Sharjah : The Ministry of Education has banned a text book for use in private schools because it questions the existence of God and justifies violence against Palestinian Muslims.
Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel's Night; with Connections was taught to XI graders at the International Dubai Academic School.
Dr Mariam Al Ali, Director of Private Schools Supervision and Control Office at the ministry, said the book was banned after her department submitted a report describing the grave consequences of teaching it to students.
She said it questions the existence of God and justifies the occupation of Palestine. First published in 1955, Night; with Connection is based on Wiesel's experience as a young orthodox Jew who was imprisoned in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps with his family.
Mistaken concepts
Dr Mariam said the book doesn't seek compassion, but promotes mistaken concepts. UAE Law No 28 of 1999 prohibits private schools from using books that are against the teachings of Islam or Emirati traditions. Books that may trigger racial problems are also banned.
A school that violates this law gets a warning followed by a fine between Dh1,000 and Dh10,000 in case it repeats the offence, Dr Mariam said. The book has been in use for the last two years at the school before a parent of a student noticed its inappropriate content and reported it to the office of Supervision and Control.
Following a thorough study of the Night; with Connections, the office instructed schools though a circular to ban the book.
According to Dr Mariam, there are 474 private schools that fall under the office, which makes it difficult to monitor every book. "We rely on the schools' inspection teams," she added.
She said another book titled The Holt Reader by Rheinhart And Winston Holt taught to eighth graders at schools following the US curricula has also been banned for promoting similar topics.
