US embassy cable - 04AMMAN304

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 000304 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2014 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PREL, IS, JO 
SUBJECT: CURRICULUM REFORM RANKLES IN JORDAN 
 
REF: AMMAN 062 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Edward Gnehm for reason 1.5d 
 
SUMMARY 
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1. (C) A recent Ministry of Education (MoEd) announcement of 
plans to incorporate human rights concepts in school 
curriculum unleashed a media frenzy in opposition to the 
perceived imposition of western standards. While the status 
of the changes remains unclear, GOJ statements and the timing 
of both USG calls for education reform and other Arab 
regimes' plans for curriculum changes have only solidified 
opposition to the reforms. GOJ statements that this was a 
domestic, UNESCO-supported project and its efforts to explain 
its plans have neither resolved the debate nor inspired 
confidence in the government's intentions, even by 
supporters, though the King visited the MoEd yesterday to 
show support for its strategy. The Israeli Embassy and press 
have also objected to one module which encourages contrast of 
terrorism and resistance to occupation (we will seek 
clarification on this point). With the debate cast in 
nationalist, Islamic, and anti-Israeli terms, the opposition 
is prevailing over demoralized reformists, who lament the new 
government may be failing an early test of its capacity to 
implement its reform agenda. End summary. 
 
THE REFORMS 
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2. (U) At the end of December the MoEd announced a 
UNESCO-supported curriculum reform program which aims to 
incorporate into textbooks and syllabi human rights concepts 
such as the freedom to live in peace and of religion, public 
assembly, travel and self-determination. According to the 
MoEd, these concepts have roots in Islamic teachings and the 
Arab-Islamic heritage and are to be introduced over the next 
few years. Forced by the resulting media frenzy to defend the 
reform publicly, Education Minister Khalid Touqan met with 
parliament's Education Committee and has repeatedly discussed 
the government's plans with the press. Touqan confirmed that 
the concepts do not contradict Islam, Arab tradition, the 
constitution, or current educational guidelines. He explained 
that they are intended to be gradually integrated as part of 
ongoing domestic curriculum development in history, civic 
education, Islam, and Arabic and English language course 
work. 
 
3. (C) The Prime Minister's human rights advisor, Nancy 
Bakir, and MoEd head of training, Ahmad Ayasreh (a recent 
International Visitor program returnee), have confirmed to 
emboffs that the proposed concepts are just that--no specific 
language has been drafted, and no textual changes have been 
ordered. However, specific text has been widely reported and 
commented on in the media. Hence, the specifics of the 
reforms remain confusing for most Jordanians. 
 
MEDIA FRENZY AND POLITICAL REACTION 
----------------------------------- 
 
4. (U) Spurred by recent USG calls for educational reform at 
a conference in Alexandria and announcements from Kuwait and 
Saudi Arabia that those governments were also reforming their 
curricula, the press and political opposition went into a 
feeding frenzy following the government's announcement. 
Headlines such as "Developing the curricula or Zionizing 
them?" (al-Wihda) and "America declares war on educational 
syllabi" (al-Sabeel) appeared (ref), and the IAF issued a 
forceful statement expressing its rejection of outside 
influences on Jordanian education. Many in the public 
consequently view the reforms as the result of a U.S./Zionist 
plot to impose non-Arab and non-Islamic standards on 
unsuspecting children. MoEd and government spokesperson 
denials have failed to convince skeptics. On Jan. 12 the King 
visited the Ministry to show his support for its 5 year 
education strategy, though press reports carried no specific 
mention of the curriculum reform. The public nature and 
timing of the visit did, however, provide veiled support for 
the reform. 
 
ISRAELIS UPSET, TOO 
------------------- 
 
5. (C) Another controversy involves the content of the 
reforms. On December 30, Fawwaz Jaradat, Director of the 
Curricula Department in the Ministry was quoted as saying "we 
will try to make our students more aware of the very great 
difference between terror and legitimate resistance." 
Minister Touqan noted publicly that 9th and 10th grade 
curricula will contain ideas to stimulate discussion of 
resistance to occupation and terrorism. The Israeli press 
reported on the proposed change. The Israeli ambassador 
described the apparent change to the Ambassador as a step 
backwards and a possible violation of the Jordan-Israel peace 
treaty. 
 
FALLOUT 
------- 
 
6. (C) The GOJ's handling of the issue has only made matters 
worse. Even supporters lament the missed opportunity to 
discuss the issue more calmly and rationally and fear that 
the government's recent actions may jeopardize this chance to 
modernize the curriculum. Newly appointed Senator Mai Abu 
Samen told PolCouns January 8 that she was very disappointed 
with the government's -- and particularly Minister Touqan's 
-- handling of the issue.  Even as a member of the Senate's 
Education Committee, she complained, she has not been able to 
get from the MoEd a clear explanation of the principles to be 
introduced into the curriculum, or even whether the Ministry 
has drafted specific textual changes.  Abu Samen, a long-time 
women's activist and former school teacher, described herself 
as a "natural supporter" of what she thinks the Ministry is 
trying to do, but admitted that the "lack of transparency and 
public debate" in the curriculum changes has hurt her 
confidence in the MoEd. 
7. (C) A group of liberal Jordanians made similar laments to 
the DCM, noting that the voting down of curriculum reforms by 
the Kuwaiti parliament had encouraged foes of reform in 
Jordan. Islamists had successfully seized control of the 
debate here; once the contest was cast in terms of defeating 
external, anti-Islamic, pro-Israeli imports in the 
curriculum, few reformists were prepared to speak out (these 
liberal reformers betrayed some of their own biases and 
detachment from the public by arguing for a return to use of 
the British-inspired textbooks of their youth in the 1940s 
and 1950s, replete with Keynesianism and readings from "David 
Copperfield"). 
 
COMMENT 
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8. (C) The whole controversy appears to be a spontaneous 
combustion between and within the press, parliament and 
government foes, who are testing the new government's 
tolerance, but know they cannot take on harder issues, such 
as the Jordan-Israel or Jordan-U.S. relationship. This is an 
early test of the sincerity of the Fayez cabinet's commitment 
to reform, and capacity to achieve it. So far, its 
performance has only caused confusion and alienated all 
interested constituencies and parties. If the government 
pushes forward with reforms, it will lose popularity and hand 
a weapon to the opposition; if it shelves the changes, it 
will suffer a blow to its reformist credentials. The 
government's own statements have needlessly stirred up 
discussion of the issue of terrorism versus resistance, a 
debate which will be of no service to Jordan, domestically or 
abroad. 
GNEHM