Tensions flared at a Pennsylvania school board meeting after parents accused a high school's student Muslim group of using a "language and culture fair" display to promote antisemitism.
According to WissNow.com, multiple parents this week told the Wissahickon School District Board they were alarmed by items and slogans presented at the Muslim Student Association table, including what they described as an Arabic phrase reading "Jerusalem is ours."
One parent called the phrase "a huge problem," arguing it amounted to antisemitism and claiming district leaders did not treat it with the gravity it deserved.
Parents also objected to students being encouraged to try on keffiyehs — a traditional scarf that, critics say, has become politically charged in the current climate — without parental knowledge or consent.
"My child was brought to a cultural event and asked to try politically charged scarves on her head without me knowing, without me signing a permission form," one parent said, according to WissNow.
Some speakers said the presence of a large Palestinian flag alongside an American flag turned what should have been a celebratory, educational event into something that felt like activism in a public-school setting.
One parent argued such symbolism is "widely associated" with those who supported and celebrated the Hamas terrorists' Oct. 7, 2023, atrocities in Israel, and warned it was a "subtle attempt to influence impressionable minds."
School officials posted photos of the cultural fair on the district's Facebook page, including the booth in question, WissNow reported.
It also was reported that photos of the event appeared on social media accounts tied to district leadership, and that some images were later removed.
Jewish parents sent a letter to district officials detailing concerns about slogans, student participation, and what they described as "coercive" incentives such as candy or cash-prize-style activities at the booth.
Students affiliated with the MSA pushed back at the board meeting, disputing parents' characterizations and denying any antisemitic content was displayed.
The MSA's president said the claims aired early in the meeting were "false" and "defaming," and described online backlash that included threats, police reports, and social media posts tagging authorities.
The students also cautioned against "watering down" antisemitism by applying the term broadly to cultural representation.
Board members typically do not respond directly to public comments, but director Steve Walker offered a brief statement acknowledging concerns about safety while also emphasizing that the cultural fair was widely described as a highlight and an effort by students and affinity groups to celebrate diversity.
As of the meeting, the district had not provided a detailed public explanation addressing the specific claims, according to WissNow.
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