WTF?! (Censorship in Malaysia)

[RCNelson]

From the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3469219.stm):
A play that mentions the German car maker Volkswagen has been banned in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.

'Election Day' had been performed in the city four years ago but this time it did not meet the approval of a new committee set up to vet all shows.

The committee can remove any reference to sensitive racial matters, religious beliefs, royalty, the law, public policy or anything considered vulgar.

Any mention of the real world or any person alive or dead is also forbidden.

It is the first time the committee has refused a performance a permit.

'Election Day', which follows three friends during Malaysia's 1999 polls, failed six of the committee's eight guidelines.

The script was returned to its director with the names of the car maker Volkswagen, a local chain of pharmacies and various Malaysian politicians all struck out.

[zakur]

ANY mention of the real world is forbidden?

WTF? indeed

[Abdul Alhazred]

Originally posted by zakur
ANY mention of the real world is forbidden?

WTF? indeed

THIS TF:

I think it's to supress the theatre entirely as the Puritans did in England in the 1640s.

Think about it. There's Muslim art, science, and poetry, at least historically. But no Muslim theatre any more than there is Muslim sculpture.

[Mr Manifesto]

Originally posted by Abdul Alhazred


THIS TF:

I think it's to supress the theatre entirely as the Puritans did in England in the 1640s.

Think about it. There's Muslim art, science, and poetry, at least historically. But no Muslim theatre any more than there is Muslim sculpture.

Muslim sculptors (http://www.sculptor.org/Countries/Pakistan.htm)

I haven't found any 'Muslim theatre' yet, but I can say that I was directed a couple of times by an Arab. If you tick me off too much, I'll send you a copy of my 'performance' in Krapp's Last Tape. :D

[Abdul Alhazred]

Originally posted by Mr Manifesto


Muslim sculptors (http://www.sculptor.org/Countries/Pakistan.htm)

I haven't found any 'Muslim theatre' yet, but I can say that I was directed a couple of times by an Arab. If you tick me off too much, I'll send you a copy of my 'performance' in Krapp's Last Tape. :D

These are people of Muslim upbringing who ended up as sculptors, not creators of 'Muslim sculpture'. There is no such thing. Not any more than there is ancient Hebrew sculpture.

Nor Muslim theatre.

[Abdul Alhazred]

Originally posted by Mr Manifesto

I haven't found any 'Muslim theatre' yet, but I can say that I was directed a couple of times by an Arab.


I never said that Arabs or people brought up as Muslims are somehow inherently incapable of it.

I still say there is no Muslim sculpture (it is against the religion) or theatre (for whatever reason).

That there are Muslims in the theatre is an entirely different question, and I have no problem with them.

I re-assert, there is no Muslim theatre.

And the peculiar Malaysian rules aim to keep it that way.

Do you disagree with that?

[Frank Newgent]

Originally posted by Abdul Alhazred

I re-assert, there is no Muslim theatre.

So what do you do in Kuala Lumpur on a Saturday night?

[Bjorn]

Originally posted by Frank Newgent

So what do you do in Kuala Lumpur on a Saturday night? You go to the area called Bangsar, where you have as many bars/pubs/restaurants per square mile as anywhere else in the world. Or even more.

Regardless of the lack of freedom of speech in certain sensible areas, Malaysia/KL is a very modern society - extremely so to be a muslim country.
:p

[Skeptic]

I think it's to supress the theatre entirely as the Puritans did in England in the 1640s.

Could be... but it seems more likely that any play about the elections that's not 100% supportive of the dear leader of our glorious nation which was freely elected with 100.2% of the vote (or the equivalent) would tend to be banned in non-democratic countries. "Hurts the feelings of the people" means, in real life, "hurts the feelings of the leader".

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by Abdul Alhazred


THIS TF:

I think it's to supress the theatre entirely as the Puritans did in England in the 1640s.

Think about it. There's Muslim art, science, and poetry, at least historically. But no Muslim theatre any more than there is Muslim sculpture.

There aren't any muslim rabbi's either! :mad:

[zakur]

Originally posted by Abdul Alhazred
I think it's to supress the theatre entirely as the Puritans did in England in the 1640s.So why not just have a law that says "no theatre," instead of a law that says "no theatre with references to the real world or any person alive or dead, or that makes any reference to sensitive racial matters, religious beliefs, royalty, the law, public policy or anything considered vulgar"?

[Ed]

For clarification: The Vagina Monologs would be out, right?

[Bjorn]

Originally posted by Skeptic
Could be... but it seems more likely that any play about the elections that's not 100% supportive of the dear leader of our glorious nation which was freely elected with 100.2% of the vote (or the equivalent) would tend to be banned in non-democratic countries. "Hurts the feelings of the people" means, in real life, "hurts the feelings of the leader". Some facts, maybe:

The coalition parties that support the present prime minister was down 15 per cent in the last election — 55 percent as compared to 65 percent in the 1995 elections.

Asiaweek wrote after the election:

“It's not just that BN (the majority party) saw its majority trimmed or that the opposition took the state of Terengganu or that a number of prominent BN candidates lost their seats. What is really significant about the various outcomes of the elections is that they collectively mark a major shift in the country's political landscape.”Why did you assume '100.2%'? :c2:

[Abdul Alhazred]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer


There aren't any muslim rabbi's either! :mad:

Of course there are. But they're called Imams not Rabbis. The big ones are called Muftis. Is that so hard?

[Abdul Alhazred]

Originally posted by zakur
So why not just have a law that says "no theatre," instead of a law that says "no theatre with references to the real world or any person alive or dead, or that makes any reference to sensitive racial matters, religious beliefs, royalty, the law, public policy or anything considered vulgar"?

International public opinion, which did not exist in 1640 CE.

Of course they don't quite get it about international public opinion, but they know it exists. Some have said the same about the President of the United States.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by Abdul Alhazred


Of course there are. But they're called Imams not Rabbis. The big ones are called Muftis. Is that so hard?

Mufti Pufti's?