Hi Rupert
I didn't know about Brum's Catholic Archbishop coming out on the side of the elders, I think that is shameful. The whole thing does
lay open how complicated the issues of race and religion are, I can't stand people who indulge in simplistic moralising on these
matters. With churches, my friend and I, even though our church is about as liberal as you can get, have absented ourselves until
the New Year as we can't take the falsity of the Xmas festival, and why even such a desperately wanting to be politically correct
and non-hierarchical place as ours still keys into the conservative authoritarianism of the corporate delight of the
whizz-bang-shizz-bang worldwide celebration of hypocrisy.
Pshaw! I'm still fascinated by the notion of Philip Larkin talking from the astral planes, btw.
Best
Dave
David Bircumshaw
Spectare's Web, A Chide's Alphabet
& Painting Without Numbers
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.bircumshaw/
----- Original Message -----
From: "mallin1" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 7:01 PM
Subject: Behzti theatre protest
The 'closure' on Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti's play Behtzi - 'Dishonour' - at the Birmingham Rep Theatre this weekend, following a
disruptive demonstration by local Sikhs, has implications way beyond theatre and the local Sikh community. Immediately likened to
the reaction to Rushdie's 'Satanic Verses' in 1989, the British Media, in its unknowing, has rushed to an incorrect parallel.
Rushdie was an already established rich novelist, while Gurpreet is a young Sikh woman from the local community and this is her
second play.
In the few days Behtzi was staged, the auditorium was packed. Among a mixed audience, many young Sikh and Asian women attended. The
play is set in a Gurdwara - similar to a temple or mosque or church. The focal point of the play is the rape off a 33 year old woman
within the Gurdwara by Mr Sandhu, an official. In one sense, the play is a reworking of many plays exposing the hypocrisy of
religious leaders and the suppression of women yoked to a religious 'community.' Yet, the leading character Min - as a reflection of
the playwright - continues to believe in the terms of equality and understanding which is meant to be the cornerstone of the faith.
Local Sikh community 'leaders' called demonstrations against the play. The Sikh community, in particular but not exclusively, is
considered 'invisible' from the mainstream of British Society. Yet, the important point is that the 'elders' foisted a demonstration
against the production - in fear that young women Sikhs would escape the controls of 'community.'
Worse than anything, in my view, was that the Catholic Bishop of Birmingham immediately turned up on TV supporting the 'elders'
against the play. Now, I don't need a history book handy to know that Imperialism across the world was - and in Neo-Con terms is - a
conduit of Christianity. Thereby, Sikh's in Britain must be wholly supported, for their faith at least gives them a 'sanctuary,'
however bad, against those genetically modified forces trying to destroy their culture. The stupid Bishop immediately likened the
two faiths and, more to the point, loved up to the Sikh leaders rather than Sikhs (or his own flock).
Gurpreet has received death threats and is in hiding. Here was a young Asian woman who had been an actor. Her first play had,
according to Michael Billington, been a bit too 'domestic.' Her second play Behtzi is all 'ideas.' Now she's suffering a terrible
price for 'ideas.'
Not only young Asian women like Gurpreet will have their voices bound, but young Asian male writers too. This impacts on all of us
too. Shelley said the first criticism must be of the church - to get rid of its hierarchy so that we can all think for ourselves and
have our faiths and religions not built 'on high.'
My thoughts are with Gurpreet this Christmas.
Best, Rupert
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