All This Fuss Over a Play?

Two weeks ago a colleague described how teachers at a secondary school in the holy city of Makkah succeeded in forcing the school management to cancel a play the students were going to perform on the grounds that a number of famous singers had been invited to the opening show, something that should never be allowed to happen.

The teachers thought that publicizing the play by inviting the singers would be an insult to the school and demanded the play be canceled. The education department in the holy city yielded to their demand and canceled the show. The play, titled “Today’s Youth,” was to discuss the government’s encouragement of young Saudis to take up manual labor. It was to show how many in society still believe that Saudis should not be involved in what they believe are lowly jobs best left to others.

The writer said such behavior could only encourage terrorism, borne as it was out of extremist ideology.

Extremism is entrenched in many of our schools thanks to the presence of teachers steeped in this kind of thought, along with the books, cassettes and lectures that promote it. It is these teachers who have spread it in our schools.

Saying the teachers objected to the play because some singers had been invited does not tell the whole truth. These extremists believe that art in its entirety is “haram” and should never be allowed. They view acting as the source of all evil on earth.

The official in charge said the manner in which the issue was conveyed to the education department justified canceling the play. It did not. Someone in the education department must have sympathized with the complainants. Otherwise, the matter could have been subjected to a thorough investigation to determine the content and motives of the play and then decide whether to allow it or not. It should have been treated as a matter of principle, but the director of the school sought to avoid any escalation and yielded to the demands of those individuals. He could have taken the issue to the director general of education in the city. With the academic year still in its early stage, I think there is still time for the play to be staged if the director general gives his approval. I believe he encourages such activities.