By Michael D. Clark
The Cincinnati Enquirer

MASON - More than the 1,500 students, parents and guests crowded into Mason Intermediate School's gym Tuesday for a musical celebration of international holidays including, for the first time, Muslim students from a local Islamic center.

The annual school musical event this year celebrated religious, racial and national diversity with the help of dozens of students who performed musical tributes to various holiday traditions in Mexico, India, England, America - including the African-American celebration of Kwanza - as well as Christianity and Judaism.

But it was the participation of students from the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati's International Academy that drew curious attention as third-, fourth- and fifth-graders from the West Chester Township religious school joined the line-up to perform what was described as the "Ramadan Rap," as well as traditional Islamic songs celebrating Ramadan, which is the religion's holiest month.

"This is the first time they have performed in a public school. We thought it was a good opportunity to get to know each other better as neighbors," explained Shakila Ahmad, a trustee with the Islamic Center, located in Butler County a few miles from Warren County's Mason school system.

"Diversity is important and it has to start here, and it has to start with the young kids."

Mason Intermediate School Principal Cathy Hunter agreed while watching the students perform.

"We have been such a homogenous community here in Mason but now we are getting kids from all over the world," Hunter said of the fast-growing, 8,600-student school system that is still largely white. "But the younger we start teaching diversity, we hope that it has a trickle-up effect on the whole community."

International Academy parent Melissa Alredani, whose fifth-grade daughter was among the Ramadan Rap performers, said the Islamic school's participation is especially key during America's military takeover of Iraq, and other conflicts in the Middle East, to assure that another, peaceful side of the region's predominant religion is seen here in Greater Cincinnati.

"It shows a more positive look at our religion and our culture and it introduces the rest of the community to our school," said Alredani.

Mason school parent Phyllis Kirk said as an African-American she appreciated both the inclusion of Kwanza songs and the Islamic students' performance.

"It presents another view of the Islamic culture as opposed to what students are seeing in the news about the war," she said.

E-mail mclark@enquirer.com