Lisa Abdelsalam said she feels “like she swallowed poison” since the threat of parental protests caused her cancel a talk with students at A.M. Kulp Elementary School in Hatfield, a small town north of Philadelphia in suburban Montgomery County.
“I have a such a sick feeling in my stomach,” said Abdel-salam, 48. Born nearby, she converted to Islam at 19, when she married her husband, who is from Egypt.
She has visited many local schools over the years. And she was scheduled to meet with several Kulp classes over four days earlier this month to discuss how she wrote and published her book, “A Song for Me, A Muslim Holiday Story,” based on her son Yoseph’s experiences in elementary school in the 1990s.
It details a Muslim boy’s efforts to fit into the holiday spirit at Christmastime.
A few days before her appearance at Kulp was to take place, Principal Erik Huebner called her.
The principal, according to Abdelsalam, told her a few parents had complained about the program and threatened to bring in an outside group to protest if the classes went forward.
“They did not want a Muslim or a Muslim book read in their classrooms,” she was told. Huebner could not be reached for comment.
Abdelsalam, a longtime volunteer at Kulp where she previously served as president of the Home and School Association, and a current member of the district’s diversity committee, was taken aback. “I was serving pizza with these people last year,” she said.
Huebner was supportive, she said, and indicated she was welcome to come regardless of the protests. However, both she and the principal decided it was best to cancel.
“I didn’t feel it would be right; it wasn’t one day, it was four days over two weeks,” she explained. “It’s not a battle that should be fought in an elementary school parking lot.”
Christine Liberaski, a spokeswoman for the school district, said she hopes the program can be rescheduled in the spring. “I can’t speak to why some people objected,” said Liberaski, who noted that Abdelsalam previously received praise for her book and her presentation on publishing.
The idea for the book came when a music teacher approached Abdelsalam years ago when Yoseph, now 21, was in elementary school. She was asked if she could find a Muslim holiday song for the school’s annual concert. Finding none, she wrote one herself and also wrote the story. She now has two CDs of music she sells online with her book.
“It’s about inclusivity and the child being happy he’s in a school where everyone is accepted,” she said. “I don’t go and talk about religion.”
