Syria’s new administration is facing significant backlash following a series of controversial revisions to national school textbooks. Recent reports, supported by documentation from the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (IMPACT-se), reveal that iconic historical imagery—including the Mona Lisa and ancient Syrian statues—has been removed or altered. In many instances, illustrations have been modified to reflect more conservative social values, such as depicting girls in hijabs or replacing Western-style clothing with traditional robes and niqabs. These changes extend to erasing depictions of dancing and recontextualizing historical figures, shifting narratives to align with a more religiously conservative framework.

The education ministry maintains that these updates are necessary to strip away symbols of the former Assad regime and correct ideological content from the previous era. However, critics, including human rights activists, argue that the revisions represent a profound and troubling shift in national identity. By rebranding historical figures and implementing gender-segregated academic policies, the current leadership under Ahmed Al Sharaa is fueling fears of rising religious fundamentalism. As the country attempts to navigate its post-civil war landscape, the debate over the curriculum has become a flashpoint for a nation torn between its secular history and an increasingly conservative future.