Get your future goat rapists out of those Saudi schools!

NDTV: 'Saudi cleansing text books of bigotry'

Saudi Arabia is making sincere progress in removing bigoted references to religious minorities in school textbooks and any US trade sanctions will continue to be withheld, the US State Department said.

"We are very pleased with the reforms that King Abdullah and his government have been making," John Hanford, the US ambassador at large for international religious freedom, said on Wednesday.

"But there still are some repugnant references, and Muslims as well as non-Muslims are among the targets," he said.

Hanford, who spoke to reporters amid briefings for members of Congress and their staffs, said he had found senior Saudi officials with whom he met sincere in eliminating "textbook intolerance."

"They agreed the language is inexcusable," he said. It will take a year or two to complete a comprehensive review by Saudi officials of the textbooks, Hanford added.

Among the promises elicited from the Saudis are prohibiting the use of government funds for intolerant text books, retraining school principals and teachers, retraining or reassigning imams who espouse intolerance.

Other promises also include incorporating human rights education into the standard education curricula.

Last November, the State Department cited Saudi Arabia for denying religious freedom to non-Muslims.

It also found fault to a lesser degree with other allies including Israel, Belgium, France, Germany and Pakistan. But sanctions were not imposed.