Over the weekend in England, a play about improprieties at a Sikh temple took a violent turn as reported by the AFP and several others:

A black comedy that triggered a weekend mini-riot because of its references to rape in a fictional Sikh temple has been cancelled, the playhouse in the English Midlands that was staging the play said.

The Birmingham Repertory Theatre said that, after consultations with police and Sikh community representatives, it was lowering the curtain on further performances of “Behzti” (Dishonour).

The piece, by Sikh actress turned playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, had sold out its entire run, but it upset Sikhs enough to prompt a series of peaceful demonstrations which turned violent on Saturday.

Three men were arrested, five police officers hurt, and the audience of some 600 evacuated in the melee, in which up to 400 protesters stormed the Rep, damaged doors, set off fire alarms and damaged backstage equipment.

The violence was apparently due to the same type of sanctimonious logic that we see displayed in so many other religious traditions.

…Sewa Singh Mandha, chairman of the Council of Sikh Gurdwaras in Birmingham, said “Behzti” offends on the grounds of falsehood.

“In a Sikh temple, sexual abuse does not take place, kissing and dancing don’t take place, rape doesn’t take place, homosexual activity doesn’t take place, murders do not take place,” he told BBC radio.

“I am bringing to the attention of the management of the theatre the sensitive nature of the play, because by going into the public domain it will cause deep hurt to the Sikh community.”