Sikhs (in UK) storm theatre in attempt to halt play

[bin.dare]

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/story.jsp?story=594592

Hundreds of Sikh protesters tried to storm a theatre in Birmingham last night to disrupt a play which they believe insults their faith.

More than 400 demonstrated outside the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and most tried to storm the venue to stop last night's performance of Behzti, which depicts acts of sexual abuse and murder in a Sikh temple or Gurdwara.

Five police officers were hurt in the struggle and two men arrested for public order offences. No theatre-goers were reported injured. Behzti (Dishonour), written by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti - herself a Sikh - has a scheduled run at the theatre until the end of December and explores issues of sexual abuse, manipulation and relationships in the setting of a Gurdwara.

...

The controversy comes as the government attempts to introduce tough new laws banning the promotion of religious hatred. The legislation, which would protect all faiths, has been criticised as a restriction on free speech.

[sleipnir]

1. Seems ood for a peaceful religion.

n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Well, fairly peaceful

They have laws of war.

http://allaboutsikhs.com/books/kjs/07.htm

[bin.dare]

3. aren't all religions peaceful ?

i am being rhetorical.

apparently, one of the things that bothers the Sikhs is that the play is set in a temple. Abuse in a temple is "not nice" as you can understand. They would like it re-set to a community centre or something like that.

[QC]

4. I don't think Indira Gandhi would consider them very peaceful

if she were here to comment on the issue.

[Bhaisahab]

6. peaceful? sikhs?

nope. they are the most martial of Indian religions. but of course sikhism was conceived as a peaceful religion, like all religions...

[TahitiNut]

12. The "warrior caste" is not what I'd call peaceful.

The Sikh offshoot of Hinduism addresses the theological conundrum of a faith that believes in the sanctity of all life and the damnation (reborn as a low life form) of a soul that kills.

[NYC Liberal]

5. I don't know the whole story of the play

so it may be that having it set in the temple was proving a point of some kind. Or maybe not.

[Blue_Tires]

7. wow...

whatever happened to simply not supporting something you don't agree with instead of trying to bumrush the stage and ruin the show???

[muriel_volestrangler]

8. Update: Theatre ends play in Sikh protest

The theatre said it had refused to censor the work and was abandoning it purely on health and safety grounds.
...
The theatre said the "ugly" violence had caused free speech to be curbed.
...
Behzti, which translates as "dishonour", was written by a young female Sikh, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatt, and was said to have been inoffensive to many younger Sikhs.
...
The theatre said some protesters managed to get backstage, where they smashed equipment and destroyed a foyer door.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/4112105.stm

Of course, the protest that smashed the equipment is called 'peaceful' by the organiser. He did promise an even larger protest if they had tried to continue showing the play. But it's alright - he says there are no winners or losers. So there's no loss if breaking into a theatre stops someone doing something legal.

[Nihil]

9. This'll please the fundies of all religions

No need to worry about artistic licence or freedom of speech: if you
don't like something that's in the theatre, just riot and you'll get
your own way.

I'm now waiting for the first Fundie Christian riot to close down a
production of "Jesus Christ Superstar". If any copper tries to move
them along there will be a huge outcry of "They let the Sikhs do this
but not the Christians!".

Next? How about Jews picketing Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice"?

There's nothing quite like opening a can of worms is there?

[Blue_Tires]

13. religious pressure on the creative arts is becoming more and more

widespread....don't think this won't come back to haunt them

[NewYorkerfromMass]

15. Good God: "Free speech can go so far..."

until it is no longer free? How Orwellian.

[bin.dare]

10. key scene from Behzti

http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/theatre/features/story.jsp?story=595098

Min is the frumpy daughter of Balbir Kaur. In this extract from Behzti - Dishonour ­ we find mother and daughter heading towards the local Sikh temple, the gurdwara, where Balbir is intent on marrying off Min with the help of Mr Sandhu. An apparently respectable local dignitary, he is reputed to keep a list of suitable local youths for the community's young women to wed. But he has a record of sexual abuse and rape. Two other women, Polly Dhodhar and Teetee Parmar, know of Mr Sandhu's vices but are complicit in concealing them ­ whatever the cost to Min.

TEETEE: Here comes the bride.

MIN: Mother ...

BALBIR: Not now ducks, we're talking about you, not to you!

She chuckles. MIN approaches BALBIR.

MIN: Please mother...

TEETEE and POLLY notice MIN's bloodstained shalwar (trousers).

I don't quite know how to speak this ...

POLLY: Cursed girls and ladies do not come to God's house at that time of the month!

MR SANDHU approaches from the distance, but remains unseen by MIN and BALBIR.

BALBIR: For shitter's sake ... stupid girl!

MR SANDHU makes sure that POLLY and TEETEE see him.

POLLY: You should not have brought this disrespectful buffalo here, Bhanji.

TEETEE: Is it your intention to insult God?

POLLY: So much behzti. Nasty filthy dog!

TEETEE: Maybe it is up to us to teach her, Pollyji. For all our sakes.

MIN: But it's not my time.

TEETEE and POLLY drag MIN over so that she has her back to BALBIR. They show her mother the stain.

POLLY: Look at your dishonourable daughter, Bhanji.

TEETEE: Importing her dirty monthly blood into the gurdwara.

MR SANDHU discreetly exits. The ladies hold MIN firmly by each arm as if she were a criminal.

MIN: I haven't. Honest to God I haven't...

POLLY: Liar, liar pants on fire.

BALBIR: There must be some explanation ... perhaps she has the excitement because of the wedding ...

MIN: There's something mother ... I have to say. Privately.

BALBIR: A bride has no secrets from her bacholan.

MIN: What?

BALBIR: My friends are also your mothers.

TEETEE: There are no excuses for this unwelcome patch of red.

MIN breaks away from the ladies, in acute distress.

MIN: Please. I don't know what to do.

TEETEE: You are all muddled up.

MIN: No ... I'm not...

TEETEE and POLLY move towards MIN.

..... (more)

[TO Kid]

11. This is sad

Most Sikhs abandoned terrorism after the 1980s. They've always had a warrior culture but not a terrorist one.

[bin.dare]

14. UPDATE: Playwright goes into hiding (death threats) ...

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/story.jsp?story=595350

22 December 2004


An offer to stage a play, which had been cancelled after violent protests by members of the Sikh community, was withdrawn last night following a request by the playwright who has gone into hiding after receiving death threats.

Neal Foster, who runs the Birmingham Stage Company, had called for the theatre world to unite to stage simultaneous readings of Behzti (Dishonour), which has been dropped by the Birmingham Repertory Theatre after the mass protest.

But he admitted to feeling "defeated" after the playwright, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, contacted him late last night asking him to shelve the idea saying threats against her had "increased". Mr Foster said: "She left a message on my mobile saying she is aware of what I am proposing and, because of the situation she's in, she has asked me to permanently suspend my plans.

"She's in hiding because of threats made to her and her actual words were that those threats have increased. I've tried to find some solution to this problem, one that would allow the play to be given life, but now I just feel defeated. Obviously I acquiesce to her wishes, as she's the writer. I wouldn't want to do anything that she wouldn't want to be done."

...