Arbor News
340 E. Huron St.
P.O. Box 1147
Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1147

Dear Editor,

In his August 23 letter, Robert P. Smith criticizes local “pro-Palestinian”
vigils by putting forth several falsehoods, one of which involves the Ann Arbor
Islamic Center, which, he writes, encourages suicide bombings “by erasing Israel
from the maps in their classrooms.”

This is simply not true, and is easily verifiable by visiting the school, as I
have on several occasions. The classroom maps are the Rand McNally ones seen in
most schools, and the maps in the textbooks I have flipped through show both
Israel and the Palestinian, occupied territories.

The false charge that Muslims, and Palestinians in particular, teach hatred and
misinformation through their textbooks is a staple of those who defend Israel’s
illegal occupation.

In 2001, the US Consulate General in Jerusalem on the request of the US Congress
commissioned the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI) to
make a thorough study of Palestinian textbooks. The report debunks most of the
lies and half-truths that have circulated in the US and Israel regarding the
alleged use Palestinian textbooks to incite hatred.

A key paragraph in the Executive Study concludes: “The overall orientation of
the curriculum is peaceful despite the harsh and violent realities on the
ground. It does not openly incite against Israel and the Jews. It does not
openly incite hatred and violence. Religious and political tolerance is
emphasized in a good number of textbooks and in multiple contexts."

A full text of the report can be found on the IPCRI website (http://www.ipcri.org)

Sincerely,

Thomas F. Saffold