Push to remove Quran from Egyptian textbooks faces backlash

Egypt’s parliamentary Defense and National Security Committee is discussing a plan to remove Quranic verses from the general curriculum and limit them to religious courses, part of a plan to fight extremism.
Indonesian Muslim students read from the religious academic books in an Islamic course at Al-Azhar mosque in the old city of Cairo on December 4, 2011. Al-Azhar mosque, which was developed into one of the oldest Islamic universities, pays special attention to the Koranic sciences and traditions of the Islamic prophet Mohammed and all the modern fields of science. AFP PHOTO/MAHMUD HAMS (Photo credit should read MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images)
Indonesian Muslim students read from the religious academic books in an Islamic course at Al-Azhar Mosque in the old city of Cairo, Egypt, Dec. 4, 2011. - Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images
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A correspondent in Egypt

Egypt’s parliamentary Defense and National Security Committee, chaired by Maj. Gen. Kamal Amer, discussed during a Feb. 14 meeting a plan by the ministries of culture, religious endowments and education to remove Quranic verses and hadiths (the prophet's sayings) from textbooks, and limit their inclusion to books for religion courses.

The meeting was held upon the request of the committee’s member Farid el-Bayadi, who put forward the plan aimed to counter extremism, and in the presence of Deputy Minister of Education Reda Hegazy. 

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