Anti-Ottoman narratives removed from history textbooks in North Macedonia
These sections previously included claims of forced Islamization, abductions of non-Muslim girls, and unjust taxation practices under Ottoman rule.
According to the head of North Macedonia’s Bureau for the Development of Education, Abdülfeta Fetai, these contentious claims were deemed baseless by historians and have now been corrected as part of efforts to improve the accuracy of historical education. Fetai emphasized that future editions of history textbooks will not include narratives that could potentially offend students, particularly those of Turkish descent.
Key examples of the removed content include sections in a 7th-grade history textbook that falsely alleged widespread forced conversions to Islam and the abduction of children for military service under the Ottomans. Additionally, the books previously claimed that Ottoman tax collectors acted arbitrarily, leading to widespread public resistance against Ottoman rule.
Fetai reassured that further revisions will continue to address any remaining offensive material, ensuring that historical narratives in textbooks are aligned with scholarly research and do not perpetuate unfounded prejudices.
