Posted on 04/09/2011 1:34:15 PM PDT by Beaten Valve
In a new effort to win hearts and minds in Pakistan, USAID - the development arm of the US government - is donating $20m (£12m) to the country to create a local Urdu version of the show.
The project aims to boost education in Pakistan, where many children have no access to regular schooling.
The show is to be filmed in Lahore and aired later in the year.
"The programme is part of a series of ventures that is aimed at developing the educational infrastructure in the country," Virginia Morgan, a spokesperson for USAID, told the BBC.
"Education is one of the vital sectors that need help in Pakistan."
The show will be set in a village in Pakistan - rather than the streets of New York - with roadside tea shop and residents sitting on their verandas.
The remake will star a puppet called Rani, the six-year-old daughter of a peasant farmer, with pigtails and a school uniform, according to Britain's Guardian newspaper.
The Rafi Peer group has been a leading light in Pakistani theatre for nearly 30 years. The group has been in the news in the past for its off-the-cuff productions - but also for the threats it has received.
In 2008 its highly popular World Performing Arts festival in Lahore was bombed. Although no-one was injured, the attack set back the arts in what is regarded as the country's cultural capital.
This was followed by an attack on the troupe's cafe in the city. Despite this, owners Faizan and Imran Peerzada have remained committed to bringing Sesame Street to audiences across Pakistan.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Why do we give money to terrorists and people that hate us?
We are broke!
“Now son, pay attention I can only demonstrate this one time.”
Gonna take uncle Mahmouud with you too ? :)
“J is for Jihad...that’s good enough for me.”
Will Elmo be wearing a suicide bomber belt?
hahaha this reminds me of Dave Chappelle’s stand up skit about sesame street. Hilarious!
They already have a name for it: “The Muppets take Manhattan.”
What will they do with Miss Piggy?
So happy i can’t curse here,so happy i can’t curse here. Better idea. The country is a stinking cesspool of radicalism. Why not nuke them and make the whole place uninhabitable. Save plenty of money fighting terrorism that way. Even Obama would be happy. Reduce our nuclear stockpile that way.
You’re so right. She’ll be changed to Miss Goatie and be a sex object for those deviates.
The US bald eagle has been replaced by Big Bird.
I thought we were broke? Why then spend money on Pocky-stohn?
Sounds like a problem for Pakistan. Why are we alone in paying for this?
Uh-oh. Riots will begin in 3...2...1...
That is two to the seventh power!
Don't these people have a brain?
Yikes! Just realized the budget monitors are products of the public school system and are non-essential staff!
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