Cover Up

Published in 'The Friday Times' [TFT]
April 20 - 26, 2007

By Fariha Rashed
Ajoka Theatre recently put up a new play Burqavaganza, an outrageous musical extravaganza which daringly touches upon the sensitive issue of the veil with a laissez-faire touch of humor. The play, written and directed by Shahid Nadeem, highlighted the significance of agreement and understanding in preventing the spread of extremism and the poison of uncertainty. Nadeem said he aimed to tackle problems faced specifically by the youth and middle-aged women of the Islamic world, who are caught up in a whirlwind of contradicting perceptions about the veil.

The satirical play revolves around the false perception of many that women need to be hidden, and the female species is something to be ashamed of. Through the storyline Shahid Nadeem reveals an ugly truth ---- the practice of and belief behind veiling a woman has been perverted and shamefully linked to religion. However, the obsession with the burqa, face-veil, niqab, hijab, or parda has nothing to do with religious beliefs and everything to do with a tribal and feudalistic mindset strongly prevalent in our country and value system. Burqavaganza mocks the phony rationale created for veiling a woman, and leaves no possible room for its justification in modern times.

The play speaks of the current fixation with the veil being a product of the Pan-Islamic fundamentalist political movement which is supported by repressive Muslim rulers and the ‘great’ powers of the West. In Pakistan’s recent history the Zia regime actively supported and followed this policy. It was pursued as a part of the West-supported policy to promote religious militancy. Similarly, the burqa ‘fad’ was taken to atrocious and peculiar extremes in Afghanistan by the Taliban. Quite ironically, the Saudi rulers, whose less than discreet shenanigans while holidaying abroad are well known to all, have also applied a strict veil policy. However they don’t stop there. In addition, they have enforced other humiliating and repressive restrictions on the free movement of women. On the other hand, the veil has become a central point for Muslim communities trying to claim their distinct religious and cultural identity. Banning of the veil with anti-Muslim intent and underlying racist connotations is deplorable and is in fact accomplishing nothing but negative and extremist reaction among the Muslim youth. However, it must be remembered that those who want to cloak women in burqas are merely a small fanatical ultra-conservative minority. There are also other important issues explored in Shahid Nadeem’s play. Unfortunately, the trademark of our moral and religious establishment is to cover all things beautiful and conceal all things horrible. These issues have very broad political and social dimensions. The establishment tries to cover up the inconvenient truth and they have double standards of moral and ethical values.

Burqavaganza, although void of any specific central plotline or story, portrays modern youth in veils going out on dates, sneaking out of educational institutions, offices and homes for discreet affairs with friends of the opposite sex. The play begins with the story of two burqa clad lovers, Haseena [Nosheen Sheikh] and Khoobroo [Raza Abbas], who cannot be together openly because of the restrictions placed on them by society. They sneak about and find ways to meet without being caught. The irony and twist is that by the end of the play it is revealed that these lovers are actually married. They are STILL penalized for being seen enjoying themselves in public, and are eventually put to death. The play aims to challenge set mindsets and to provoke audiences to think for themselves and break the chains of prejudice and obsolete values.

Hilarious news clips were screened in between to show misconceptions existing in different countries which have banned the veil in the aftermath of terrorist strikes. The fictitious channel on which these news clips appeared was named ‘Burqa Vison’. Among other issues, the play sought to address the compulsive obsession to confine the female species to secrecy. It sought to reason that whatever the rationale for covering women's faces in primitive or medieval times; there could be no justification in modem times for such practice. No society could encourage indecency or immodesty. Right through the play, characters appear in veils and abayas. The play highlights the impact of the veil on the society, as it becomes a tool to hide what a person wishes to keep private. The play refers to Osama Bin Laden as “Burqa Bin Badin”, allegedly hiding in Afghanistan, where the Taliban regime once enforced the burqa. He is eventually caught and put to death by hanging, but enacted by Sarfraz Ansari, the character was comical and quite droll. At one point, while “Burqa Bin Badin” gave his sermon to the public in Urdu, an actor stood on the side and translated everything that was being said by ‘Badin’, in his own hilariously concocted version of sign language. In another part Razia Malik, playing the part of a character known as ‘Hijab Hashmi’ is rolled in, seated uncouthly on a takht like piece of furniture with wheels. She is clad from top to bottom in a shimmering veil that covers her face completely. To her audience of a few, she gives an amusing sermon in which, even though farfetched to an extreme, the advantages of wearing veils and burqas are highlighted. The audience of the play applauded dialogues such as “Burqay Kay Peachay Kia Hai”, “Ye Jo Burqa Hai Dushman Hai Hamara” and “Burqa Associations”.

The best performances of the night had to be those of Iqbal Naqvi and Imran ul Haq. They pose as two maulanas addressing people’s random problems and handing them out preposterous [to the point of being utterly humorous] solutions, that too in the name of religion! The play was meant primarily to make people laugh at radicalism and extremism in society and it accomplished that objective superbly. However, Shahid Nadeem stressed that the main reason for staging the play was to educate people about the prevailing and rather serious situation of ‘forceful veiling’ as it may. Burqavaganza’s execution may have been slightly lacking only with regard to being treated as a musical. The songs were funny, but the performances began dragging slightly halfway through. The costumes were colorful, and innovative, sparking among the audience, a great deal of interest in each character. Costume designer Zahra Batool must be applauded for coming up with unique, deconstructed options to veils, burqas, hijabs and so on. The set and lighting, designed by Kewal Dhaliwal and Malik Aslam, were suitably appropriate with regard to the topic of the play. Both set and lighting succeeded in rendering the play visually pleasing and lent the ambience great authenticity.

Even though the serious issue of oppression of freedom was treated satirically in the play, dialogues and connotations expressed with regard to the veil became slightly crude at times. For the veiled women sitting in the audience the blunt ridiculing of their attire may have been a bit much. However, sometimes people need to be shocked and jolted into thinking and questioning obsolete mindsets. I believe Burqavaganza certainly succeeded in leaving people questioning various issues brought forth in the play long after it ended.