A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

The Trials of Middle Eastern Circuses

Every country is unique; one problem all of us trying to educate abut the Middle East keep emphasizing is the you can't paint the whole region with a single brush.

Here's an interesting example: the trials faced by circus performers. (Okay, I'm really reaching.) Last year, longtime readers may recall, during Egypt's wave of labor unrest (which has never really stopped), soon after the tax collectors went on strike, so did the circus clowns and other performers, protesting privatization of the (previously nationalized) circus.

But if Egyptian circus performers have to worry about privatization, what trials might Saudi performers face? According to this story, they run the risk of being accused of sorcery. by the religious police.

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