Sesame Street has a new muppet on the block. Her name is Zari, and she’s from Afghanistan! Who better to teach young ladies about girls’ empowerment?!

Meet Zari, the first Afghan Muppet on 'Sesame Street': https://t.co/E6HFuSIfW5 pic.twitter.com/97dSNI9SFC

— Mashable (@mashable) April 7, 2016

Now if Zari were on Sesame Street to teach kids about cultural differences, would anyone really think anything of it? But Zari’s “curriculum” will “focus on … topics like girls’ empowerment, national identity, physical health, and social and emotional wellbeing.”

Introducing…Zari! Our new friend in Afghanistan, joining #BaghcheSimSim for #Season5! She's a very special girl! pic.twitter.com/ggI0qpPR78

— Sesame Workshop (@SesameWorkshop) April 7, 2016

All of this was pretty distressing until it became clear that this muppet will appear on an Afghani co-production of Sesame Workshop: the Baghch-e-Simsim show which appears to air only in Afghanistan. Now with that perspective, showcasing a female in a culture that does not value females seems pretty forward looking and admirable.

Baghch-e-Simsim (Sesame Garden) has the highest awareness among children’s television shows in Afghanistan, at 86 percent, and is cited as children’s favorite program by far, as reported by primary caregivers. The 26 new 25-minute episodes will still feature locally produced, live action films about traditions, culture, and other aspects of urban and rural life in Afghanistan.  Segments from other Sesame co-productions, adapted and dubbed into Dari and Pashto, will continue to introduce children to Muppet friends from series in Egypt, Bangladesh, Mexico, and Russia.

“Debuting a confident, inquisitive, and sweet Afghan girl character is a perfect opportunity to engage both boys and girls with lessons supporting girls’ empowerment and diversity appreciation as we aim to help all children in Afghanistan grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.”

So long as the focus is on empowering girls in Afghanistan, I’m all for it. And Zari can visit American Sesame Street anytime, but do not try to sell me on anything that tries to equate wearing a hijab with equality. That’s where I’ll draw my red line.