On Wednesday, 8th February 2012, my wife & I went to see a play titled ‘Islamophobia’. The play is about a couple from a different backgrounds, the boy is Chinese, and the girl is a Malay Muslim, having to face with many obstacles before they are able to be together. The focus of the play is not on their relationship, but more towards the perception of Malaysian Indians & Chinese towards their Muslim Malaysians, and misconception about Islam. What is interesting is the play is written by an Indian, Sathira Morgan, and then is verified from Islamic perspective by Dr Osman Chua from Kulliyyah Usuluddin, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).
The play was sponsored by Pertubuhan IKRAM Malaysia (IKRAM) through one of it’s arm, Hidayah Centre. Thus the entrance on the day was free. From En Zainal Azirun, the Director of the show, this was the second time the play was performed. After hearing that, my expectation was the play must be reasonably good. Gladly, I was not wrong on that.
It was held at KL Performing Art Centre (KLPAC), a modern & cutting edge art centre. It is a very impressive building, which houses multiple theaters & various facilities. Located at Sentul Park, the location is very unique since I believe it was the location former workshop for Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB). The area is a greenfield, with many unique buildings from it’s past. It is also very accessible from the KL City centre, the entrance to the area is just from Jalan Ipoh.
KLPacs building at dusk courtesy of http://www.klpac.org
Photos of Sentul Park : http://www.heartpatrick.com/klpac.html
The play is quite basic, with simple props and unknown actors & actresses. Nevertheless,I believe it delivered the message to the audience, which is the understanding of the true Islamic values and the differences between Islam teachings and cultural heritage of the Malay. From my observation, it was enjoyable to most audiences, which came from many different backgrounds, because the play is written with a lighter note and is not dwelling on the sensitive issues.
Here are some photos which I took on the night.
En Zainal Azirun was giving a welcoming speech and introduction to the play.
The two main protagonist, the Malay Muslim girl and her boyfriend, a Chinese.
Two supporting characters were talking about the perception of Indian towards Malay Muslim.
Two supporting characters were discussing about the adaptation of recently converted Chinese Muslim.
The couple was trying to reconcile their differences.
The girls father which is a converted Indian was talking to the boy.
The boys father who was surprised with the boys choice of the girlfriend.
The boys father disapproved of their relationship and disowned his son.
The photos covered halfway through the play. To know the ending, please watch the show when it will be performed again. Don’t worry, trust me, your time will be well spent watching it.
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