Thursday, December 23 2004 20:35 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: British actors, writers, directors and other leading figures from the world of arts have expressed support for Sikh playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, who has been forced to go into hiding after receiving death threats over her controversial play 'Behzti' (dishonour).

Actors Prunella Scales, Sheila Hancock, Timothy West and Samuel West; Directors Jude Kelly and Richard Eyre; writers Ayub Khan Din, Willy Russell and Jonathan Coe; and poet laureate Andrew Motion are among more than 700 signatories of an open letter published in 'The Guardian' daily today (Dec 23, 2004) in support of Bhatti.

On Saturday last, hundreds of angry Sikh protestors tried to storm a theatre in Birmingham which was staging the fictional play depicting rape and murder in a Gurdwara, claiming that it demeaned their religion. Five police officers were injured in the incident.

A second Birmingham theatre, which had announced plans to stage the play also could not go ahead with them, saying Bhatti had requested them not to do so in view of increased threats to her life.

In their letter, the supporters of Bhatti said, "It is a legitimate function of art to provoke debate and sometimes to express controversial ideas. Those who use violent means to silence it must be vigorously opposed and challenged."

The letter warns that everyone has lost due to cancellation of the play, the paper said.

"We all have the right to protest peacefully if a work of art offends us. We do not have the right to use violence and intimidation to prevent that work of art from being seen by others," it quoted the letter as saying.