DUBAI: A school in the US state of Maryland has reportedly canceled a production of “Aladdin, Junior” due to complaints that is was based on negative stereotypes of Arabs.
After the Westowne Elementary Drama Club started rehearsals for the play, based on the 1992 Disney film, one mother said her son came home upset, a local news channel reported.
“In the play, Arabs are described as barbaric, those are the exact words that are used,” Danette Zaghari-Mask said, according to wfla.com.
Zaghari-Mask, an attorney with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, decided to speak out.
“It was worth expressing his experience to the school and I’m just... so relieved that the school is considerate of diversity,” she said, according to the news channel.
On its website, the channel reported that a letter written to drama club parents, sent after the play was canceled, read in part:
“Recently, it has been brought to our attention that Disney’s ‘Aladdin, Jr.’ has historically been criticized for its inaccurate, negative stereotyping of Arabic culture... After careful consideration and with input from the perspectives of many stakeholders — teachers, parents and community members — we decided that this production of 'Aladdin, Jr.' is not the best fit for our Westowne Community.”
US school cancels ‘Aladdin’ play after accusations of Arab stereotyping
US school cancels ‘Aladdin’ play after accusations of Arab stereotyping
