Ignorance, hatred, stupidity ruin cultural awareness day at my son's school.

The BBQ Pit
1

This is not really a good pitting because I’m tired and sad. It’s really more of a vent.

I’m feeling very angry and frustrated that what was meant to be a cultural awareness day event at my son’s high school has turned into a shitstorm of racist hatred and ignorance. Not by the actual students at his school, not by the parents of the students at his school, but by people from all over the world (because this is the internet age) who cannot tell the difference between a person who practices a religion and a fundamentalist terrorist.

My son attends the #1 high school school in the state for diversity (cultural, ethnic, and socio-economic). It is located in one of the top 10 diverse zip codes in the whole country. We have lots and lots of cultural awareness day events. These are student run events and while not at all mandatory, everyone is encouraged to participate in learning about a culture they might not know much about.

Last year we had a Sikh cultural awareness “How to wrap a turban (Sikh dastar)” event where several of the young Sikh men who wear a turban daily talked about the cultural significance of the turban and why American Sikh young men wear them. No one got angry. No one protested.

We have had Hindu awareness events where kids wear their traditional Saris and other clothing (some wear them daily, some just for these events). No one got angry. No one protested.

Yesterday was a Muslim cultural awareness day. “Hijab day” Several of the young Muslim women who attend the school and wear a hijab daily talked about the cultural significance of the hijab (headscarf, not the same as niqab). Students were invited to try wearing one to see how it felt. No one was forced. However, simply because it was a** Muslim event**, clearly our school must be a haven for terrorists. Clearly our principal has a “Muslim agenda” and is trying to indoctrinate the students. *Our charter must be revoked! All Christians must pull their kids from this school! All the Jews must pull their kids, too! * UGH!!!

Funny how no one got angry or upset about Turban Day and accused the school of having a Sikh agenda or being a haven for Sikh terrorists.

My son knows the girl whose project this was and he is crushed and angry on her behalf. She has received some threats. I haven’t seen him quite this angry and disillusioned before. It’s killing me. I can’t answer his questions because I don’t understand the hatred and ignorance either.

2

No need to understand and the simplest explanation is the truest: Some people are just jerks.

Appropriate Simpsons clip: simpsons - Stampy - YouTube

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Are you talking about reaction on social media, via email, something in particular?

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All of those, plus regular media. The group Jihad Watch and Front Page Magazine are of course involved as they are anti-Muslim groups. Somehow they got a hold of the event flyer with the student’s name and contact info on it and posted it. People are calling her and the school from all over the country and outside the country.

The thing is, we have these types of events all the time for lots of religions and cultures. This is the first one that has caused such a controversy.

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“has turned into a shitstorm of racist hatred and ignorance”

You have given no examples. Could the people you are referring to just may be be upset with the muslim atrocities going on daily across the world, and don’t feel that the high school’s promotion is appropriate at this time?

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Yeah, those are basically the same thing.

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I think your son’s school is doing nothing wrong in treating Muslims the same as everybody else. The critics are morons, so long as the school isn’t giving them extra-special treatment.

8

That’s really shitty.

I also live in a diverse school district and these sorts of multicultural celebrations are the norm. I can easily see something like this going down at my kids’ high school.

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Well yes, if the people in question are complete pricks that could indeed be the rationale for the events the OP has described.

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Let’s see, the OP said:

and

In my world, people threatening a schoolgirl because she explained the significance of hijab to her classmates is a pretty good example of hatred and ignorance. Also asshattery, douchecanoery, and twatwaffleness.

11

I played bass for Muslim Atrocities.

12

You’re an assface.

13

Here’s one.

14

Given that you promised us a shitstorm of racist hatred and ignorance, I’m pleasantly surprised it didn’t start here. Because, you know, terrorists wear turbans.

15

Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

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Its amazing how adults can screw up things and diversity days and other events can quickly become ugly.

Back in the 90’s when MLK day was just starting out Turner high school decided to have an MLK event but, only black students could get out of class to attend.

Well this started a feeling of resentment and when some black kids started saying “black power” some white kids yelled back “white power” and it turned into a riot.

I remember one time in KCMO when the speakers they brought in (and didnt carefully check out) for black history week decided to start saying how bad white people were and several white students and teachers walked out in protest.

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Derrrrrrp. (Just making your post more succinct)

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That’s not technically racism. Still, if they were to shut down the Muslims but still allow Sikhs and all the others, that would definitely be discrimination. As for me, I don’t think any of this religious nonsense should be portrayed positively in a school, a place devoted to learning. Multi-culturalism runs into problems when said cultures are prudish/sexist/misogynist/homophobic/otherwise retrograde. So, as usual, everyone involved is missing the point.

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Schools should not be celebrating cultures that treat women as second class citizens, believe outright lies about how the world works, and want to attack and kill people based on their beliefs or skin colour. That could be difficult in Christian America, but they should at least try.

Get all religion out of schools. Get all misogynistic (or racist, or homophobic, or whatever) cultural teaching out of schools. An event to celebrate the hijab should be no more acceptable than a day celebrating female genital mutilation. Or Paul’s teachings that women should be silent in church, or the (thankfully almost defunct) Hindu teaching that women should throw themselves on their husband’s funeral pyre.

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That’s an improvement. Right after 9/11 a number of Sikhs were attacked for wearing turbans, which clearly meant they were terrorists.