When this was first announced a while ago I was given to understand that this was all about the sale of imitation samurai swords because there had been a huge rise in the number of crimes relating to the use of them, and that other types of replica swords which could not be easily used as a weapon would be excluded (stage and film props spring to mind). I spoke to someone at the home office and they told me that this was all about real and replica swords that had a proper sharp blade, so I think we could do with a bit of clarification here.

Here is a link to some information on the Home Office's web site about it all:

www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-u...s-banned

I will certainly be interested in any feedback that the home office is able to give us on this matter.

Afra
Who loves dancing with her swords and wouldn't want to have to give it up! :-)

Have you thought about setting up a petition about this on the Prime Minister's website?

petitions.pm.gov.uk/

You need to think carefully about how you word it, but, if nothing else, it wil bring the issue to wider attention.

As an afterthought, does anyone know if traditional English and Scottish sword dances are still legal? If they are it would be an extra point in favour of the use of swords in Middle-Eastern dance (which I bet nobody thought of when this law was put forward).

Okay I have started the ball rolling with Equity and I will keep you apprised of the progress. Whatever happens, this won't be a 5 minute job to sort out that's for sure!

Is anyone here a member of MADN and going to the AGM next month? I am thinking that this is something that should be raised for discussion and hopefully I should have some more to report back on by then. I will also be attending a MADN committee meeting later this month and I will raise it for discussion then as well.

I think a concerted approach is a good one and certainly it will make a difference if we can do it from the perspective of enquiries from official organisations [Equity, MADN, NADA etc] too.

The other thing that I will do is order a copy of the legislation to take a closer look at what is being talked about.

More news when I have some!

Afra

It's times like this when having some kind of professional body to represent us would be really handy. We've recently had problems in archaeology where the government altered legislation without considering the affect it has on some commercial sectors (archaaeology being one of them). It resulted in archaeologists either breaking the law, or breaking the code of conduct of ethical practice of their professional organisation. We have now managed to get it sorted but it took nearly a year's worth of lobbying, letter writing and meeting attendance by the organisation I work for and other bodies who represent the heritage sector to make them understand what the problem is and change it.

To get the government to change their mind we have to shout very loudly with a clear and uniform voice. Professional bodies are really helpful in matters such as these as that's what they can act as.

Hi All
I sent a letter last week sometime and received the initial reponse and then the extra bit about "I should add that section 43 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 introduced blah blah. They've also added these links

www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documen...weapons/

www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/...0973_en.pdf

We do not propose, at present, to add any other articles to the Offensive Weapons Order, although policy on offensive weapons is constantly kept under review.

Not one mention of bellydancer in the document so I wonder how all the Martial art people knew about it? Were they contacted? Anybody know?

I attended a sword workshop at the weekend and my husband very sweetly managed to disguise it as a yoga mat! All the other dancers walked in with them in their hands so not sure what we should be doing?

Thoughts??

Charlie

Hi Denise! Can I put a reply here for general information?

The situation is different in Scotland as we have a different governing body and different laws. Swords are NOT banned in Scotland! and if anyone sees a police presence at the next Bellydance festival anywhere in the UK, I will be very surprised…

Scotland and England/Wales/Northern Ireland have separate governing bodies in this instance: the Home Office in England/Wales/Northern Ireland, and the Scottish Government in Scotland (formerly the Scottish Executive).

On behalf of all “Bellydance News” readers (most of whom are in Scotland) I have been keeping in touch with the Scottish Government over the last eighteen months or so, to keep abreast of this very issue.

I speak to my contact there regularly; Walter Drummond-Murray (Criminal Law and Licensing) at St Andrews House in Edinburgh, who assures me that prop swords are NOT illegal in Scotland. You will NOT be breaking the law if you buy, well and use our prop swords in Scotland.

Each time I speak to the Scottish Government, and the Home office, they always say that prop swords for use in balancing during dance performance is not something they are in any way worried about. (My previous contact, Alison Woods, had no idea that swords are used by Bellydancers anywhere!). What does worry them is criminals getting hold of Samurai swords with sharp cutting blades. This puts it into perspective. It’s the criminals they’re worried about, not us.

What Walter Drummond-Murray said this time though, is that the Scottish Government is working towards introducing a license system, which would allow us to use our swords if there were any such ban put in place.

He says time and time again that it is criminals they are worried about and not dancers. The situation is obviously different now in England, but do the "powers that be" really have the manpower to monitor Haflas etc? I'd be interested to hear about anyone in England actually being confronted by the legal system.

The police force do not have the resources to monitor Bellydance Festivals and Haflas as they would football matches which are expected to turn nasty. Dancers, as a group, do not, generally speaking! display dangerous, riotous or murderous behaviour. Let’s bring in a bit of perspective.

However, if you wish to clarify the current situation in Scotland, Walter Drummond-Murrays' telephone number is 0131 244 4222.

That’s my tuppence worth! Thanks Denise.

Cheers!

Annette McCann