Censorship envy
Asia House has been forced to cancel an exhibition featuring erotic paintings of Hindu deities by Indian artist Maqbool Fida Husain. The gallery confirmed last week that it was withdrawing the exhibition for security reasons, following protests from the ludicrously named Hindu Human Rights Group - who were planning a demonstaration for the weekend - and the Hindu Forum of Britain.
According to IBNLive:
An official at Asia House, London, said the decision was taken because of threats to the paintings. The move followed demonstrations against the exhibition by several Hindu groups in Britain.
A local advocate Rajkumar Pande had filed a petition on March 3 alleging that an ‘objectionable’ painting had hurt the sentiments of Indians.
Someone seems to be feeling left out.
The story was finally picked up in the mainstream press on Sunday by Nick Cohen, who points out that:
The apparently separate protests from different faiths are connected. What we are seeing is rival fundamentalists egging each other on in a politics of competitive grievance. Every time one secures a victory, the others realise they can’t be left behind. If satirists are frightened of having a go at Islam because they believe they may be killed - and they are - why shouldn’t Christian fundamentalists decide to become more menacing?
A comedian who takes a pop at the Pope sends the subliminal message: ‘We can deride your religion as despicable because we know you are not so despicable you will resort to violence.’ There is a limit to how long the ultras for any religion will put up with that before they change the ground rules.
After abusive Sikh men closed Behzti, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s play about the abuse of Sikh women by Sikh men, Christian Voice upped the ante against Jerry Springer: The Opera. It had previously run at the National Theatre for months without attracting protest. But when BBC2 came to broadcast it, London Christians imitated Birmingham Sikhs and BBC executives suddenly needed the protection of private security guards.
It is also a serious cause for concern that an art exhibition can be threatened into closure and no-one apart from a few bloggers feels the need to say anything.
(Thanks to The Melon Farmers, MediaWatchWatch and Pickled Politics)
Wednesday 31 May 2006 | Paul | UK
