The children who recited a violent poem in Arabic and performed choreography to a song referencing the “blood of martyrs” last month at a North Philadelphia mosque did not understand the words’ meaning, and the volunteer aide who made those selections has left the private academy based there, according to a statement released Wednesday by mosque and school leaders.
Officials of the Muslim American Society (MAS) in Philadelphia and the Leaders Academy learning center say that other aides at the April 17 celebration of Umma (Arabic for “community”) Day did not know the language, and that those who did were not paying attention to the lyrics during what was a hectic event. They called the performances “a grave mistake” and “ours to own.”
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The statement is the latest turn in a controversy that began to roil after video excerpts of the students’ show — one youngster mentions chopping off heads to “liberate the sorrowful and exalted Al-Aqsa Mosque” in Jerusalem, a holy site for both Muslims and Jews — were posted by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), a monitoring group.
“We are deeply saddened to have hurt our partners in the Jewish community and beyond,” the statement read…
It was all a mistake. They wanted to sing, ‘There’s an awful lot of coffee in Brazil‘ but got confused.