Students recite Pledge of Allegiance in Arabic at school

Parents outraged, principal not backing down

This is a rush transcript from "The Five," January 30, 2013. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

ERIC BOLLING, CO-HOST: As the father of a high school student and proud American, this story really hits home. Kids at Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, Colorado are being allowed to say the "Pledge of Allegiance" to our flag, old glory, in Arabic, over the school intercom system.

Principal Tom Lopez is standing by that decision. Hang in there, Bob.

As you can imagine, a lot of parents aren't happy.

Here's some of the feedback the principal says he's getting.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

PRINCIPAL TOM LOPEZ: Most of them are generated at me, being a poor leader and a poor principal for allowing this un-American activity to occur. A lady pointed out to me that by allowing this to happen, we are probably pushing a Muslim Brotherhood agenda, to push Islam into the schools.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BOLLING: So, how many cases have we heard where the school districts are trying to take "under God" out of the Pledge of Allegiance, and here it is, these students, Bob, these students are allowed to say the "Pledge of Allegiance" in Arabic.

BOB BECKEL, CO-HOST: Listen, this is part of a cultural club that is going to do the translation also in Korean and Chinese. I mean, what is wrong with that? If they were doing some kind of Muslim prayer, I can understand that. But if they're doing this thing, or if they're doing the Muslim national anthem, whatever it is, I can understand it. But this is the American national anthem. What is wrong with that?

BOLLING: I will leave it there.

Go ahead, Greg.

BECKEL: By the way, the positives are outweighing the negatives on this principal --

(CROSSTALK)

KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE, CO-HOST: Allegiance to Allah.

DANA PERINO, CO-HOST: I defend the principle, p-l-e and the principal, p-a-l.

Because when I read this -- when I first heard it being from Colorado, I thought that sounds kind of strange, maybe things have changed a lot. But then I when read it and I said, OK, these kids got together and said we want to learn more about the world and we want to figure out a way to do that.

So, kids are being provocative. And the high school teacher is like this is a good place for them to try out to do it.

BOLLING: Dana Perino, that's the same argument they were making when they --

(CROSSTALK)

BOLLING: -- when they were indoctrinating the group, remember they were forced to speak Arabic in class. And a parent said, no way, no way.

GREG GUTFELD, CO-HOST: Look, a lot of people will see this as a success. But to me, a real success would be an Arabic "Pledge of Allegiance" in Syria or Yemen. That to me would be an awesome success.

But you know what? I'm looking forward to dodge ball in burqas. I think that would be fun. And I will say, there's no country in history that survives by raising the self-esteem of others. It just doesn't happen.

BOLLING: Kimberly, dodge ball in burqas?

GUTFELD: That would be awesome.

GUILFOYLE: I think it would throw off your equilibrium and your weight distribution.

GUTFELD: You should never wear a burqa.

GUILFOYLE: Would I cover this hair? Are you kidding me? Don't get crazy on me.

BOLLING: Can we talk about topic two?

GUILFOYLE: Yes, please.

BOLLING: Topic two is Muslim prayer in a D.C. high school. Apparently, there are some students in D.C. high school that are allowed to -- they get prayer time because they're performing well in class.

GUILFOYLE: You know if it happened here, all I hear is the ka-ching from the lawsuits because everybody is going to say, what about my nationality, what about my country? That's what's going to happen. You can't do for one that you can't do for the others. That's going to be the end result.

PERINO: But also, prayer time for doing well in class. Actually, the people who are doing poorly in class probably need the prayer time more, to pray for better grades.

GUILFOYLE: Significant.

Bob?

BECKEL: I just think when you have a religion that requires you to pray five times a day, and one of those happens to fall during the school day, and they are doing well in their class work, to let them go to the playground to do the prayers, there is nothing wrong with it.

GUTFELD: I'm OK with this stuff if the assimilation is a two-way street, you know? I mean, this is what I said yesterday, before. I have a fear of divisive country. We're no longer Americans. We are Muslim, we are black, we are Hispanic, we are gay. I'd much rather have us all celebrate being an American and that allows those other stuff to happen.

GUILFOYLE: So, you're against multiculturalism.

(CROSSTALK)

GUTFELD: It's you.

BOLLING: If my kid is a good student and he's Catholic, he should get the same amount of prayer time?

GUILFOYLE: Are they going to treat them --

PERINO: What does the Supreme Court say about that? It can't be state-sponsored prayer.

GUILFOYLE: Bob knows.

BECKEL: No, I'm just saying, if your religion required you to pray, Catholic religion required you to pray during the day, then I assume that you would have the same equal rights but it doesn't.

GUTFELD: But if many my religion required me to dance without my pants on every five minutes?

BECKEL: That's what your religion does do.

GUTFELD: That's true.

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