Azerbaijan has become the first Muslim-majority country to incorporate a definition of antisemitism into its textbooks, according to a new report from international research and policy institute IMPACT-se (Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education).
The document examines Azerbaijani textbooks and their depiction of Jews, antisemitism, and Israel.
The findings highlight positive portrayals of Jews and Israel, plus recognition of the Holocaust as a genocide killing 6 million Jews.
Notably, anti-Israel narratives were removed in revisions made for the current 2024-25 school year, reflecting a shift toward a more balanced overview of the conflict. There are no signs of Islamism or radicalism and the textbooks promote ideals of diversity and tolerance and a secular, inclusive national identity.
Screenshot from report.
However, the absence of Azerbaijani Jewish history and broader Jewish history in textbooks marks areas for improvement.
The report evaluated 53 textbooks taught in the Azerbaijani national curriculum, revealing promising progress and developments. As a strategic neighbour to Iran, Azerbaijan’s societal values hold geopolitical significance, and so its curricular implementation of secular ideals is of significance.
The report can be found here.
President of the Ruderman Family Foundation, Jay Ruderman said: “The publication of this study on Azerbaijan’s textbooks marks the first in a groundbreaking series of in-depth reports, which provide a revealing window into central Asia. It is hugely encouraging that in an increasingly turbulent world, children in Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are learning the priceless values of tolerance, respect and peaceful relations. This reflects the potential for building bridges through education, a vision championed by the Ruderman Family Foundation.”
IMPACT-se chief executive, Marcus Sheff said: “Azerbaijan is a key player in central Asia. Islamic and ethnically Turkic, it is bordered by Iran to the south, Russia to the north and Turkey to the west – an increasingly critical geopolitical juncture. This report is an important indicator for anyone who wants to understand which direction the region is taking. The textbooks demonstrate a clear rejection of the extreme Islamist values promoted by their near-neighbor Iran. Instead, they promote tolerance, diversity and a heartfelt respect for Jews and Israel, which serves as an important model for many other majority-Muslim states.”
- The report is the first in a three-part series on curricula in central Asian countries, produced in partnership with the Ruderman Family Foundation, which also includes Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
