RIYADH – Vandals ruined the second showing of a play called Wusta Bila Wasatiya (The Middle Path), which is being showed to promote moderation in religion on Sunday. The play was being shown at the Yamamah College in Riyadh as part of a cultural week being held at the college.
Several people were injured in the fracas as a group of rioters pushed forward toward the stage destroying the settings and thus causing the play to be postponed. Police were called to restore order and no new date has so far been announced.
It is not known why the vandals wanted to cause mayhem at the play, which highlights the vital importance of seeking a middle path between religious fundamentalism and materialistic hedonism.
The cast of the drama included Habib Al-Habib, Ibrahim Al-Hasawi and a number of students from the college. Witnesses said some people rushed on to the stage and abused actors. They also resisted the police who were called to calm the situation down.
“We were attacked at the very opening of the first scene. The security officials intervened to protect us. The drama deals with moderation while those who attacked us do not want moderation to prevail,” said lead actor Habib Al-Habib.
“I observed some trouble on Saturday on the first showing of the drama. Some unidentified persons abused me but I did not expect things to become so severe,” said Ibrahim Al-Hasawi.
According to another eyewitness, some people were heckling and trying to obstruct Muhammad Al-Ali and Ali Al-Domaini from reciting poems before the drama began. A student at the college said some of the troublemakers who were pursuing them tried to enter the ladies section but were unable to enter the ladies area because the doors were locked.
“I saw one of their victims unconscious and two others were profusely bleeding,” said one eyewitness.
