Group asks Toronto mayor to prevent play

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"B'nai Brith Canada has asked Toronto's mayor to "use his good offices" to prevent the staging of a controversial play at a city-owned theater.

The Jewish human rights group says "Seven Jewish Children" by British playwright Caryl Churchill is "blatantly propagandist" and "aimed at delegitimizing not only Israel but its Jewish supporters worldwide."

The 10-minute play is scheduled to run May 15-17 at the Theatre Passe Muraille, which the city saved from closing two years ago by purchasing the property for $1.2 million.

"The City of Toronto should not allow a venue that it funds to be the staging ground for a divisive play that promotes anti-Jewish hatred," Frank Dimant, the organization's executive vice president, said in a statement. "As its name denotes, 'Seven Jewish Children' does not even pretend to target Israel exclusively. It is clearly aimed at maligning Jews, depicting them as oppressors of Palestinians, blood-thirsty aggressors and child killers. It disturbingly inverts history, using Holocaust imagery to allege that the Jews, once the victims, are actively teaching their own children callous disregard for the suffering of others."

B'nai Brith Canada called on Mayor David Miller to ensure "that our tax dollars are not inadvertently being used for the promotion of a play whose thrust is anti-Semitic."

Miller told the Toronto Star yesterday he doesn't have the power to scrap the play.

"We own the building, but we don't determine what theater groups in this city play, nor should we," he said. "I haven't seen B'nai Brith's complaint. I prefer to comment after I've seen it."

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[Rabrrrrrr]

1. One wonders if they'd care if a play depicting Palestinians as land stealing gutter-dwelling pigs.

Probably not.


Makes me wonder what the play is actually about - is it really saying that ALL Jews are way, or is it merely offering factual information that SOME people, who happen to be Jewish, are that way in Israel.

We probably won't know, because the journalist didn't do his fucking job.

[azurnoir]

2. Here is the script read and decide for yourself

it is a short play less than 10 minutes in length

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/world/SevenJewishChildren.pdf

[Howardx]

3. more attempts to silence

very progressive.

[shaayecanaan]

7. Apparently...

it received only very scant attendances during its initial run. The attempt to silence it has been very counter-productive, to say the least.

[IndianaGreen]

4. We have seen when authoritarian groups have censoring the arts

Looks like the pro-Israel crowd is adopting the worse characteristics of totalitarian regimes.

[bemildred]

5. Free Speech is only for government approved speakers.

Everybody knows thats the way it ought to be.

[IndianaGreen]

6. To paraphrase Sarah Palin, I support your right to choose...

as long as you choose they way I want you to.

[ConsAreLiars]

8. People can watch if performed for Laura Flanders' GritTV show at this link:

http://lauraflanders.firedoglake.com/2009/05/05/seven-jewish-children-kathleen-chalfant-and-greenfest/

The actual performance begins about 10 minutes into the video.

[proteus_lives]

9. Censorship is not the way to go.

What they should do is hold a protest, pass out fliers and tell the public what they think of this play.

I don't care for it either but I wouldn't stop my neighbor from holding a production of it in his apt.