Students performing pretend animal sacrifice in play draw reaction

A play performed by primary school students has drawn a reaction from parents, when a student played the role of a sheep which was sacrificed by two other students in the central Anatolian province of Kayseri.

Hac? Sami Boydak Primary and Secondary School in the Hac?lar district of Kayseri organized a controversial ceremony as part of the Nevruz celebrations on March 21.

While the parents were watching the celebration, several students performed a play in which they sacrificed a sheep as part of the Nevruz celebrations. One student played the role of a sheep while two others tied his feet and then pretended to sacrifice him with a wooden knife during the play. The students called out "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) while they were performing the play.

Some parents in attendance showed their reactions, saying they had been warned by experts to not allow their children to watch animal sacrifices during certain religious festivals. They also criticized the context of the play, which they said was inconvenient as there is no relation between the Nevruz celebrations and sacrificing animals. The school officials reportedly told the parents that an animal is sacrificed during the Nevruz celebrations to provide meat for the people who celebrate it.

The local administration office in Hac?lar has opened an investigation into the school officials.