Saturday, March 05, 2011

Slogans and school children in the Arab world

A reader who does not want to be identified sent me this:  "I am a regular reader and fan of your blog. Just wanted to share a kind of inane story you may find funny. Shortly after reading your post on the Jordanian school kids I got an email from my sister, who works as a kindergarten teacher at a prestigious school in Cairo. She said yesterday after classes she was walking a group of the 4-year olds to the schoolbus. The kids were walking in an orderly line when suddenly one started chanting: الشعب يريد اسقاط النظام [(People want the downfall of the regime)] followed by الشعب يريد اسقاط الأتوبيس [(People want the downfall of the school bus)].  Soon the whole line of 4-year olds was chanting along, to the surprise of all the other middle and high school students who were waiting in line for their buses. Most unfortunately, there is no video of the event."