Mona Lisa scrubbed from Syrian textbooks as critics slam conservative drift

AI Summary

Syria’s new Islamist authorities have removed or altered images in official school textbooks, including deleting an image of the Mona Lisa and redrawing girls wearing hijabs. The changes have drawn criticism as the country seeks to recover from civil war and authoritarian rule.

In one book, an illustration was redrawn to show the girls gathered around a computer wearing hijabs. In another, an image of the Mona Lisa was taken out entirely. Changes to Syria's official school books are sparking criticism of the country's new Islamist authorities as the nation tries to move on after 13 years of civil war and decades of authoritarian rule.