29.10.2026 22:55
Syria's Ministry of Education has completely changed the narrative of the Ottoman period in its renewed curriculum. The headings 'Ottoman occupation,' 'Turkish oppression,' and 'Great Arab Revolution' have been removed, and the description 'Butcher of the Arabs' used for Cemal Pasha has been removed from the text. Iskenderun, which was shown among the 'usurped lands' during the Assad era, is not included in the new books or on the Syrian map.
In Syria, the Ministry of Education has made radical changes in its renewed educational curriculum in the narrative of the Ottoman State, the Arab Revolt, and national identity.
In the new textbooks, the narrative regarding the Ottoman period has been completely renewed.
THE OTTOMAN NARRATIVE HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED
Headings that appeared in the old curriculum as 'Ottoman occupation,' 'Turkish oppression,' and 'Great Arab Revolution' have been removed from the curriculum.
The movement Sharif Hussein launched against the Ottoman State in 1916, while described in old books as the 'Great Arab Revolution,' was characterized in the new books as 'Hussein bin Ali's Revolt Movement.'
In the section describing the aim of the revolt, instead of the phrase 'liberating the Arab lands from Ottoman occupation,' the phrase 'separating the Arab lands from the Ottoman State' was used.
In the part describing the Anglo-French declaration, the phrase 'liberating the peoples from Turkish oppression' was changed to 'removing the Ottomans from the region.'
The description 'Butcher of the Arabs' used for Cemal Pasha in old books was also removed from the new text. Information was included that people executed during Cemal Pasha's period were accused of cooperating with Britain and France.
In the new curriculum, it is explained that while Britain cooperated with Sharif Hussein against the Ottomans, it planned to share Ottoman territories with France, and that the promises of independence given to Sharif Hussein were not kept.
UMMAH INSTEAD OF HOMELAND, SHURA INSTEAD OF DEMOCRACY
While in the Baath period it was stated that students should be prepared to 'serve the homeland,' in the new text this phrase appeared as 'serving religion and the ummah.'
The phrase 'Arab nationalism and pride in Arabness' was removed and replaced with 'pride in Islamic civilization.'
The goal of raising children as 'law-abiding' individuals was changed to 'individuals respectful of Islamic sharia.'
In the narrative of the period of the Four Caliphs, the concept of 'shura' was used instead of the previously used concept of 'democracy.'
ISKENDERUN REMOVED FROM THE MAP
During the overthrown Assad regime, in ninth-grade textbooks Iskenderun, Palestine, and Ahvaz were shown among the 'usurped lands,' while in the renewed curriculum the references to Iskenderun and Ahvaz were removed and only Palestine was included in the list.
Additionally, Iskenderun, which was included on the map of Syria during the overthrown regime, is not included in the new curriculum.
The phrase 'Occupied Palestine and the Golan' in old books was changed to 'the Muslims' occupied lands,' and the phrase 'support for the Palestinian resistance' was changed to 'support for the jihad fighters in Islamic lands.'
On the other hand, the struggle of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam, which was not included in the old curriculum, was added to the new textbooks, while instead of local Baath figures, important figures of Islamic history such as Omar al-Mukhtar and Nur ad-Din Zengi were included.
In the old books, it was seen that Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, whose photograph appeared together with Syrian President Shukri al-Quwatli, was removed from the visual.