RIYADH, 27 October — Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, has said that the Kingdom has no intention of amending its education system or curricula.
“We do not plan to change our educational policy and no one asked us to do so,” he told reporters after a meeting with his French counterpart Michele Alliot-Marie.
“All that has been said about one country or another asking us to amend our (education) system is unfounded. In any event, it would be unacceptable since this is a sovereignty-related matter,” Prince Sultan added.
He was referring to Western claims that Saudi education system helps breed the kind of extremism that led to the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States. “There are some who try to drive a wedge between Saudi Arabia and its friend, the United States. But our friendship will remain,” Prince Sultan said.
“We are not extremists, and there is no such thing as a Wahhabi sect,” said Prince Sultan, adding that Wahhabism was not a religious doctrine but “a movement that sought to reform religious concepts” prevailing when it emerged.
Alliot-Marie yesterday stepped up her country’s criticism of US Middle East policy, agreeing with Saudi officials that Washington should be persuaded to ensure that UN resolutions are implemented by Israel as well as Iraq.
“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has brought about an intolerable situation,” Alliot-Marie said after talks here with Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard.
