A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon an unusually good article in the New York Times that highlighted an unconventional theater project. The article is about a play titled "Radio Muezzin", a one hour documentary-style performance fashioned in response to recent censorship of Imams in Egypt. The Egyptian government in Cairo has begun to limit the number of Imams (Muslim prayer leaders) permitted to broadcast their voices over loudspeakers. Because the play is critical of government policy, it has been censored in Egypt, but commissioned (strangely enough), by Berlin's municipal government.
You can read more details at the link posted at the bottom, but the play basically consists of 3 Imams going through their daily routines of prayer-calling in Arabic. They tell stories of their successes and hardships, with the common thread being, of course, the beauty of Islam and its effect on their lives. It has been received well by Berlin audiences. Given that German citizens in general have been opposed to encroachments by Islamic immigrants and new mosques, it's quite surprising that this play has been without controversy.
How common are these type of theater projects in the United States? Would the reception differ? How much does the average American know about Imams and Islamic Egyptians? These are just some questions that came to mind while reading the article. As we've learned in our class this semester, too often our media has blinders on when covering the Middle East. Usually news stories about the Middle East concern terrorism or other forms of frightening disorder and chaos. It was refreshing to see one that dealt with the daily struggles of regular Muslims, and to see Germans looking so kindly upon them.
Here's the link to the article, what do you think about it?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/theater/19abroad.html
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