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demoleft's Journal - EuroDem from Italy
Posted by demoleft in General Discussion
Mon Jul 30th 2007, 01:49 PM
I'm just now reading this in The Guardian and I want to share with you. It's about a musical presented at the Edinburgh Fringe, and that has caused upset and even a petition addressed to Downing Street:

The story.
"Jihad: The Musical tells the story of a 'hapless Afghan peasant' who falls into the hands of would-be jihadi terrorists and includes barnstorming numbers such as 'I Wanna Be Like Osama' alongside the more romantic 'I Only See Your Eyes'. The content of the show may well be irreverent, featuring as it will a pink burkha-wearing chorus line touting automatic weapons, but before the curtain even goes up a petition has been launched calling for a ban on the production."

The hero, Sayid al-Boom, is first lured by a "veiled, poppy-exporting femme fatale" and then manipulated "by a sinister reporter and so caught, emblematically speaking, 'between the terrorists and bloodthirsty global media'."

Simply a comedy musical, says the producer
"In response to calls for the show to be closed down before its opening night on Wednesday, James Lawler, the show's producer, has said: 'We have no intention of causing offence or insult with this show. It is simply a comedy musical, following the British tradition of high-kicking, high-spirited, musical theater, about a fictional Afghan poppy farmer who falls in love with the wrong person and finds himself caught in a dilemma.'"

"To make the best of a bad situation", says the producer, who speaks of "tactful writing".
The British author, Zoe Samuel, says the Muslims who have read the script were not offended and some, comedians, want to represent it in NY.

Link to the complete article in The Guardian: http://arts.guardian.co.uk/edinburgh2007/s...

The petition against it
As to the detractors, here's the link to the petition to UK government:
"The idea of making light of muslim extremism is extremely offensive, most especially for its victims. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival promotes such 'artistic license' without due consideration for those parties who may be offended by this 'musical.'"

The petition, here: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/jihadmusical/#d...

More on the subject
The BBC reports:
"A satirical musical about Islamic terrorism is causing protest ahead of its premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe."
And:
"Composer Ben Scheuer defended the production, telling BBC Radio 4 it was 'controversial because it is relevant'."
Link to BBC, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6...

The Edimburgh Fringe Festival on the show:
"Jihad: The Musical
Sensational new musical comedy set to incite violent applause and a new cult following. Featuring insightful satirical sequences including 'I Wanna Be Like Osama'. The West shall not be won (again) so long as we have a high-kicking chorus line!"

The link to the Festival: http://www.edfringe.com/shows/detail.php?a...

The Edinburgh Paper: "Jihad: The Musical has come under fire for being staged so soon after the failed terror attacks in Glasgow and London". (More: http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/edinburg... )

My opinion
Surely feelings are delicate strings to touch in everyone.
I personally think that one may see the show before even hinting at such a thing as forbidding - which I don't like in any case.
I think in the history of theater horror and sorrow have always had a place on the stage. If I only think about elizabethan tragedies or some cruel comedies full of deceit and treachery...

The subject "terrorism" has always sparkled violent reactions when represented some way.
Some say it's worth laughing at it to ridicule its folly and devoid it of its strength: the terror.
Some say such a thing is no matter for art as it ends with blowing the victims' feelings and memories.

I'm for the first opinion. Terror feeds on terror, not on laughter.
What do you think about that?
Discuss (3 comments) | Recommend ( votes)
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demoleft
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Howard Dean in Italy, April 2007
Dean invited at the last Congress of the Italian Democratic of the Left party (DS), that is going to dissolve and create, with progressive partners, the Democratic Party in Italy.

As leader of the Democratic Party in the USA, he said, I congratulate with you for your decision to create a new Party. This is a really historical moment for the Italian people. The Democratic Party in Italy will grant a more stable progressive government and to the American democrats will mean a bigger partner in Europe.

Dean recalled the Italian history, culture, cuisine (!) and sport, mostly our soccer team (“azzurri”, we are world champions since last July - let me say!)

Comparing the work made in Italy by DS and Margherita (Daisy) in creating the strongest core of the UNIONE, the alliance that defeated Berlusconi, and the effort made by the American Democratic Party, he said that USA democrats made the decision of uniting to defeat the far republican right wing. United, added Dean, working hard we won in 2006: today we are majority at the Congress and Senate.

He remembered Nancy Pelosi, of Italian origin, and the teachings in governance of Bill Clinton and his efforts to give USA a new profile in the world. A word for France to make a step forward was spent: an indirect “good luck” to Segolene Royal, the socialist candidate as President.

Really appreciated by the DS delegates was the portrait of the future democratic America: it’s time to leave Iraq, said he, and it’s time to change USA relationships with the rest of the world. According to Dean, we have to fight for the respect of human and civil rights. A new political course is necessary with the Muslim world: it’s going to take a long time but a bridge with the Muslim people who work on democratic efforts in their countries must be built.

On Global warming he said it is an actual matter and the poorest are the ones who will pay the highest price. To negate the problem is useless, USA must work with Europe to solve this problem.

The progressive parties unite, told Dean, because they are parties of the “we”. The right wing parties are parties of the “I”. The power doesn’t belong to us, he added, it’s only lent to us. So must we always communicate with the people both in traditional and new ways.

I can say, we democratic of the left enjoyed the words very much!
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