{"id":655,"date":"2021-11-05T18:00:26","date_gmt":"2021-11-05T18:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sanaacenter.org\/ypf\/?p=655"},"modified":"2024-06-09T08:23:26","modified_gmt":"2024-06-09T08:23:26","slug":"curriculum-changes-to-mold-the-jihadis-of-tomorrow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanaacenter.org\/ypf\/curriculum-changes-to-mold-the-jihadis-of-tomorrow\/","title":{"rendered":"Curriculum Changes to Mold the Jihadis of Tomorrow"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Manal Ghanem<\/em><\/p>\n

Since its takeover of Sana\u2019a in 2014, the armed Houthi movement has cemented its hold over northern Yemen. An important part of this has been its extensive focus on education, systematically targeting the youth with Houthi ideology. This has meant moving from a civic education to one with a more religious point of view \u2013 a move\u00a0similar to\u00a0that made after the Iranian Revolution in 1979, when Ayatollah Khomeini\u2019s followers changed school curriculums in Iran as a way of shaping the next generation.<\/p>\n

In Yemen, courage is easily linked to martyrdom. Stories of brave men defending their country have been the backbone of folktales in the culture for centuries. The concept can be easily manipulated to depict bravery as an effort to defend the homeland against an enemy. Today, after seven years of conflict, a revised integration of this concept is seeping into the minds of children. The stories are no longer of heroes in farfetched scenarios; they are now real examples of their fathers,\u00a0brothers\u00a0and cousins. The Houthi movement is molding future generations of fighters.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Where it all Began<\/em><\/h4>\n

Since coming to power, the Houthi authorities have implemented a sectarian agenda to ensure the loyalty of children in the future and persuade adults to fight on the frontlines today.[1]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0In education, after more than seven years of rule, the changes that have been made to the school curricula and in the\u00a0education\u00a0system more broadly are easy to see. Examples include what might appear to be small changes in how a Quranic verse is interpreted, but these changes completely alter one\u2019s understanding of the text. For instance, verses that glorify jihad have been highlighted, while other verses have been reinterpreted to align with the group\u2019s identity. Hashemites are portrayed as superior, while whole chapters that once illustrated the diverse and rich history of Yemen have been replaced with chapters that focus on Zaidi,\u00a0Shia\u00a0and Houthi leaders. Stories about historical Arab heroes \u2013 such as Omar ibn Abdul Aziz, Omar al-Mukhtar, and\u00a0Youssef al-Azma\u00a0\u00a0, for example \u2013 have been replaced by those about Saleh al-Sammad, the former Houthi president, who was killed in April 2018.[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Changes started in\u00a0Sa\u2019dah, where the group integrated their literature through distributing writings by the group\u2019s founder, Hussein\u00a0Badr\u00a0al-Deen\u00a0al-Houthi.[3]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0The teachings of Al-Houthi became the main curriculum in the governorate in 2010. The group\u2019s educational approach stems from their conviction that the current educational system corrupts the youth.[4]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0As a means to fight back, the Believing Youth Movement came together in the early 1990s, establishing religious centers to teach Islamic sciences according to Zaidi views, with the Houthi movement subsequently arising from within these efforts.[5]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Since 2010,\u00a0Al-Sarkhah<\/em>, the official Houthi slogan, has been enforced in all schools in the governorate, replacing the national anthem in many cases.[6]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

In 2016, two years after the Houthis took control of Sana\u2019a, the group appointed Yahya\u00a0Badr\u00a0al-Deen\u00a0al-Houthi, the brother of current Houthi movement leader\u00a0Abdelmalek\u00a0al-Houthi, as the Minister of Education. The move sparked fears in Sana\u2019a and other governorates under the group\u2019s control about the possibility of changing or modifying educational curricula.<\/p>\n

Initially the changes were slight, but for the 2021\/2022 school year, the\u00a0Ministry of Education<\/a>\u00a0in Sana\u2019a issued a modified curriculum in Islamic studies, the Holy\u00a0Quran\u00a0and social studies for primary school. These introduced new lessons and modified or deleted original lessons covering civic rights, the role of women and the history of influential figures that shaped the history of Yemen.<\/p>\n

The Houthis have also instituted changes at technical, vocational and community colleges, all under the broad pretext of \u201cprotecting the faith\u201d. As part of this process, the Houthis have monitored what professors teach in the classroom as well as the political views of those professors and teachers.[7]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Process of Change\u00a0\u00a0<\/u><\/em><\/h4>\n

For the Houthi movement\u2019s ideas and beliefs to be instilled among school students \u2013 and changes in the curricula to be realized smoothly \u2013 the group has been prepared to change and remove school principals from their jobs, replacing them with Houthi loyalists. According to Yahya al-Yinai, a spokesperson for the Yemen Teachers Syndicate \u2013 a group loyal to the internationally-recognized government \u2013 these tactics have now left the Houthis in control of 90 percent of the schools in the northern highlands.[8]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

To fund the printing and distribution of the new curricula, the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Sana’a has imposed fees on students at public schools as \u2018community contributions\u2019 (elementary students pay 500 Yemeni rials (YR) and secondary school students pay between YR1000-YR1500 monthly). It has also raised the fee for the renewal of private school licenses. It has also forced private schools to purchase the new curricula and donate copies to nearby public schools. The MOE\u2019s Education Office in Sana\u2019a also conducts random inspections of schools to ensure that the new curriculum is being used.[9]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Schools found using the old curriculum face fines of up to YR400,000.[10]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

The MOE frequently issues curricula to public and private schools via its WhatsApp and Telegram channels, mandating what should be taught. At the same time, Houthi loyalists, who have been installed as teachers, act as inspectors, reporting on how their colleagues conduct lessons.[11]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Children of Houthi loyalists are also used as monitors.[12]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

What Has Changed<\/em><\/h4>\n

Changes in primary school textbooks targeted four curricula: the Arabic language; Islamic education; Civics and History. Amendments to the Civics curriculum included lessons that glorify the Houthi movement\u2019s history since they took control of Sana\u2019a and the events that accompanied that period. For instance, these lessons frequently describe the Saudi-led Coalition as being supported by the \u201cAmerican-Zionist alliance,\u201d and depict the Houthis as the protectors of Yemen.[13]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lessons about Mohammed Mahmoud al-Zubairi\u00a0and Ali Abd al-Mughni, key figures in the 1962 revolution in North Yemen, have been replaced by ones talking about Imam Al-Qasim, Imam Al-Mansour and his son Yahya Hamid al-Deen\u00a0\u2013 all Zaidi imams who ruled Yemen. September 21, 2014 \u2013 the date of the Houthi takeover of Sana\u2019a \u2013 is described as a \u201crevolution\u201d.[14]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

In the eighth grade (ages 13-14), the new curriculum omits everything related to the 1962 revolution, which established the Yemen Arab Republic. Gone also are lessons about the function of the state, the three executive authorities and the concept of tyranny. In their place are lessons about national identity, defending the homeland and the fight for independence. In the ninth grade (ages 14-15), all lessons about civic life, civil society and women\u2019s participation are omitted.[15]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

All students are mandated to take an active role in religious activities[16]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0and \u2018patriotic\u2019 events,[17]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0which highlight the Houthis\u2019 role in defending the homeland and stress the internationally recognized government\u2019s complicity in the deaths of Yemeni civilians.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Summer Centers for Indoctrination<\/em><\/h4>\n

Changes in the school curricula to have an impact on students take time\u00a0\u2013\u00a0\u00a0longer\u00a0than the Houthi authorities wish to wait. To accelerate the process, the group has been reviving summer schools and centers and devoting more resources to them, strengthening their prevalence and acceptance. These centers have received significant attention from the group\u2019s leader,\u00a0Abdelmalek, and his brother, Yahya, the education minister.<\/p>\n

As a result, the Houthi authorities have established almost 3,700 centers across 16 governorates. These centers are controlled by the Houthi leadership and the educational content taught to participants is designed by the Houthi authorities. Attendance is promoted in mosques by preachers and other influential figures, with participation bringing recognition to children and their families. Not surprisingly, the Houthis also do not allow any unaffiliated summer study centers to be established.[18]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

In several instances, parents spoke of their children being influenced by their classmates during these summer schools to join the fighting. Many children have also run away from their homes to join active frontlines without their parents\u2019 consent after being influenced by peers who have been trained at these summer centers.[19]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a 2021\u00a0joint report<\/a>, SAM Rights and Liberties and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor stated that, \u201cThe Houthis use summer centers to recruit children by indoctrinating students with the group\u2019s ideologies through sectarian lectures.\u201d[20]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0According to the report, the number of children recruited by the group since 2014 was around 10,333,[21]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0while in 2017, a United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights press statement estimated the number of child soldiers fighting with the group at about 1,500 children.[22]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0By the end of 2018, the Associated Press reported around 18,000 recruited children.[23]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0In 2019, the minister of human rights in the internationally recognized government estimated the numbers to be around 30,000 children since 2014.[24]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Jihad Magazine for Kids<\/em><\/h4>\n

Many of the teachers interviewed said that society and the media play a larger role in shaping students\u2019 awareness and culture than school does \u2013 a point the Houthi movement has been aiming to exploit.[25]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

The Houthi authorities have created a monthly magazine, called\u00a0Jihad,\u00a0<\/em>that targets children with fancy illustrations. It is authored by the Imam Al-Hadi\u00a0Cultural Foundation, which is linked to the Houthi movement.[26]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0<\/sup>The magazine shames all enemies of the Houthis and describes such people as cowards and accomplices of the US. Jihad magazine can be found on a dedicated website and social media pages.[27]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

According to the report of the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-SE), the magazine blunts some of its more strident material by providing useful scientific and neutral content such as drawing lessons and\u00a0maths\u00a0exercises.[28]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0The bulk of the magazine, however, focuses on the importance of jihad and portrays children fighting in battles, planning attacks and pleading with their families to allow them to go and fight against the \u2018aggression\u2019 threatening the country.<\/p>\n

The magazine also displays violent content. All humans who stand against the Houthi movement are portrayed as monstrous and unethical, while those who seek peace are weak. The magazine includes graphic pictures of children killed in airstrikes, with captions declaring that the \u201cenemy\u201d will stop at nothing until all Yemenis are dead.[29]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

The Houthi authorities are thus applying educational changes, leveraged by social propaganda, to influence Yemeni society and make the changes they want to see.\u00a0\u00a0The ramifications of these changes will become apparent in future, as the social fabric of Yemeni society goes through tectonic shifts.<\/p>\n

Both national and international institutions must work together to stop the flow of these ideas into schools and the daily lives of children. If nothing is done to limit the effect of this indoctrination, generations of Yemeni youth will be embarking on a future in which the highest aspiration for their lives will be martyrdom in battle, in which fame and success will be symbolized by having a poster of one\u2019s face hung in the streets next to all the rest who died thinking the violence they committed was in God\u2019s name. The world would see the creation of a breed of extremism that sprouts from the soil of an education in hate and poverty, destabilizing the region for generations to come.<\/p>\n

\n

Manal Ghanem is a researcher at the Sana\u2019a Center for Strategic Studies where her work focuses on cultural and technical research.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Endnotes<\/h4>\n
\n

[1]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u201cThe Suffering of Yemeni Children Between the Inferno of War, Violations and Deprivation of Basic Services [AR],\u201d Al-Quds al-Arabi, August 14, 2021,\u00a0https:\/\/bit.ly\/3hWYVaV<\/a><\/p>\n

[2]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u201cChanges in School Curricula in Houthi-Controlled Areas [AR],\u201d\u00a0Sidq\u00a0Yemeni\u00a0Platform,\u00a0\u00a0June\u00a02021,\u00a0www.SidqYem.com<\/a><\/p>\n

[3]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Ahmed Mohammed Al-Daghshi,\u00a0The Houthis and their Military, Political and Educational Future<\/em>\u00a0[AR], (Doha, Arab and International Relations Forum, 2013),\u00a0\u00a0p.\u00a0149.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Hamoud Abdullah Al-Ahnoumi,\u00a0Education in the Thought System of Hussein\u00a0Badr\u00a0al-Din al-Houthi\u00a0<\/em>[AR], (Sana\u2019a, Zaidi Islamic Council, 2017), p. 50<\/p>\n

[5]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0Ibid, p.18<\/p>\n

[6]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0Ibid. p. 177<\/p>\n

[7]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u201cDiscussing the Requirements for Consolidating the Faith Identity in Technical Education Institutions,\u201d Al-Thawrah\u00a0Net, February 21, 2021,\u00a0\u00a0http:\/\/althawrah.ye\/archives\/659279<\/a><\/p>\n

[8]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u201cYemen\u2019s Teachers\u2019 Union Accuses Houthis of Indoctrinating Children,\u201d The Arab Weekly, April 20, 2021,\u00a0https:\/\/thearabweekly.com\/yemens-teachers-union-accuses-houthis-indoctrinating-children<\/a><\/p>\n

[9]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Author\u2019s confidential interviews with officials in public and private schools, September 19, 2021. All interviews with educational staff for this paper had to be confidential, for fear of reprisals against those interviewed.<\/p>\n

[10]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Ibid.<\/p>\n

[11]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Ibid.<\/p>\n

[12]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Author\u2019s confidential interview with a teacher in a private school, September 22, 2021. All interviews with educational staff for this paper had to be confidential, for fear of reprisals against those interviewed.<\/p>\n

[13]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u201cChanges in School Curricula in Houthi-Controlled Areas [AR],\u201d\u00a0Sidq\u00a0Yemeni\u00a0Platform,\u00a0\u00a0June\u00a02021, p.26,\u00a0www.SidqYem.com<\/a><\/p>\n

[14]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Ibid.<\/p>\n

[15]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Ibid.<\/p>\n

[16]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u201cAmanat\u00a0Al-Asimah Schools Launch the Activities of the Prophet\u2019s Birthday [AR],\u201d Ansarollah.com, September 27, 2021,\u00a0https:\/\/www.ansarollah.com\/archives\/464667<\/a><\/p>\n

[17]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u201c\u2018Ansar Allah\u2019 Uses Education as a Sectarian Platform [AR],\u201d Arij.net, unknown date,\u00a0\u00a0https:\/\/arij.net\/yemen-education\/<\/a><\/p>\n

[18]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u201cInauguration of Summer Centers in the Municipality of the Capital and the Governorates [AR],\u201d Al-Masirah.net. June 22, 2021,\u00a0<\/a>https:\/\/www.almasirah.net.ye\/post\/41440\/<\/a><\/p>\n

[19]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u201cRecruitment of children… a violation of childhood and a “booby-trap” for Yemen’s present and future [AR],\u201d DW, July 2, 2021,\u00a0https:\/\/bit.ly\/3CZJ7MW<\/a><\/p>\n

[20]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u201cChildhood Militarism: Report Documenting Houthi Recruitment of Children in the Armed Conflict in Yemen [AR],\u201d SAM Rights and Liberties and Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, February 2021,\u00a0https:\/\/samrl.org\/pdf\/4554_5851609623282320014.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

[21]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Ibid.<\/p>\n

[22]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u201cPress Briefing Notes on Thailand and Yemen,\u201d OHCHR, February 28, 2017,\u00a0https:\/\/www.ohchr.org\/EN\/NewsEvents\/Pages\/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21244&LangID=E<\/a><\/p>\n

[23]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0\u201cChildren as Young as 10 Kill and Die in Yemen\u2019s War,\u201d Associated Press, December 19, 2018,\u00a0https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/saudi-arabia-child-soldiers-yemen-ap-top-news-houthis-082c0b7b6253468e97da5ee0c3f43066<\/a><\/p>\n

[24]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Joyce Karam, \u201cHouthis Recruited 30,000 Child Soldiers, Says Yemeni Minister,\u201d The National, October 9, 2019,\u00a0https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/world\/mena\/houthis-recruited-30-000-child-soldiers-says-yemeni-minister-1.921267<\/a><\/p>\n

[25]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Author\u2019s confidential interviews with officials in public and private schools, September 19, 2021. All interviews with educational staff for this paper had to be confidential, for fear of reprisals against those interviewed.<\/p>\n

[26]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Islam\u00a0Saif\u00a0,\u00a0\u201cA Houthi Magazine Directed at the Children of Yemen Cultivates and Consolidates Sectarian Ideas [AR],\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Al-Arabiya, September 6, 2017,\u00a0https:\/\/bit.ly\/3kyakjs<\/a><\/p>\n

[27]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0For example, Jihad mag, Twitter page, \u201cJihad Magazine for Children [AR],\u201d<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/Jehad_mag?t=qLQs30EMdbXwY67ahEP9sA&s=09<\/a>, Jihad mag, Telegram page, \u201cJihad Magazine for Children [AR],\u201d\u00a0https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https:\/\/t.me\/s\/Jehad_mag%3Fbefore%3D130&ved=2ahUKEwj53-T9krvzAhUResAKHYEeAigQFnoECBsQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0fJiCXVzvBfN9jCBUdxbs9<\/a><\/p>\n

[28]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Itam\u00a0Shalev, \u201cReview of Houthi Educational Materials in Yemen 2015-19,\u201d IMPACT-SE, March, 2021,\u00a0https:\/\/www.impact-se.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Review-of-Houthi-Educational-Materials-in-Yemen_2015-19.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

[29]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Ibid.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Manal Ghanem Since its takeover of Sana\u2019a in 2014, the armed Houthi movement has cemented its hold over northern Yemen. An important part of this has been its extensive focus on education, systematically targeting the youth with Houthi ideology. This has meant moving from a civic education to one with a more religious point […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":701,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanaacenter.org\/ypf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanaacenter.org\/ypf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanaacenter.org\/ypf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanaacenter.org\/ypf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanaacenter.org\/ypf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=655"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sanaacenter.org\/ypf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1044,"href":"https:\/\/sanaacenter.org\/ypf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/655\/revisions\/1044"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanaacenter.org\/ypf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sanaacenter.org\/ypf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanaacenter.org\/ypf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sanaacenter.org\/ypf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}