The latest example of just how strong the political correctness movement is in Great Britain has surfaced in Huddlesfield.
Primary (elementary) school aged children were scheduled to perform “Three Little Pigs” at the Kirklees Primary Musical Festival in June , but because the organizers feared offending Muslims they changed the play to the “Three Little Puppies”.
Instead of appeasing the Muslim community this decision has angered them with leaders saying that the decision is “misguided” and risks turning Muslims into ‘misfits’ in society. Muslim leaders also noted that while they were banned from eating pork, that doesn’t extend to talking about pigs.
One local councilor said the organizers were “pandering to extremists” with this ban, but organizing committee member Gill Goodswen defended the committees actions and told the Daily Mail that “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.”
This is another case of the politically correct notion of being sensitive to others needs so as not to offend them even as in this case if no one complained about the play. Somehow the idea of the Big Bad Wolf threatening puppies doesn’t ring true for me.
I hope that none of the children in the festival will try and recite the nursery rhyme Hey Diddle Diddle which contains the words “the cow jumped over the moon”. Under this policy they committee would have to change that as well so as not to offend Indians.
Since the festival isn’t until June, maybe, just maybe the committee will come to its senses and let the children perform the “Three Little Pigs” as is was originally written.
Don Irvine is the chairman of Accuracy in Media.
