Saudi official, staff axed over Yoda textbook picture
Government begins printing new books after ‘inadvertent error’ of including image of ‘Star Wars’ character next to late king
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RIYADH — The Saudi government has sacked Mohammad Bin Atiyah al-Harithi, the deputy education minister for curricula, saying that new versions of the textbook are being printed after the “inadvertent error” of including an image of a Star Wars character next to a former king.
“Education Minister Ahmed al-Eissa to terminate the mandate of … Harithi and all those responsible for reviewing and approving textbooks,” the Education Ministry said in a statement Monday.
The photo was a creation of 26-year-old Saudi artist Abdullah al-Shehri, who has gained renown for mixing pop culture icons into historic photographs.
Shehri said he was surprised to see his photograph end up in the school textbook.
https://twitter.com/SilentRuins/status/910757978306961409
He told the New York Times that he paired King Faisal and Yoda, as they were both intelligent and because Yoda’s green skin and light saber match the green of the Saudi flag.
He stressed he had meant no offence to the king, seen widely as the architect of Saudi Arabia’s modernization.
The error prompted lighthearted banter on social media.
One Saudi schoolteacher jested that this error symbolized “payback” after the Education Ministry introduced an extra hour of classes in schools earlier this year.
“Remember when Yoda signed the United Nations charter back in 1945 with Faisal of Saudi, @starwars?
“Saudi Ministry of Education does!” one Twitter user said.
The Times of Israel Community.