BAGHDAD (AP) — A new school year has started in the Iraqi city of Mosul, which is now under the control of Islamic State extremists. But so far, children aren’t showing up for class.
The militants have scrapped classes about art, music, history, literature and Christianity. They’ve banned patriotic songs as blasphemous and ordered certain pictures to be torn out of textbooks.
The new curriculum stresses that any reference to the republics of Iraq or Syria must be replaced with “Islamic State.”
In response, residents are keeping their children at home, partly in defiance and partly out of fear.
One man tells The Associated Press he and his wife are home-schooling their children to ensure that they “continue receiving knowledge correctly.” He says the militants will brainwash the children and “contaminate their thoughts.”
It’s not clear whether teachers have also stayed home.
Some families say the Islamic State group has issued a new statement demanding that students show up for class tomorrow or face punishment.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
