MUCH incorrect information about Saudi Arabia has been posted online. Some of the websites hosting such postings do so with malicious intent. At others, simple ignorance seems to be behind the harmful material that is made available for the world to see. When misinformation is circulated by a blog or other personal online venue, the “facts” can easily be discounted. Serious damage can be done however when a reputable, well-known organization wrongly “enlightens” the public within a scholarly context.
The Asia Society in New York works hard to make its website an engaging, educational experience. It is currently hosting a feature on Islam in Southeast Asia (http://asiasociety.org/education/islam_in_seasia). The feature interweaves art, history and culture to provide insight into the emergence of Islam in Southeast Asia. There is a video of an Indonesian puppet show and some interactive maps tracking the spread of Islam across Eurasia.
A special part of the online exhibition is targeted to educators. Within this curriculum area, topics are covered that include “Women, Education and the Veil in Contemporary Indonesia,” and “Hajj and Local Indonesian Pilgrimage.”
“This curricular guide, intended for use by teachers in high schools and of introductory college courses, is one of several Asia Society projects designed to foster the study of Islamic communities in Asia east of Iraq as an important and little-studied part of Asia in history and today,” wrote Morris Rossabi in an introduction to the curriculum. “The Education Division at the Asia Society has originated these programs not only as part of its general mission to educate Americans about Asia, but also in response to educators’ requests for materials about the history, land, peoples, beliefs and cultures of the majority Muslim areas of Asia, which tend to be poorly resourced and infrequently studied at all levels of American education.”
With the Asia Society setting out on such a lofty mission, one might imagine that the materials put forward would be outstanding. Unfortunately, there seems to be some disconnect in the presentation of the information, particularly for an audience that is not well informed. Some confusion results when local “pilgrimage” rituals, which actually have no context within Islam, are combined with Hajj. Then a translated excerpt is provided from a comic book, which is supposedly used to help Indonesian Muslims prepare for the pilgrimage.
That excerpt gives information such as “Saudi Arabians get insulted and angry when you touch their butt, whether on purpose or by accident,” and “Saudis really like to touch or pat peoples’ heads. Don’t get insulted if your head keeps getting touched by Saudi Arabians. Usually Arab men have a long beard, and it gives them pleasure when it’s stroked or touched.”
To set the record straight, Saudis don’t want to be grabbed anywhere by strangers – neither “butt” nor beard. As for the head patting, that’s even more bizarre. Saudis don’t walk around touching the body parts of strangers. The comic book is actually very funny – except when it’s considered that this material is to be presented in a serious manner by teachers to high school and college students. Then it isn’t humor or education. It’s culture assassination.