Education under ISIS: An analysis of the calligraphy and illustrations of the physical education curriculum

Tegwen Gadais, Laurie Décarpentrie, Ghada Touir, Mazen Al-Khatib, Alain Daou, Chirine Chamsine and Olivier Arvisais

International Journal of Educational Development, 2023, vol. 97, issue C

Abstract: This article presents an unprecedented analysis of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) primary school physical education curriculum focused on calligraphy and illustrations. Indeed, this research concentrated on describing, analyzing and understanding the context and the philosophy of the document, as well as its illustrations (Islamic calligraphy, pictures, among others). Semiotic and iconographic methods were used to conduct analyses of the data. Findings show several attempts to divert the meaning of the Muslim religion, notably through an ultra-rigorist vision and a total absence of girls or women. Our analyses lead us to believe that this curriculum, addressed mainly to the physical education teacher, was developed by ISIS as a preamble to the military preparation of future soldiers. Finally, the Islamic calligraphy used in the curriculum raises questions about the choice of type of calligraphy as well as its relevance within the context of an incomplete and rapidly developed document. This study provides a deeper understanding of the educational system set up by ISIS and its body of disciplinary texts.

Keywords: Education in conflict; Curriculum; Physical Education; Islamic State; Iconography; Islamic Calligraphy; Semiology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0738059323000019
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:injoed:v:97:y:2023:i:c:s0738059323000019

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102724

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Educational Development is currently edited by Stephen P Heyneman

More articles in International Journal of Educational Development from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().