'Patriotic Education' under the Assad Regime: Terrorism and Racism

‘Terrorism’ has undoubtedly proven one of the most difficult terms for people to define, and although I have tried to offer a definition of my own elsewhere, it is undoubtedly the case that ‘terrorism’ and ‘terrorist’ are often just applied as labels to groups and individuals that are particularly disliked by various actors. During the course of the war in Syria, the Assad regime became notorious for constantly talking about ‘terrorists’ and ‘terrorism’ in relation to the various insurgent groups that were fighting it and the wider opposition seeking the overthrow of the regime. Critics noted that this sort of collective labelling failed to appreciate distinctions between different types of insurgent groups, and was also a sign of the regime’s unwillingness to make concessions and engage in compromises.

The following excerpt from the ‘Patriotic Education’ textbook (a follow-up to a previously featured excerpt on the political system and Syria’s modern history) focuses on terrorism and racial discrimination (the two topics are grouped together as one chapter in the book). The excerpt should be of interest to those interested in how the Assad regime framed discussion of terrorism and racism in teaching students.