Posted on 06/01/2007 3:20:35 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
AMHERST— For one night, on May 9, the quaint colonial town of Amherst, New Hampshire, was transformed into a Saudi Arabian Bedouin tent community, with the help of 80 seventh-graders at the Amherst Middle School. The weather cooperated, providing 85 degree temperatures to give an authentic Saudi feel to the evening.
More than 250 guests arrived at the open tent and were welcomed with an Arabic greeting of “Marhaba” by students at a Saudi customs desk.
During the check-in, guests selected a traditional Arabic name for their name badge and completed an actual Saudi customs form, which warned in bold letters “Death for Drug Trafficking ” at the top.
Once inside, guests were encouraged to circulate among 14 different stations created by the students.
The Arabic food-tasting station offered four entrées, curried chicken, lamb, tomato chicken with cardomom, and Moroccan chicken, served with pita breads, hummus, and couscous. Fresh fruits, cardomom coffees, and spice teas were also served.
Flowing fabrics hung from the ceiling separated the family and men-only dining sections. The tables were set on large rugs and lowered so that the diners sat on the floor.
Only the seventh-grade boys were allowed to host the food stations and the Arabic dancing, as the traditions of Saudi Arabia at this time prevent women from participating in these public roles.
Dressed in traditional Arabic wear—long plaid kilts, white shirts and turbans—the boys offered food and entertained guests. The Arabic dancers enthusiastically performed to music and encouraged male visitors to join their dance.
Seventh-grade girls hosted the hijab and veil stations, where other female guests learned how to wear the required head covering and veils. An antique trunk full of black abayas worn by women, and white thobes worn by the men, were available for guests to try on.
Cultural items displayed throughout the room included Arabic books, games, food, and newspapers and magazines.
An Islamic religion station included a Muslim prayer rug with a compass imbedded in it to locate Mecca, readings on the Islamic faith, call to prayer items and prayer beads.
Younger visitors gravitated to the Arabic listening station, the Arabic coloring book stations and the mural, while visitors of all ages found the slide shows of Saudi Arabia to be captivating.
The “open tent” was created to encourage participants to reach out and learn from people around the world, and to promote curiosity and cultural understanding.
That would have been more authentic.
Actually, Amherst, NH is a fairly conservative town. However, the folks who run the middle and high schools are liberal to the core.
I'm sure posting that sign at the entrance of the tent would have spoiled the festivities -- the arriving parents would have had to ponder the reality of the society that they were learning about. Somehow asking your kid to dress up like a bigot seems pretty strange, like asking them to don a pointed hat and a sheet and gather around the campfire just to see how it feels.
What will they have next? Hostage-taking, honor-killing, and suicide bombing themes? Good grief, just when I think public education couldn’t get any more absurd, I’m surprised.
Also, I think this is (yet) Another Reason to Homeschool.
*sigh*. This qualifies as one of the better ones.
Are they trying to get these kids ready for when the libs open the doors to al Quaeda? Good grief!! and we are paying for these teachers to propagandize our kids? Because ...?
No, but I there was an honor killing, after a 1st grader got her pig tail cut off.
I think just about every state has a Milford, several have Amherst’s, but I believe they are all in the NE.
The folks who run ANY public middle or high schools are socialist to the core!
Just when you think that the public schools couldn’t possibly astonish you in the worst way possible, something like this happens! I can’t imagine what’s next.
Perhaps the Moral Absolutes ping list will have some memorable things to say about this.
What’s ironic is that if Muslim fundamentalists took over the United States, these very same Socialists would be among the first to be put to death.
Freepmail wagglebee or little jeremiah to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.
FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
Get used to it sweetie. If all this keeps up, you’ll not be voluntarily wearing them. It will be demanded of you.
Nah, too white.
We had Jap week in ‘66 in my grammar school. I am sure that didnt go down too well with folks like my Dad who lost a brother in WWII.
Of course we all had eye makeup on that made our eyes look slanty. Could you even imagine THAT today?
Yikes...
Why can’t we have American day? Oh wait, never mind.
And did they bar the Jews? And confiscate all Bibles and symbols of Christianity? And have Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans doing all the janitorial sevrices? Thsi is madness!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.