AFGHAN DIASPORA ORGANIZATIONS AND MEMBERS CONDEMN RACIST MUSICAL

Playwright Charlie Sohne and composer Tim Rosser created a musical titled “The Boy Who Danced on Air,” a problematic and harmful musical about Afghanistan, which until very recently was available for streaming via San Diego’s Diversionary Theater. It was originally released in 2016 and faced criticism for its racist and false depictions at that time as well. Unfortunately, the musical is far from unique; it is one of many orientalist depictions of Afghanistan and the region that have been released during the long history of American and European imperialism. 

The musical romanticizes and promotes the practice of “bacha bazi,” which translates to “boy play,” a form of pederasty, or pedophilia, where young boys are typically kidnapped from their families and forced to dance at parties for groups of men. Bacha bazi is linked to sex trafficking, sexual assault, and rape. The producers of this musical have said that this is a part of Afghan culture. It is not. As members of the Afghan diaspora, we reject such a vile and racist portrayal of our culture. Not only is it deeply problematic that two white men are at the forefront of a musical attempting and failing to depict Afghan culture, the musical fetishizes and trivializes sex trafficking and rape, and harms victims of sexual exploitation and violence. 

This musical is deeply insulting to Afghans as a whole, but also reinforces immensely painful stereotypes about queer and trans Afghans, a severely marginalized community. The wrongful association of pedophilia with queerness is nothing new but a heteropatriarchal violent agenda that has historically attempted to dehumanize queer movements across the world. The musical inadvertently adds to this agenda. Since the early days of the US military occupation of Afghanistan, from occupying forces to foreign journalists, travel bloggers and researchers have attempted to associate bacha bazi with Afghan queerness, damaging queer liberation in Afghanistan and in its diasporas.

This musical also blames Afghans for Western imperialism, and claims that Afghanistan was ruined because its people gave up on their traditions. Not only is this rhetoric false as Afghanistan has faced decades of foreign invasion, it also paints Afghans as complicit in their own oppression and implies that much of the violence Afghans have faced, and continue to face, is self-imposed. This is wholly inaccurate, and contributes to racist and dehumanizing tropes that Afghans are “less than,” and need foreign military invasions in order to live their lives.  

Sohne was given the Kleban Prize, which awarded him $100,000, for this musical. To rectify this egregious decision, we demand the Kleban Foundation dedicate $50,000 to the Afghan arts and $50,000 to a research fund dedicated to supporting Afghan victims of sexual violence, decided in consultation with signatories of this release. It is abhorrent that white Americans profit off a deeply harmful portrayal of Afghan culture while Afghan artists — both in Afghanistan and abroad — are systemically and routinely rejected for grants, jobs, and opportunities. The Kleban Foundation can now rectify this mistake by apologizing to our community and using its resources to support Afghans telling stories about Afghanistan.

We further demand from Diversionary Theater that the musical not be aired anymore, and all future showings of the musical be suspended. The soundtrack ought to be removed from all streaming websites, including Spotify, as well. 

We also demand a formal apology from Sohne, Rosser, and others involved for their creation of the musical, for glorifying sexual exploitation, and for perpetuating false and harmful narratives about Afghan culture. 

Signed,
Afghan Diaspora for Equality and Progress (ADEP)
The Samovar Network (TSN)
Afghan-American Community Organization (AACO)
George Mason University Afghan Student Union
Afghans of North America
Afghan Student Association at UC Berkeley
Afghans Reviving Culture and Heritage (ARCH)
The Khansultant & Co.
Stony Brook University Afghan Student Organization
Afghan Student Association at UC San Diego

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