Textbooks used in schools in Kazakhstan offer a positive overview of Judaism and Jewish history and often present a balanced view on the Arab-Israeli conflict, a British think tank reported this week.
The findings were part of a survey published on Tuesday of curricula in three Muslim-majority Central Asian countries and former Soviet Republics—Kazakhstan (population 20 million), Uzbekistan (population 37 million) and Azerbaijan (population 10 million). The latter maintains close strategic ties with the Jewish state.
The London-based Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se) evaluated more than 100 textbooks used in Kazakhstan over the past decade to teach students in grades 2-11. It found a positive portrayal of Judaism, Jewish religious practices and Jewish history, with Judaism portrayed as part of the country’s multicultural composition. Antisemitism and the Holocaust were fairly discussed, and Israel’s revival of the Hebrew language is “particularly admired,” the report said.
“However, differing textbooks offer varied coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict, from balanced narratives to more one-sided portrayals,” the study found.
“The curriculum demonstrates a clear embrace of varied ethnicities and religions, including Judaism and the Jewish people,” said IMPACT-se CEO Marcus Sheff. “By rejecting extremism and promoting respect and moderation in schools, Kazakhstan is setting an important example of what education can look like across Muslim-majority countries.”
A previous report on Uzbekistan’s school textbooks released last month similarly found a positive and balanced view of Judaism, Jewish practices and history, including the recognition of the Holocaust and Israel’s economic achievements. Their textbooks also label Hamas and Hezbollah as “radical Islamist organizations.”
An earlier report on Azerbaijan noted that it was the first Muslim-majority country to incorporate a definition of antisemitism into its textbooks, which offer positive portrayals of Jews and Israel.
