The Richland School District in Pennsylvania was planning to stage the musical Kismet in February, but switched to Oklahoma! after parents complained about performing a show about a Muslim poet so close to the anniversary of 9/11. Administrators admit there’s no objectionable content in the Tony Award-winning musical, but Superintendent Thomas Fleming says he wants to avoid controversy. The AP reports:
Fleming said sensitivity about the play is understandable because of Flight 93’s demise in nearby Shanksville, and because the sudden death of a drama student in a car crash affected students last year.
It doesn’t seem that either of these tradgedies were caused by Muslim poets, but the parents’ objections are certainly understandable … if your town is filled with bigots.
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