Greendale School District Pulls Hindu Song Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram From Holiday Concert After Parent Complains

Greendale Patch:

The Greendale School District removed a popular Hindu devotional song after a parent complained about religious lyrics in the song.

Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram, which was going to be sung in the original language, was pulled from the yearly holiday concert at all the elementary levels. The song was made popular by Gandhi when he and his followers sang it during the Salt March to Dandi.

Anna Madden, a school district representative, said a parent or two complained and felt offended about a religious saying in the song.

Read the whole story: Greendale Patch

Comments

[Forester]

03:31 PM on 12/19/2011

The only reason these religious holidays happen in late December is because early churches wanted to replace the pagan observances tied to astronomical events.

What they should be doing is celebrating the fact that after Dec 22, the days will begin to lengthen again, and we all head into the certainty of a green Spring.

[schnauzergirl]

02:17 PM on 12/19/2011

Unless participation in the singing group is mandatory, that parent is free to not let their child participate if they don't like the chosen program. Unless they are only singing Frosty the Snowman, there are likely some christian themed songs on the program. Haven't heard of any of the atheist parents threatening to pull their kids out.

What is it with some christians, they seem to think that freedom of religion somehow means everyone is free to follow theirs?

December and January contain many holidays belonging to a multitude of religions. Now some don't really have the kind of siongs that are performable by a gradeschool choir and some may not have any specific music assocoatied with them at all. But this is probably one of the more broadly presented selections I have seen in a while.

[Hlynn]

12:37 PM on 12/19/2011

I always laugh and/or roll my eyes when people complain that parents don't have enough power/say/influence in education. All a parent has to do is raise an eyebrow at anything and administrators are falling all over themselves trying to placate the parent.

[schnauzergirl]

02:20 PM on 12/19/2011

yeah, but try to get them to gcome for parent-teacher conferences to discuss academics or at home study skills/prep work and its always "can't get away from work" "kid is doing fine no need to communicate in person", etc. and if they do poorly on a test because they didn't study, its the teacher's fault somehow.

[Hlynn]

06:18 AM on 12/20/2011

True for too many. We've even offered to have phone conferences (such as when the teacher, SpEd teacher, SLP, and OT all need to talk with the parents), the parents agreed, but when we called there was no answer. Later, the parents said they "slept in" and "didn't hear the phone ringing". In some cases, we've even gone to their homes and they won't answer the door. In truancy cases, we've had to accompany the security officer before parents will respond--and then it's, "Yeah, we'll make sure the kid gets to school tomorrow", and the student shows up for two days and then is absent the rest of the week. So infuriating!

[MissIndependentLady]

08:20 AM on 12/19/2011

That parent probably thought that song had to do with Muslim terrorists. The ign0rance of Americans never ceases to amaze me.

[flywithmeamerica]

08:59 AM on 12/19/2011

yea, buts its almost comical and childish.

Oh, America...how can I ever be mad at you???

[schnauzergirl]

02:20 PM on 12/19/2011

Exactly, its sooo sad its almost funny.

[spicedust]

11:07 AM on 12/18/2011

This is called phobia, the fear of unknown. Knowledge is the best weapon to fight such phobias.

[Frank-Landfield]

01:26 AM on 12/18/2011

BS

[JHKH]

05:06 PM on 12/17/2011

Wild guess: It was a "Christian" parent(s) who objected.

As a child raised a Buddhist in the USA, I often felt dread during the Xmas celebrations at school as I was growing up, and routinely uncomfortable all year around. The Christians have no problem bludgeoning everyone with their faith, expecting respectful observation of "their" religion's holy days. But let even the hint of another religion's observance intrude, and they are up in arms. I always felt it was better (safer) to shut up, go through the motions and "pass."

[DoesItMatter]

10:54 AM on 12/16/2011

My gut feeling says, the parent who complained is of Indian origin. Just a guess.

[synergie]

01:32 PM on 12/16/2011

Doubt it. My bet is on some anti-muslim bigot who saw the word "allah" and had a brain implosion.

[DoesItMatter]

05:31 PM on 12/16/2011

Possible.

[azdirk]

10:19 AM on 12/16/2011

Ignorance and bigotry run amok.

[SoldAmerican]

02:37 PM on 12/15/2011

So the Coptic Christians got it coming in Egypt then.

[Doug Sandlin]

10:55 PM on 12/15/2011

Wrong thread?

[Cindbird]

02:29 AM on 12/15/2011

This is absolutely ridiculous. ONE parent complains and the song gets cancelled? I'm not surprised. I am Buddhist and so is my youngest son. His public high school moved the graduation ceremony to a Christian University last year and made it optional. All because he wanted to offer a Buddhist prayer of blessing to his fellow seniors. He had already gotten kicked out of the school's cafeteria for breakfast because a student group wanted to hold a prayer meeting in the cafeteria and did not want the "idol-worshiper" in the room with them. His school participates in the Prayer at the Pole on the first day of school. He was denied the right to offer a prayer then too. This is a public high school. The prayers are all legal because they are student'led and not during school hours. So the fact a school would let ONE parent's complaint be the reason for taking the Hindu song out really doesn't surprise me.

[Jeff Rosenbury]

03:20 PM on 12/18/2011

Don't blame the school for what a group of students do with their free time. These students are allowed freedom of religion just like you are.

Second, your son must not have been that upset if he choose Christian university. Are you sure you're not overstating things a bit?

For official functions, one complaint is all it should take to remove and religious trappings from a government function.

[Cindbird]

03:37 PM on 12/18/2011

My son DID NOT choose a Christian university. That is where they moved the High School Graduation ceremony TO. Instead of it being held at the school, it was moved to the University and made "optional". You need to go back and re-read what I said. And freedom of religion does not include prohibiting someone from using a public high school's cafeteria for a scheduled meal just because a group of kids want to pray. And using your logic, I should be able to go to the school and complain that I don't want the Christian Christmas carols sung, and they should have to remove them from the Concert. ot quite the same when you look at it that way, is it?

[Jeff Rosenbury]

07:12 AM on 12/20/2011

So the facts are not as you presented them. Your child was not prevented from having breakfast by the school, which was not open.

What you are really complaining about is that your child was socially excluded by a group of students who wanted to associate with those of similar faith. You wanted the school to order these children to play with your child. Well that's not how America works. People are free to choose who they hang out with. There's a name for people who are forced to go where their masters tell them to go and talk to whom their masters tell them to talk. They are called slaves. We don't do that here.

[Cindbird]

09:42 AM on 12/20/2011

No, because the cafeteria opens at 7:30 am. And the school's rules are in effect at 7:30 am and the school is responsible for the child at 7:30 am. That's why one kid was suspended for cursing his FATHER in the cafeteria during breakfast before the first bell rang. So the kids are under the authority of the school during any time the cafeteria is serving a meal. That means the First Priority is meeting during a time when the school has authority over the kids. This is how the school gets around the Federal Laws concerning religion in the schools. Although they exercise authority over the kids, they use the first bell time if anyone complains. Four muslim kids had the same problem. It was not just my son but ANY child who was NOT Christian. And the suggestion I had for the school was to simply have First Priority pull the curtain that separates the cafeteria into two rooms. First Priority could have one section for their meetings and the other kids could have the other side for breakfast. The Prayer meetings only had about 40 kids show up, so it's not like they needed the whole thing. That too was turned down and I was told that would be too much trouble for the First Priority kids.

[TheLadyOphelia]

12:15 AM on 12/15/2011

As a nonbeliever who loves many types of music (except country and christian rock) I have a soft spot in me for all of the old Christmas carols and play the piano and sing them each year. I know the words to nearly all of the old stand-bys that my Granddaughter doesn't recognize!

I also love ancient music, which is almost all labeled as "sacred" as well as chants, masses, Easter celebrations, many in various languages and the like. It is all lovely and moving.

I feel that music is something that evolved right along with us to partake in and enjoy, to bring us closer together as humans. And to just give us solitary joy.

It's very sad that a few people had to spoil the enjoyment of a new and interesting type of music for the children. And what's sadder yet is the fact that the school officials caved into a petty demand.

[SoldAmerican]

09:09 PM on 12/14/2011

Converting an indian to christianity - don't let the deviI win

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvVAV09-dQ8

[SoldAmerican]

09:05 PM on 12/14/2011

Time for Christians to leave India

[SoldAmerican]

09:04 PM on 12/14/2011

Christians should be kicked out of India