A Recommendation to Include Human Rights Principles in School Curriculums

A Bahrani parliamentary delegation which participated in an international conference has recommended teaching democracy, human rights principles, as well as international law in schools. The delegation affirms the necessity of protecting human rights culture and the respect of its universal principles, acknowledging the right of every human being to preserve his/her own cultural identity. It also called for the appreciation of the basis of human rights culture, and refused any unilateral cultural domination by any party, stressing the importance of participation of civil society institutions and organizations, and to take into consideration their suggestions when preparing curriculums and school books.

Abdullatif Al Shaikh, led the Kingdom’s parliamentary delegation to the work of the Permanent Committees for Legal Issues, Human Rights and the Environment in Niyami. Abdullatif Al Shaikh believes in the necessity of amending national laws and legislations in order to conform to a democratic ideology within the bounds acceptable to Sharia law. This would guarantee a better protection of rights and freedoms such as freedom of expression, and laws related to media as well as ones which organize the activities of civil society institutions. Bahrain’s Minister of Education Dr. Majid bin Ali Al-Niaimi commented that the ultimate purpose of teaching the topic of citizenship as part of the subject Tarbiya (Education) is ‘to produce a generation that is politically aware, respects pluralist views, and does not make enemies with others merely because they hold a different opinion’.