Page 73 - FDF PR REPORT - DECEMBER 2024 (ENGLISH)

12/19/24, 10:59 AM Statement by H.E. Mariam Mohammed Al Rumaithi, Director General of the Family Development Foundation

Statement by H.E. Mariam Mohammed Al

Rumaithi, Director General of the Family

Development Foundation

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12/18/2024 8:10:48 AM

(MENAFN- Aol)
Hindus are urging the Dubai Opera to withdraw “La Bayadère” ballet; scheduled for February
14-16, 2025; which they feel seriously trivializes Eastern religious and other traditions.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that

Dubai Opera, which “aims to build a more vibrant and inclusive society” and whose mission is
to “serve, unify, and inspire the community of Dubai and beyond by celebrating the cultures of

the world”, should not be in the business of callously promoting appropriation of traditions,
elements and concepts of “others”; and ridiculing entire communities.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, indicated that this deeply problematic

ballet was just a blatant belittling of a rich civilization and exhibited 19th-century orientalist
attitudes. He also urged Dubai Opera to apologize for such an inappropriate offering.

Dubai Opera should have shown some maturity before blessing a ballet like “La Bayadère”
(The Temple Dancer), displaying Western caricaturing of Eastern heritage and abetting ethnic

stereotyping; Rajan Zed noted.

It was highly irresponsible for an establishment like Dubai Opera to allow such a ballet which
had been blamed for patronizing flawed mishmash of orientalist stereotypes, dehumanizing

cultural portrayal and misrepresentation, offensive and degrading elements, needless
appropriation of cultural motifs, essentialism, shallow exoticism, caricaturing, etc. Dubai

Opera could do better than this to serve its diverse stakeholders; Zed stated.

Rajan Zed suggested Dubai Opera Head Paolo Petrocelli and its other managers to re-

evaluate its systems and procedures and send its staff for cultural sensitivity training so that

such inappropriate stuff did not slip through in the future.

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