The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
Images of textbooks used by schoolchildren in ISIS territory have been circulated on social media in the past. For example, on October 25, 2015, Mosul Eye, a social media group on Facebook and Twitter run by activists who report on ISIS activity in Mosul, posted 23 images of the textbook covers.[1] Recently, a Telegram channel created November 17, 2016 has begun posting full copies of these textbooks in PDF format. The first post in the channel was made on January 3, 2017, and read: "We shall start, Allah willing, publishing the Islamic State curricula." At the time of this writing, the Telegram channel contained 177 members.
The following report will include some of the content from English for the Islamic State Book One, First Course, and English for the Islamic State Book Three.
Telegram Channel
"We shall start, Allah willing, publishing the Islamic State curricula"
Telegram post containing PDF link to download English textbook
English For The Islamic State: Contents
"English for the Islamic State Book One Primary Printing"
The glossary page shows that there are five units in the textbook: Assalamu Alaykum, School, Numbers and Colors, My Body, and My Family.
One page titled "Lesson 1 Dialogue" contains an introductary dialogue. "Assalamu Alaykum. Waalaykum Asslam. I'm Bilal. What's your name? My name's Ahmed."
One page instructs children to trace the English words for army, hand, bullet and arm.
One exercise titled, "Lesson 1 dialogue" shows an conversation between two pupils. "What's this?" "It's the flag of the Islamic State!" "What color is it?" "It's back and white."
One exercise titled, "Lesson 4 Dialogue" shows a conversation between two pupils. "Assalamu Alaykum." "Waalaykum Assalam." "What are the subjects in the timetable?" "Jihadi education, Islamic education, Arabic, maths, and English."
Book Three
Book three is more advanced in content than the above book. It should be noted that on one of the pages where pupils must describe three men on a page, the man labeled Omar is Australian pro-ISIS cleric Musa Cerantonio.
Endnote:
[1] See MEMRI JTTM report Mosul-Based Activist Group Releases Photos of Children's Textbooks Used In ISIS Educational System, October 27, 2015.
