Play "offensive to Sikhs" is demonstrated against

Former Member

Originally posted by Man Of Kent
If it was a critique then I would agree with you, but it was a drama. It was not appropriate and it was unnecessarily offensive. It was also immensely stupid.

Judging by the comments here I am sure that you have all campaigned for Ron Atkinson to keep his job at ITV after he referred to Desailly as a lazy nigger. I'm sure that you have all defended his right to make such comments...

Who are you to say what is 'appropriate' though? 'Causing offence' is absolutely not grounds for censoring something. Drama is supposed to upset, and anger and offend. Look at, for example, Macbeth and the issues of regicide and atheism it raised; people found it shocking at the time. The whole historical tradition of Western drama is that it is a forum in which things can be said which are 'offensive' and which people react strongly to.

As I understand it, the scene which has upset people so much is the one involving rape inside a Gudawara (Sikh temple). Now, firstly, why is this offensive? And secondly, it's a play in a sodding theatre; it's not as if anyone has to go and see it. Finally, I not that the play was apparently proving quite popular with young, female Sikhs, and would suggest that perhaps it does actually have a message of import.

As to Ron's comments, yup he is free to say what he wants, and if he does something which breaches his contract (I would imagine there to be some kind of 'bringing the channel into disrepute' clause) then ITV are free to sack him. Equally, the waxwork at Tussauds should have been restored, the blasphemy laws should be taken off the statute book and free speech should be enshrined in a written constitution.

The great, and terrible thing about freedom of expression is that people can, and will say things which are upsetting, which make us angry, which disgust us; freedom to speak as long as you don't offend anyone is meaningless and pointless. For that reason I would defend the right of parties like the BNP and the National Front to exist and to express their ideas. We should act to argue, explain and fight the war of memes and ideas.

Acting violently to supress something because you *do not like it* is anathema to the principles of civil society and freedom.

Former Member

so they were against a play about sikhs been violent, then they go and trash the police?


cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war
or in lukes case double standards