Pakistan bans satire about burqas ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) -- Irate Islamist lawmakers have persuaded the Pakistan government to stop a theatre group staging a satirical play about the burqa, the all-covering head-to-toe garment worn by conservative Muslim women.
"Burqavaganza" played earlier this month during an arts festival in Lahore, the eastern city regarded as Pakistan's cultural capital, and home to some of the most liberal and most puritanical parts of the Muslim nation's society. "The burqa is part of our culture. We can't allow anyone to ridicule our culture," Culture Minister Sayed Ghazi Gulab Jamal told the National Assembly. The minister announced Thursday that the government had barred the play, which had already ended its run in Lahore, from being performed in other Pakistani cities. Veiled female parliamentarians and Islamist lawmakers cheered Jamal and thumped desks in approval, while trading barbs with women from both the ruling party and liberal opposition parties. Described by critics as a romp, the play sought to highlight the impact of the veil on society, by showing how wearers use it as a way to hide what they want to keep private. In the play, young men and women wore the burqa to go out on secret dates, and it featured a character called Burqa bin Badin. The play also showed a burqa-clad married couple put to death for making love in public. Predictably, religious conservative Pakistanis did not find it funny, going as far as to describe the play as blasphemous, a crime in Pakistan that can carry a death sentence. "They have committed blasphemy against the Prophet (Mohammad)," Razia Aziz, a female lawmaker from the Islamist opposition alliance, told the National Assembly. She demanded the government take action against people responsible for staging "Burqavaganza". Mehnaz Rafi, a lawmaker for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League from Lahore, opposed the government giving in to the Islamists. "A few people cannot dictate affairs of the state. Every person has the right to lead his life his own way. A few people cannot snatch freedom from society," Rafi said. Shahid Nadeem, the director of the play, told the weekly Friday Times that the play aimed to raise awareness about a trend to force women to wear the veil. Progressive Pakistanis have become increasingly shocked by how bold religious radicals have become in spreading their Taliban-style values in society. Last month, burqa-clad female students from an Islamic school, or madrasa, raided a brothel in the capital, Islamabad, and abducted three women. The women were released only after they were made to repent before the media. Students from Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, and its adjoining madrasa have also pressured music and video shop owners to wind up their businesses as part of their anti-vice campaign. Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anger at Pakistan burka play ban The head of a Pakistani theatre company whose play about burkas was banned by the government has said that she is hurt and astonished by the decision. The government banned the play because it said that it made "unacceptable fun" out of Pakistani culture. Madeeha Gauhar, head of the Ajoka Theatre group, said that there was nothing offensive in the production against Islam or any other religion. She said that she was being pulled up for "promoting moderation". Parody Complaints about the issue came to light after Islamist MPs raised the issue in parliament on Thursday. They complained that the play was against "Koranic injunctions on the veil". "The veil has long been part of local culture and nobody is allowed to make fun of these values," Minister for Culture Ghazi Gulab Jamal said. The satirical play Burqavaganza was staged this month by Ajoka Theatre group in the eastern city of Lahore, known as the country's cultural capital. The government announced an immediate ban, and stopped it from being staged in other cities following the end of its run in Lahore. The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan in Karachi says that the play is a parody on the burka - the enclosing garment worn by conservative Muslim women. Pakistan has stringent laws for blasphemy against Islam or the Prophet Mohammed with a maximum penalty of death. "They have committed blasphemy against the Holy Prophet", Razia Aziz, a conservative female parliamentarian told the assembly. But the Ajoka Theatre group has said that it has not received any official notification of the ban. Censorship "We have just heard the news from the press... the government has not contacted us so far," Ms Gauhar said. She said told the BBC that while she was not surprised that hardline Islamists had raised the issue, she was "astonished at how the government has reacted". Ms Gauhar said that the Ajoka theatre group was one of the oldest in the country, and had faced censorship before, particularly during the military government of General Zia ul-Haq. "But we never expected this from President Musharraf's government", she said. "They have promoted arts and artistes so far, in line with a policy of enlightened moderation. "The government now appears to be going back on its own policies. "These are ominous signs for Pakistan. "We are trying to end the evils from society, we are against forcing women to wear the burka. I condemn the ban," she said. Correspondents say that the play reflects what many see as the aggressive behaviour of the burka-clad students attached to Islamabad's Red Mosque. Baton-wielding students of two schools linked to the mosque have launched "morality patrols" targeting music and video shops and local brothels. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6598685.stm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13245 Question #13245: Islamic Ruling on making fun of hijaab (full body covering) Question: What is the ruling on one who makes fun of a woman who wears the correct Islamic hijaab and covers her face and hands? Answer: Praise be to Allaah. Whoever makes fun of a Muslim man or woman for adhering to the Islamic sharee'ah is a kaafir, whether he is mocking a Muslim woman for observing correct Islamic hijaab or for some other reason. Abd-Allaah ibn Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both) narrated that during the campaign of Tabook a man said: I have never seen anything like these Qur'aan readers of ours. They have the biggest bellies, the most lying tongues and they are the most cowardly when meeting the enemy. Another man said, You are lying, and you are a hypocrite. I will most certainly tell the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) [what you have said]. He told the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then Qur'aan was revealed. Abd-Allaah ibn Umar said: I saw him (that man) hanging onto the saddle of the she-camel of the Messenger of Allaah, (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), stumbling over the stones, and he [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] was saying, Was it at Allaah, and His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and His Messenger that you were mocking? Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed. If We pardon some of you, We will punish others amongst you because they were Mujrimoon (disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, criminals) [al-Tawbah 9:65-66 interpretation of the meaning] So mocking the believers is equivalent to mocking Allaah, His verses and His Messenger. And Allaah is the Source of strength. Al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, in al-Fataawa al-Jaami'ah li'l-Mar'ah al-Muslimah, part 3, p. 813
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