Are we shutting down?
Are we shutting down? That's what happened to a London play, "Homegrown", a performance based on the story of some female London students wanting to go to Syria in order to join the Islamic state.
Just when everything was ready for the opening night, the Metropolitan Police cancelled the show. For such a delicate subject that even politicians find difficult to approach, a stage interpretation of the subject could have been a way to explore this topic. Sadly, the chances are that this kind of show would have attracted demonstrators from various pro/against group thus raising safety issues.
The importance of safety is a paramount in London. This is confirmed by yet another cancelled event. An exhibition of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, organised by Sharia Watch UK, was unceremoniously cancelled. Scotland Yard detectives who do a great job in keeping Londoners safe, stated that “there is a very real possibility that people could be hurt or killed - before, during, and after the event.”
The question arises as to what Sharia Watch UK would say if someone organsied an exhibition depicting cartoons of Jewish people or other minority group. Would such an exhibition be allowed?
Once again, Freedom of Speech become a most fragile subject.