RELIGIOUS BIGOTS STRIKE AGAIN

Traditional dancing has been part of Pakistan's culture since the Mughal empire

"The dancing girls of Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan, are on strike in protest against the tide of Talibanisation that is threatening to destroy an art form that has flourished since the Mughal empire. The strike, which is supported by the theatres where they perform, was sparked by the decision of Lahore High Court last month to ban the Mujra, the graceful and elaborate dance first developed in the Mughal courts 400 years ago, on the grounds that it is too sexually explicit." (Independent on Sunday, 14 December) RD