School Principal Fired for Burning Hamster

May 16, 2001 8:03 AM

School Principal Fired for Burning Hamster

blink. blink.
posted by o2b (31 comments total)

found via clinko.
posted by o2b at 8:04 AM on May 16, 2001

There's an Iranian animal rights group? Will wonders never cease?
posted by CRS at 8:18 AM on May 16, 2001

Mutilating female genitalia: Great!
Burning a hamster: OK, now you've gone too far.
posted by RylandDotNet at 8:25 AM on May 16, 2001

It would have been OK had the hamster been convicted of stealing something, though....
posted by darren at 8:32 AM on May 16, 2001

jesus, think of the children watching a poor hampster burn alive.
posted by bytecode at 8:42 AM on May 16, 2001

I think it would kinda be like that Pink Floyd album cover...only it's a hamster instead of a man....okay, maybe it wouldn't be like that at all
posted by ttrendel at 8:51 AM on May 16, 2001

jeepers. i'd say that principal has some personal issues to deal with in other ways than lighting furry bonfires.
posted by th3ph17 at 9:04 AM on May 16, 2001

Is hampster burning a religious rite?
posted by SpecialK at 9:05 AM on May 16, 2001

Darren said: It would have been OK had the hamster been convicted of stealing something, though....

I think the usual punishment for theft is to lop off one of the forepaws. Immolation is reserved for serious crimes, like adultery or letting someone see your ankles.
posted by RylandDotNet at 9:06 AM on May 16, 2001

Ryland: Do you know if the hampster was female or not? It might have forgotten its veil, and a male hampster may have seen it and complained to the principal.
posted by SpecialK at 9:18 AM on May 16, 2001

From article: The society also asked the Education Ministry to run mandatory psychological tests for all teachers at state schools.

Hmm, what might a psychological test in a theocratic society that condones international terrorism look like, one wonders?

Strapping explosives to your 6-year old son and sending him to Israel or Iraq to blow up innocent civilians is:

A) Wrong
B) The path to holy martyrdom
posted by MrBaliHai at 9:30 AM on May 16, 2001

Can somebody explain where the assumption that burning the hamster had something to do with the headmistress's religion came from? Aside from the wonderful tradition of religious tolerance we're developing on MeFi, of course.
posted by harmful at 9:35 AM on May 16, 2001

Wow. What a bunch of proud little westerners we are. Is it time for another McVeigh link?
posted by andrew cooke at 9:36 AM on May 16, 2001

harmful: it's called humour.

did someone set yours on fire while you were in school?
posted by jcterminal at 9:59 AM on May 16, 2001

Yeah, man. Lighten up.

(pun intended -- in fact, it's really the only reason I posted.)
posted by goto11 at 10:02 AM on May 16, 2001

Wow. What a bunch of proud little westerners we are.

"Is that the royal 'we'?" he asks the smug, self-righteous Brit.

Is it time to post a link about all the survelliance cameras in the UK?
posted by MrBaliHai at 10:18 AM on May 16, 2001

Another McVeigh link? That's something typical American, so don't just start generalizing all us westerners yet ;-)

(take this comment with a grain of salt, will ya? I'm living in a country where a murder suspect was annoyed that she didn't get congratulated with her birthday while she was in court).
posted by rc6.org at 10:19 AM on May 16, 2001

RylandDotNet says: Mutilating female genitalia: Great!
Burning a hamster: OK, now you've gone too far.

Just like most Americans think mutilating male genitalia (which was originally a Jewish practice) is a good idea? Yeah.
posted by wackybrit at 10:33 AM on May 16, 2001

What is this 1980?

Mutilating female genitalia: Great!
Burning a hamster: OK, now you've gone too far.

Can you please explain the above comment/joke? Female Genital Mutilation is not done in Iran so I don't get your joke.
posted by gluechunk at 10:34 AM on May 16, 2001

Getting jokes generally requires that one have a sense of humor.
posted by bondcliff at 11:01 AM on May 16, 2001

Yeah, I am pretty irked about having had my genitalia mutilated when I was a kid. But what does that have to do with anything?

Now I know how the pilgrims felt...
posted by donkeymon at 11:05 AM on May 16, 2001

I offer a complete and utter retraction. The imputation was totally without basis in fact, and was in no way "fair comment" and was motivated purely by malice and I deeply regret any distress that my comments may have caused you or your family and I hereby undertake not to repeat any such slander at any time in the future.
posted by RylandDotNet at 11:28 AM on May 16, 2001

Fire scares the crap out of me. Why? Because it is one of the most excrutiating, painful, and horrible ways to die. That another living creature through something like that is disgusting, and that the children had to watch makes it even worse.
posted by elf_baby at 11:45 AM on May 16, 2001

wackybrit said: Just like most Americans think mutilating male genitalia (which was originally a Jewish practice) is a good idea? Yeah.

Depending on who you ask (me, for instance - I was circumcised about 6 years ago) male circumcision has aesthetic and hygenic value. More importantly, it doesn't impair the functioning of the penis. The "circumcision" that's done to female children generally removes the clitoris, leaving a woman largely or completely incapable of experiencing sexual pleasure.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go watch the Jerry Springer show, eat McDonald's food, and shoot someone with one of my many handguns.

gluechunk said: Can you please explain the above comment/joke? Female Genital Mutilation is not done in Iran so I don't get your joke.

My understanding is that it is done by many Fundamentalist Islamics, of which there are many in Iran. If it isn't done in Iran, I apologize for not doing any research before attempting my little foray into humor.
posted by RylandDotNet at 11:55 AM on May 16, 2001

Is that the royal we?

Believe it or not, I consider myself a westener, and the McVeigh link was just some general "western" example, not anti-USA in particular.

However, if I managed to piss off some dumb Janqui then I guess I killed two birds with one stone...
posted by andrew cooke at 1:01 PM on May 16, 2001

In the Middle East, FGM is practised in Egypt, Oman, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates.

See here.
posted by andrew cooke at 1:07 PM on May 16, 2001

Getting jokes generally requires that one have a sense of humor.

Also that the joke be funny.
posted by rodii at 1:18 PM on May 16, 2001

Obligatory Grammar Nazi Interjection: contrary to popular belief, there is no 'p' in the word hamster.
posted by quonsar at 1:37 PM on May 16, 2001

Somewhere, a hamster wheel sits longing for companionship.
posted by samsara at 2:57 PM on May 16, 2001

Samsara wins.
posted by aramaic at 8:18 PM on May 16, 2001

rodii: no, it's *laughing* at a joke that requires the joke to be funny. And that only applies if you're not the sort of person who finds unfunny jokes funny.

So I bit him! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I don't think I told that one right.
posted by cortex at 7:10 AM on May 17, 2001