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Principal threatened after students recite pledge in Arabic

Posted at 9:46 AM, Jan 30, 2013
and last updated 2013-01-30 10:43:38-05

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (WTVR) -- The principal of a Colorado High School has turned a lot of heads for letting a student group translate "The Pledge of Allegiance"  into multiple languages, including Arabic.

A multicultural student club at Fort Collins High School in Colorado asked principal Tom Lopez, if they could recite the pledge in multiple languages and recite it for the student body.

Lopez says he reviewed the request carefully and that they needed his approval. At first the group read the pledge in French, Spanish and other languages until they agreed upon Arabic. They then recited their translation to the student body.

That's when Lopez began receiving threatening phone messages and other forms of communication that he says represent a, "sense of hate."

Not all of the feedback has been negative. Lopez said much of the reaction has been positive.

"When they pledge allegiance to the United States, that's exactly what they're saying -- they're just using another language as their vehicle," he said.