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Associated Press
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — A western Pennsylvania school district has decided not to stage a Tony Award-winning musical about a Muslim street poet after members of the community complained about the play on the heels of the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
The Tribune Democrat of Johnstown reports Richland School District had planned to stage "Kismet" in February but Superintendent Thomas Fleming says it was scrapped to avoid controversy.
Fleming tells the newspaper that sensitivity is understandable in part because one of the hijacked planes crashed in nearby Shanksville.
Miller says the play has no inappropriate content but he and other members of the performing arts committee decided to switch to "Oklahoma!" after hearing complaints.
"Kismet" won the Tony for best musical in 1954.
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So, I wonder who they'll get to play Ali Hakim?
The kids will love it!
Btw, do you know even 1 person if Islamic faith? Like really know them and their families? To sit down and have dinner with them? I think not, otherwise, you would know they are just regular people, trying to pay the bills like the rest of us.
But we cannot expect a place as Provincial as Pennsylvania to follow the law can we?
Christmas content, which is not actually banned across the board, runs afoul of Constitutional rights unrelated to objections about the specific content. The objections that are raised regarding Christmas content center on the idea that the govt. should neither restrict nor endorse any specific religion.
To clarify by example: A school cannot state "During our December holiday celebrations, we will have an assembly and sing hymns praising Jesus but will block and songs in Hebrew or those mentioning the Islamic Prophet.
However, the school/govt can say "In December we will not devote any public resources to celebrating any religious holidays. We will not support Christmas related activities. Nor will we, so much as give appearances to, celebrate Hanukkah, Quanza, or Festivus (even though festivus appears inclusive and secular)".
Likewise, from a legal perspective, a school can choose to have a holiday assembly and present songs from a variety of religious traditions. Practically speaking, there are smart and not so smart ways of having such an assembly and avoiding potential community hassles.