Islam in the Performing Arts - Research Paper Example

As religion has always created a great deal of influence over people and developing their opinion about participation in different forms of performing arts, that is why permission to act or to participate in any forms of performing arts does differ to a great extent among them. What is a religion? According to Durkheim, “…a religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden – beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral community…all those who adhere to them.

” (Cipriani and Ferrarotti, 2000, p.2) Durkheim’s observation regarding the role of religion as a catalyst for social unity is relevant in this context as religious permissibility of acting can help to a great extent in spearing morality across society. Thus, acting in film or theatre has received a special focus from different religious disciplines and at the same time, this issue has also raised several debates and arguments concerning this argument. Apart from this factor, as every religion goes through a process of maturity (Roof and McKinney, 1987, p. 108), it gradually develops certain forms of prejudices that create pressure over followers of such religion.

Keeping in mind the factor of general humane morality factor, every religion provides some kind of restrictions over people but in the general social context, those aspects are often misrepresented and finally those emerge as strict regulations for people in every societyThesis Statement: In this context, the important question arises if it is permissible under the laws of Islam to act in film or theater or if it violates the rules of morality as laid down in the philosophical approach of Islam.