BURQAVAGANZA

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To see or not to see, that has always been the question for those who believe that female species is something to be hidden, something to be ashamed of. The obsession with burqa, face-veil, niqab, hijab, parda has very little to do with religious beliefs and everything to do with the patriarchal, tribal, feudal mindset and value system. Whatever the rationale for covering women's faces in the primitive or medieval times, it has absolutely no justification in the modern times. No society encourages indecency or immodesty, but the standards differ from time to time and from society to society. The current fixation with niqab and burqa is a product of the Pan-Islamic fundamentalist political movement and supported by despotic Muslim rulers and the Western powers. In Pakistan, the Zia regime actively pursued this policy as a part of the West-supported policy to promote religious militancy. In Afghanistan, the Taliban regime took the burqa policy to bizarre and brutal extremes. The Saudi rulers whose shenanigans while holidaying in the West are well known, have enforced a strict veil policy along with other humiliating and oppressive restrictions on the free movement of women. On the other hand, veil and hijab have become a focal point for Muslim communities trying to assert their distinct religious and cultural identity and the white supremacists and the War on Terror apologists. Banning the burqa with racist and anti-Muslim justifications is deplorable. Is in fact provoking a negative and extremist reaction among the Muslim youth. But those who believe that burqa or veil can really protect their identity or interests are sadly mistaken.


In the Islamic world, or more specifically in Pakistan, the premise is quite different. While very few would support a Turkey-style ban on burqas, a vast majority believes that their faith does not reside in the burqa or hijab. Islamic scholars have very different views about modest dress for men or women . Culturally burqa-wearing women have always been a minority and mostly restricted to urban lower middle classes. Those who want to force women to wear burqa or veil are a small intolerant ultra-conservative minority. The debate on whether to wear a veil or not needs to be conducted in the modern human rights and liberal context. But there are other issues explored in Shahid Nadeem's “outrageous extravaganza”. The obsession with covering everything beautiful and hiding all things horrible,is the hallmark of our moral and religious establishment. They try to cover up the inconvenient truth, they have double standards of moral and ethical values. Politicians say one thing, practice just the opposite, the pious wear while cloths and are dirty from inside. The rulers preach peace and respect for law but are most violent and unlawful when their interests are threatened. And what about the double-standards practiced by the super-powers, their “love” for democracy and progress and their shameful record of imperialist wars and colonization.

“Burqavaganza” is a play written to challenge the mindsets, provoke the audience to rethink and break the chains of prejudice and outdated values. Let us enjoy the play, dance to the tunes and relax. After all this an extravaganza!

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THE CAST:

Sarfraz Ansari: Minister/Bin Batin/Chambeli/Cameraman
Iqbal Naqvi: Maulana 1
Imran ul Haq: Maulana 2
Nosheen Sheikh: Haseena
Raza Abbas: Khoobroo
Khola Qureshi: Brigade Commander
Asif Japani: Brigade 1
Azaan Malik: Brigade 2
Usman Zia: Police Officer
Shahid Zafar: Constable 1
Shehzad: Constable 2
Yaqoob Masih: Chorus/Dancers
Nadeem Abbas
Waseem Luka
Meena:
Razia Malik: Hijab Hashmi/Mother
Vicky: Guitar Player
Singers: Safraz Ansari
Sara Raza Khan
Khawar Ali-Babar Ali & Party

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CREDITS:

Written & Directed by: Shahid Nadeem
Set and Lights design by: Kewal Dhaliwal, Malik Aslam
Music composed by: M. Aslam
Costume design: Zahra Batool
Assistant Director: Malik Aslam
Production Manager: Imran ul Haq
Research: Ziafat Arfat
Video recording/editing: Nadeem Mir, Shakeel Siddiqui
Brochure Design by: Asif Javed (Virtual Reality)