The Women’s Committee for Investigation and Followup at the Department of Health has sent summons to 11 Saudi nurses of King Abdulaziz Hospital, who were members of the drama troupe, to appear before the committee to give their testimony.

Several prominent figures in the drama field as well as health officials in Makkah criticized the intolerant attitude toward the artistic performance, according to a report in Al-Madinah newspaper. They mainly blamed Dalal Abdul Jabbar, director of nursing in Makkah province, and her assistant Marwa for the fiasco.

The drama was supposed to be staged at the theater of Hira Hospital on the occasion of the GCC Nursing Day a few days ago.

Yaser Oukal, the playwright, said these two women were mainly responsible for blocking the theatrical performance on the pretext of their objection to sound effects in the drama. “Marwa had been against performance of the drama from the beginning. But Dalal was in favor of staging. She was present at the first performance and also evaluated it during the rehearsal. Dalal did not make any objections to the musical element,” he said.

Oukal said Inaam Tarangano, director of nursing at King Abdulaziz Hospital, had asked him to stage a drama as part of the celebrations to mark the Gulf Nurses Day at Hira Hospital. She suggested a variety of activities, including the drama. A poem of the well-known poet Khidr Al-Lahyani and a national song by Majed Al-Muhandis were included in the last scene of the drama, he said.

Mansour Monaqeb, assistant director of nursing at King Abdulaziz Hospital, secured initial approval for the text of the drama from Abdul Jabbar. There were also rehearsals of the drama. Abdul Jabbar did not object to any part of the drama when it was staged in front of her. On the second day, when the drama was about to be presented in front of women, she rushed in and interrupted it, claimed Monaqeb.

“She drove Abdul Majeed Al-Raheedi, director of the drama, out of the backstage. She also managed to force Majeda Khairi, the sound engineer, to leave the control room before shutting down the computer. Earlier, she had declined to give permission to the Saudi television crew to telecast the event. Dalal also allegedly snatched cameras of a number of women who came to watch the performance,” he alleged. 

Monaqeb blasted the act of Abdul Jabbar. “We do not want to happen what happened. I don’t know what prompted Dalal Abdul Jabbar to behave in this dubious way. I wish she clarified her stand and tendered an apology,” he said. However, Abdul Jabbar declined to comment on the issue.

Abdul Majeed Al-Raheedi, a director, slammed the act of the official, calling it unacceptable and disgraceful. He urged the health authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the entire episode.