Last month's Spring of Culture festival caused uproar among Islamists, who said
scenes of simulated sex should not have been shown in public, and a
parliamentary committee has begun an investigation into the affair.
This in turn prompted about 500 people, including the US ambassador, to hold a
rally in the capital Manama this week to protest against what the organisers
called an Islamist attempt to stifle freedom of expression in the kingdom.
"The extremism is clear, not on the level of citizens, but political factions,
who are trying to use religion to further their agenda," said co-organiser
Ebrahim Ali. "The investigation is an attempt to censor freedom of expression."
Ali said he feared the committee would become a permanent body with the power
to veto any cultural event. "This would be regression for Bahrain, which is
known for its culture of tolerance," he said.
Ebrahim Bosundal, the head of the seven-strong committee, said it did not want
to be a permanent cultural watchdog but was trying to protect children and the
island's Arab and Islamic identity.
The festival included graphic displays of sex and nudity and there had been no
warning that the simulated sex scene was not suitable for children, Bosundal
said.
Local newspapers have dubbed the row the 'Spring of Sex' affair.
The scene that shocked Islamists was one in which male and female actors
wearing skin-tight flesh-coloured body stockings touched each other in a
romantic manner.
Cultural events have raised Islamists' ire in the past.
A concert in 2003 by sultry Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram triggered riots, and an
Arab version of the reality TV show Big Brother filmed in Bahrain a year later
sparked protests on the ground that unrelated men and women should not mix.
Bosundal said his committee - which includes non-Islamists - was formed after
complaints from audience members shocked by some of the festival acts.
Reuters
