In Arab circles in the Dutch East Indies in the 1930s, plays were staged not only to entertain but also to educate and to further the emancipation of the traditionally oriented Arab minority. Some plays were well received, others evoked protests. Fatimah was one of the plays which stirred up 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. Original text of the play included.
