Shahid Nadeem about the ''
burqa'' worn by conservative Muslim women, staged in
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
in 2010 by the
Ajoka Theater Company.
Ajoka Theatre
Ajoka Theatre
Ajoka Theatre (Urdu: , literal translation of ''Ajoka'': "today/present") is a Pakistani not-for-profit arts organization based in Lahore, Punjab, with focus on producing and performing social theatrical stage productions, founded in 1984.Singh B ...
is a drama group founded by playwright
Madeeha Gauhar
Madeeha Gauhar (; 21 September 1956 – 25 April 2018) was a Pakistani TV and stage actress, playwright and director of social theater, and women's rights activist. In 1984, she founded Ajoka Theatre where social themes were staged in theat ...
, with the goal of producing "socially meaningful theatre about women's issues and Sufi ideas."
Controversy
''Burkavaganza'' has received criticism with conservative members of the society for being blasphemous. Madeeha Gauhar, with the Ajoka Theatre group, stated in an interview with BBC that "the play is not designed to offend Islam or any other religion". In 2012 Gauhar stated "some people say it is burqa bashing. It certainly is not; it has many layers of meaning, and I think that's precisely why it was deemed subversive and subsequently it was not allowed to be performed."
For some, "Burqavaganza" is a funny love story in the time of jihad. For others, it mocks Islam.
[NY Times](_blank)
/ref> Burqavaganza play has successfully brought Ajoka into the limelight because of its highly controversial theme.
Government ban on the play
The government's ban on the play highlighted Pakistan's liberal-conservative divide. The ban was viewed by some commentators as an act of appeasement towards religious extremists by a government that was otherwise keen to promote a liberal ethos in the country.
References
External links
Ajoka Theatre's official page on Burqavaganza
NY Times
Video clip
Islam-related controversies
Liberalism in Pakistan
Pakistani plays
Plays set in Pakistan
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