The Malaysian Insight

ART and entertainment should be guided by moral and religious values, or it would lead people towards destruction, Penang mufti Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor said.

He said in a statement today that art, including theatre, should not be just for the sake of artistic expression.

His comments came after a Valentine’s Day play at the Penang Performing Arts Centre (penangpac) was cancelled following claims by conservative groups that the show was disrespectful towards Muslims.

Wan Salim said freedom, openness and inclusivity are all encouraged as they could lead the country into progress and reaching greater heights.

But there was no need to highlight love that suggested freedom alone.

“Art should show the vast meaning of love, which encompasses love for the divine, environment, ones’ parents, country and fellow man.

“The world is huge and beautiful. Why narrow it down to what is sexual?” he said.

Last night, a local Islamist group protested in front of penangpac, where the play Love in Georgetown City was shown, condemning several parties including Wan Salim and the police for allegedly not doing their jobs.

The group was unhappy over the play, which was originally titled Sex in Georgetown City by its writer Fa Abdul, accusing it of disrespecting Islam as the religion of state and promoting free sex and the LGBT (lesbian, gays, bisexuals and transgendered) lifestyle.

After the original title drew criticism on social media, with claims spreading that the play was an obscene production, Fa renamed the play and clarified repeatedly that her play was a comedy without any dirty scenes.

The play is made up of 10 short skits that aims to educate the public on social issues such as interracial relationships, racism, paedophilia, and infidelity.

“They are neither deviant nor exploitative, instead they reflect our challenges and cultural idiosyncrasies,” Fa had said in a statement earlier this week.

She also said she never meant to offend religious or cultural sensitivities.

She also had to lodge a police report when she learned that the Islamist group would stage a protest at penangpac.

Following the protest last night, the police advised penangpac not to continue with the sold-out play, which was to run until Sunday, even though they acknowledged that there was nothing obscene in the production.

Penangpac publicity manager Alexander Ooi said the theatre understood the challenge faced by the police.

He said penangpac has decided to cancel the rest of the show to assist in cooling off the situation. – February 15, 2019.