Friday, March 16, 2007

Church school renames Three Little Pigs to avoid offending Muslims


The three little puppies, which will be hardly an improvement as far as some Muslims are concerned. But to their credit, some Muslim leaders think this is just as silly as it obviously is. By Chris Brooke in the Daily Mail,

The story of the Three Little Pigs' battle with the Big Bad Wolf has delighted children since it was written more than 150 years ago.
But the tale highlighting the merits of hardwork and practicality has become the latest to fall victim to political correctness.
A junior school production of the children's story has been renamed the Three Little Puppies for fear of offending Muslims.
Organisers of a children's music festival have altered the popular characters and lyrics because of the multi-cultural nature of the youngsters involved and their parents in the audience.
But yesterday Islamic leaders condemned the politically correct move as misguided and said decisions like this were turning Muslims into 'misfits' in society.
Children from Honley Church of England Junior School in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, were due to perform in a reworking of the popular tale which features the three little pigs.
The youngsters - aged from seven to 11 - were due to perform at Huddersfield Town Hall in June with 250 children from 63 schools singing along.
But organisers of the Kirklees Primary Music Festival decided to change the script to be 'sensitive' to Muslims at a recent committee meeting.
Committee member Gill Goodswen, head teacher of Stile Common Junior School, defending the move.
She said: "We have to be sensitive if we want to be multi-cultural. It was felt it would be more responsible not to use the three little pigs.
"We feared that some Muslim children wouldn't sing along to the words about pigs,' she said.
"We didn't want to take that risk. If changing a few words avoids offence then we will do so."
UK: Three little pigs unbanned!

An update on this story. "Comeback for 'non-offensive' pigs," from the BBC, Organisers of a children's concert have given the go-ahead for the three little pigs to appear, after they were banned over fears they might offend Muslims.
Honley Junior School in West Yorkshire was to perform the Roald Dahl story of Little Red Riding Hood and the pigs - but was told to substitute puppies.
Now Kirklees Council has stepped in to allow the pigs a reprieve.
No complaints had been made about the pigs appearing in the Kirklees Primary Music Festival event.
'Something barmy'
The committee organising the concert decided Muslim children may not want to sing about pigs.
However, council education spokesman Jim Dodds told BBC Five Live the decision had been overturned.

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