Fatimah: A Play in Eight Acts

In Arab circles in the Dutch East Indies, plays were staged not only to entertain but also to educate the traditionally- oriented Arab minority. Some plays were well received, others evoked protests. Fatimah was one of the plays which stirred up a commotion, inciting riots throughout Java. The play and accompanying events make clear which kind of norms and values governed relations within the community and what kind of frustrations and aspirations members of the minority experienced.