Three Jesuit schools in Cairo have been closed by the Government for having used a geography textbook which reportedly compared the Arab states unfavorably in some respects with Israel, the official newspaper, Al Ahram. reported today.
(Jesuit circles in Rome denied today UAR charges test the geography to speaks used in the schools in Rome contained “Israel propaganda. “)
The newspaper reported that all copies of the offending textbook were confiscated and burned about a month ago and that the schools would “continue functioning” when they have been supplied with new textbooks “in line with the national Arab sentiment. ” “the affected schools have a high academic reputation. Some of the Ministers of the present United Arab Republic Government are among their graduates.
Msgr. Oddi, the Papal Nurffio in Cairo, called at the UAR Foreign Ministry yesterday morning to protest the Government action, first of its kind against Christian mission Schools in Egypt. There are some 180 Roman Catholic missions schools in Egypt but only four belonging to the Jesuits. These are the three closed in Cairo and one in Minia which is still open.
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