “Saudi School Books: Objective Education or Extremist Indoctrination?” and director of the Gulf Institute in Washington, D.C.