Bahrain Parliamentarian Calls For Probe Into Anti-Islamic Dance Performance

In Bahrain, Islamist deputy Shaikh Mohammad Khalid-- a member of the Al Menbar faction in Parliament-- has called for formation of an investigating committee to look into a performance by a Lebanese dance troupe at the March 1 opening of the Spring of Culture festival that was organized by Bahrain's Ministry of Information. At issue is a choreographic interpretation of "Laila and the Possessed", a poem written by Bahraini poet Qasim Haddad. Lebanese star Marcel Khalifa sang while male and female dancers staged the relationship between two famous Arab lovers portrayed in the poem. GulfNews.com yesterday reported that the Islamic Al Asala society complained: "The dances were depraved and offended our religious and moral sensitivities as well as our traditions. In addition, the lyrics were a blatant violation of our Islamic precepts and values.... The constitution clearly stipulates that Islam is the religion of the country, so everything that happens in Bahrain should comply with what the religion preaches. We should not have anything that attacks or violates our values."