Sa'd Hindawi, a film director, said, “One hundred demonstrations can not suffice one play, and one hundred plays can not suffice one demonstration”.
It seems that the security systems and censorship systems in Egypt adopted the above principle in dealing with arts. Besides the sufferings of the artists from the stubborn attitude of the censorship systems in Egypt , many authorities and personalities are trying to overwhelm and interfere in the artistic creation. Such authorities and personalities are like the security systems, religious institutions, some ministers, and the religious and political “Hesba” professionals. The censorship often respond ‘positively' to such authorities and personalities. One can imagine the serious consequences of these authorities interfering in creative work. The Arabic Network For Human Rights Information recorded many violations against artistic creation as follows:
I- Display banning
II- Censoring and interfering in drama works
III- Legal suits
IV- Takfir fatwas
I- Display banning
1- The play entitled “Hekayat Sha'b Kowaies” (a tale of a nice people)
In June 2007, the censorship system rejected a scenario of a play entitled “Al Sha'b Lamma Yefalsa” ( when a people flees) written by Mahmoud Al Tokhy, directed by Hisham Atwa. The censorship said that the play was aiming at toppling the ruling system! The play is about the relationship between a tyrant leader and his people on one hand, and between the people and the government on the other. According to the scenario, the government is committed to save security to the people and in turn it will get legitimacy. In case the government, in the play, does not fulfill its commitments, the contract approved with the people will be nullified immediately.
The censorship found a kind of imitation between the play and the real situation, and found the scenario encouraging on toppling the ruling system. Although Mahmoud Al Tokhy, the playwright, mentioned in the beginning of the scenario, “The events take place in a third-world state”, without specifying a state, the censorship rejected the scenario and the rehearsals were abandoned.
In the beginning, the censorship requested changing the play title and the director, in turn, responded and changed it to “a tale of a nice people”, but later on the censorship rejected the whole scenario.
2- The movie entitled “Moazen El Kitkat” (the moazen of El Kitkat)
In Arpril 2007, the censorship system rejected the scenario of “Moazen El Kitkat” movie which is quoted from an English novel bearing the same title. The scenario was handed by the director Mounir Rady. The reason behind rejecting was that the scenario firms up the revolutionary thought, and the movie displays the moazen as a religious symbol, referring to “Bilal” the Messenger's moazen.
After issuing the censorship report, Ali Abu Shadi, chief of the censorship system, said, “The movie director tackled the character of “Bilal” the Messenger's moazen in a modern way, and this is harmful to our manners and creeds and is against the censorship regulations”. But, the movie director Mounir Rady, suggested that the real reason behind the ban was merely political one.
The final scene in the scenario rejected by the censorship was about the moazen who calls for a peaceful march in which all the Arabs shall participate and go to Jerusalem to return it back peacefully without fighting. And because of the moazen's popular position, he succeeds in propagating his call in Egypt and then in all Arab countries. But, when the American and British embassies know about the same, they exploit their men to stop the march by all means.
3- Banning the second round of the festival of the independent cinema:
In the end of November 2007, Ali Abu Shadi warned “Town House” gallery against hosting the independent cinema festival without getting the movies approved by the censorship system.
Muhammad Abdul Fattah, the festival organizer, denounced this warning since the first round of the festival in 2006 did not deal with the censorship and all movies were displayed without any interference. The festival administration rejected the censorship warning and decided to delay the festival to be held in January 2008 instead of December 1-5, 2007 . Ali Abu Shady commented by saying, “The previous festival was not reported about to any authority, and the censorship system did not abandon it-at that time- for the sake of the organizers.” “But this time, it is different and the censorship will not allow the festival to start without getting the participant movies censored”, added Abu Shady.
4- “Watani wa Aqedati” (my homeland and my creed) documentary film
On June17,2007, the documentary film (my homeland and my creed) was displayed in the association of the Egyptian cinema writers and critics. The film directed by Ahmad Ezzat, tackles the crises of the Baha'is in Egypt from a human rights view point. The film documents the court session took place on December 16, 2006 in which the court rejected the demand of the Baha'is to get their religion approved in formal documents.
For unknown reasons the film was banned and was not allowed to participate in the Alexandria International Film Festival.
II- Censoring and interfering in drama works
1- Censoring and modifying the scripts for security reasons:
a- “Dhabet wa Arba' Otat” (a police officer and four cats) movie
In July, 2007, and after finishing the filming and getting the censorship approval, the ministry of interior rejected – obviously- the movie title. The main character in the movie is a naïve police officer, and this harms the reputation of the ministry of interior and its officials. The ministry insisted on changing the movie title, otherwise the movie will not be displayed. Based on the ministry rejection, despite the previous censorship approval, the censorship system rejected the movie title (a police officer and four cats) and requested changing the word (police officer) to be in the safe side. In turn, the movie writers Sameh Serr El Khetm and Muhammad Nori changed the movie title to be “Asad wa Arba'Otat” (a lion and four cats).
b- “Al Qadia 2007” (the case No.2007) play
In the end of January 2007, the censorship system, headed by Ali Abu Shady, approved the display of the play entitled “what happened to the lost Jewish and the foreseen Christ” written by Yosri El Gindy and directed by Hasan Al Wazir. The censorship approved the play after changing its title to be “The case No.2007”. The play was displayed for two weeks on the stage of Al Hanager theater of the Egyptian Opera House. Because of its outstanding success among audience and critics, Huda Wasfi, the theater manager decided to extend the display for more two weeks.
But, after two days of the second two weeks, the display was stopped upon a decision taken by a not-clearly-mentioned security authority. Huda Wasfi told the play director Hasan Al Wazir that some pressures were exercised on the minister of culture to stop displaying the play. She refused to reveal the security authority which exercised these pressures. The play was about the Palestinian case and it criticized the American and Israeli policies in the Arab region.
No one believed the theater manager when she went back on her word announcing that no pressures were exercised to stop the play displaying.
c- “Haq Mashro' ” (a legal right) episodes series.
In September 2007, the television censorship requested Rabab Hussain, director of “Haq Mashro' ” (a legal right) episodes series which tackled the violence events in Upper Egypt and extremist groups, to delete the sentence “ You know that our security system has nothing to do except fighting the religion” from script. The sentence was said by an extremist character. The reason behind deleting that sentence was to prohibit the tendency of encouraging against security system and sympathizing with extremist groups. The sentence was deleted.
d-“Al Mohema Al Akhera” (the last mission) movie
In the end of December 2006, the censorship system sent the movie (the last mission) to the security authorities to approve it since it tackled some political issues regarding the last events in Lebanon and Hizbullah.
In September 2005, the scenarist Muhammad Al Mahallawi, the movie writer, handed his movie script entitled “Hizbullah” to the censorship system for approval. He was requested to do some modifications on the scenario to get the censorship approval. He did the required modifications and handed it again in December 2006 under the title of “Al Mohema Al Akhera” (the last mission). Again the censorship objected on mentioning “Hizbullah” and Hassan Nasrullah in the script, and requested replacing “Hizbullah” by any other liberating movement like Hamas for example. The movie writer objected on such modification saying that it would harm the main plot of the movie. He handed a memorandum to the Supreme Council of Culture and to the Egyptian president. The censorship sent the movie script to the security authorities.
In February 2007, and when the movie writer went to the ministry of culture to hand a complaint, he was arrested immediately after introducing himself. He was branded mad, but the prosecutor released him.
2- Scripts censoring and modifying for religious reasons:
a- “Al majek” movie
In September 2007, the censorship system threatened Hussain Al Qalla, the producer of “Al majek” movie to ban the movie display if he refused to delete a part of one scene in the movie. The scene showed some persons (personified by the movie stars) while stealing the ‘vows' (donations) box from a church. The censorship stated that in case the scene was showed, it would lead to sectarian sedition. Yieldingly, Muhammad Moustafa, the movie director deleted the 12-second shot, and the movie was displayed.
3- Deleting and modifying to protect “values and manners”!
a- “Emaret Yaqubian” (Yaqubian building) episodes series
In May 2007, the censorship authority requested the scenarist Atef Beshay to do some modifications on the original text of the novel, specially the areas where the corruption of the men of the power is revealed. Also, the censorship authority objected on the character of a homosexual journalist, saying that showing such a character is a kind of propagating it. In order not to highlight the homosexuality, the writer replaced the homosexual journalist by a bribed journalist before totally deleting the character during shooting.
On the same track, the censorship authority requested Ahmad Saqr, the director, to lessen the shots of sexual harassment towards the main character “Bothaina”, since these scenes, according to the censorship viewpoint, are harmful to the public manners. The director responded!
b- “Sultan Al Gharam” (passions sultan) episodes series
In September 2007, the television censorship authority objected on – what it saw as- hot scenes in the episodes series “Sultan Al Gharam” written by Muhammad Ashraf. The scenes display the Lebanese singer Maya Nasri dressed in cloths, as said by the censorship authority, that are not suitable to be displayed during the Holy month or Ramadan. The director, Shereen Adel was requested to delete these scenes. She deleted them and replaced them with some other scenes during the montage phase.
c-“Yetraba fi ‘izzo” episodes series
In September 2007, the television censorship authority request the deletion of some scenes and sentences from the “Yetraba fi ‘iszzo” episodes series. Some sentences were to be said by actor Yahia El Fakharani who played the main character. These sentences were allegedly encouraging “depravation” since the main character, as was mentioned in the censorship report, was a playboy. Also, the television censorship authority requested the deletion of all scenes of wine drinking and women flirting, because, as said by the censorship, they were bold and unsuitable for the Egyptian families. Also, the censorship requested lessening the scene that displayed the actress Rania Farid Shawiqi dancing, and alleged that such a scene was unsuitable for the Holly month of Ramadan. Magdi Abu Emera, the work director accepted to do all requests and deleted and lessened according to the censorship requests. The same scenes were completely displayed without deletion or lessening on the ART channels at the same time of displaying the episodes on the Egyptian TV channels.
d- “Mafish Ghair Keda” (only this) movie
In the beginning of March 2007, and two days before displaying the movie entitled “Mafish Ghair Keda” (only this), the censorship system objected on some scenes of the movie. One of these scenes involved the actor Ahmad Azmi and an actress, the censorship saw that the scene was hot-rated and was harmful to the public manners and was unsuitable for the Egyptian families. Also, the censorship objected on the “hot” cloths of the actress Arwa, and the report requested banning the movie display in case these requests are not obeyed.
Although the movie director objected on these requests, he was forced to obey them. A committee affiliated to the syndicate of cinema actors was appointed to check all copies of the movies that were ready to be displayed.
4- Censoring for political reasons
a- “Noqtet Nizam” (a point of discipline) episodes series
“Noqtet Nizam” (a point of discipline) episodes series faced many problems with the Egyptian television censorship system before being displayed on one of its channels ( Nile drama) in September 2007. The censorship requested deleting many scenes for political and security reasons. According to the censorship report, the scenes were as follows:
# deleting many scenes regarding the torturing in the Israeli detention camps where the main character of the series were detained as a POW.
* Deleting the scene of burying the Egyptian POW during the war of 1967
* Deleting the sentence “not to forget” from the series introductory
* Deleting some sentences that showed the main character attitude against normalization with Israel like “Peace with whom?... With Nitaniahu?…Parak?...Ulmert? how to write this peace? In which color we write it? In the color of blood which filled Sinai and the Arab land?” and the sentence “Sir, this period is over only for us…but for our enemy is not…and never!….We forget, but our enemy never forgets, but…if we forget it will be our end.”
Ahmad Saqr, the series director and Muhammad Safa Amer, the series writer obeyed the censorship requests to display the series. At the same time the series were displayed with deletions on the Egyptian television, it were displayed without any deletions on the Hizbullah-owned television “Al Manar”.
b- “Yetraba fi ‘izzo” episodes series
Before displaying the “Yetraba fi ‘izzo” episodes series in September 2007, the television censorship objected on a scene of a university demonstration led by “Ibrahim ‘izzo” a character played by the actor ‘Ahmad Azmy' who was shouting against favoritism and corruption saying “corruption and favoritism made Egypt uncontrolled.” The censorship requested deleting that scene and the series director responded by deleting it. Also, two sentences said by a main character were deleted. The first was “This country should be devastated …to be built again”, the second was “The Revolution was nothing if compared with what is happening now.” All of these deletions were done for political reasons.
c- “Al Qarar” (the decision) episodes series
In the beginning of September 2007, the Egyptian television central censorship authority objected on four scenes in the “Al Qarar” (the decision) episodes series, directed by Moustafa El Shal and written by Dr. Amira Abu El Fotoh, and requested the director to delete them. The censorship said that these scenes were encouraging extremism and Hijab, and also gave an excessive space to the political opposition. The director deleted the four scenes to display the series on the (Nile Drama) channel.
The content of the four deleted scenes were tackled before by both cinema and television. This content was something like a man trying to convince his sister to wear the Hijab, or a person who became an extremist, or a dialogue between a father and his son about the usefulness of terrorism operations.
d- “Heya Fauda” (anarchy) movie
On November 27, 2007 the movie entitled “Heya Fauda” (anarchy) directed by Yousif Shahin and Khalid Yousif was displayed in a special occasion for journalists and critics. The movie was displayed without deletion. On November 28, the movie was publicly displayed after the deletion of a 13-second shot. The shot was about a quarrel between a district attorney and an investigation officer in a police station. The quarrel was developed to be a fight. The censorship deleted this shot in order not to create a kind of sensitiveness between the executive and judiciary authorities.
5- “Al Shafra” (the code) play
In the beginning of February 2007 the show of the “Al Sharfr” (the code) play started by “Sana Al Sharq” theater group. The play was written by Ahmad Morsi and directed by Kamal Attiya. The play is a political comedy about an assumed country called “Basharstan” that is invaded in the year 2135. When the rehearsals started on “Faysal Nada” theater's stage, the stubborn attitude of the censorship started to work. The play was preceded by negative propaganda in the media assuring that the play belonged to the theater of Ikhwan (Muslim brotherhood group) or the masculine theater or to the Islamic theater. The reason of these accusations was the play poster which only contained actors without illustrating any actress, this poster urged the censorship against the show. The censors watched the play four times before approving it. The stubborn attitude was represented in the following objections:
i- the censorship rejected the original title of the play which was “the story of Egypt 's occupation”. This title was changed to be “what is the problem” but it was rejected too. The title was again changed to be “raise your hand” but was rejected since it was inspired by a sentence said by the main character of the play who, according to the scenario, leaves the stage and goes down to the audience and says, “We are not acting…raise your hand”. The play director and writer changed the title to be “the code”. The above-mentioned scene was deleted since the censorship saw it was an obvious encouraging to demonstrating.
ii- The censorship requested deleting some Islamic symbols like the secen of performing the Salah behind the main character of the play. The scene was written to express the people's unity and following its leader. The censorship requested deleting it saying that this scene would approve that the play belonged to the Islamic theater. Moreover, imitating the Salah performance on the stage is Haram (illegal).
iii- The censorship requested deleting a scene in which someone belonging to the Arab League is seen sleeping .
iv- The censorship requested deleting a scene in which one of the actors denounces a statement in the news saying that Iraq is occupied.
v- The censorship rejected the appearance of the Iraqi representative, in the play, dressed in the American uniform and requested deleting this scene.
All requests of the censorship were responded to. In February 2007, the play was displayed, and in December 2007, was displayed once again with the same censorship restrictions.
e- “Yamama Baida” (a white dove) play
In August 2007, the show of the play “Yamama Baida” (a white dove) play started. The play is inspired by two texts written by the great novelist (Tawfiq Al Hakim). The poet Gamal Bekhet contributed in the play with his poems and vision. The play was directed by Hossam El Dien Salah. From the very beginning of its show, the play faced many problems with the censorship. The censorship objected on a song entitled “Ya Amm Bei' ” (don't worry, sell it) performed by Mahmoud Azab. The censorship saw that the song was touching the political situation and the privatization of the public sector, although the play was speaking about the last century. The song was deleted and could be permitted only after adding some words that specify the era of the events.
The play show in Alexandria was stopped till modifications were done. The show was resumed on Al Salam theater's stage in October 2007.
In the second show of the play, the censorship rejected another song performed by Mahmoud Azab in which he imitated the prime minister Ahmad Nazef . The words of the song were “Latif afif beadeen nazefa wa damir nazef ” (nice and honest, with clean hands and clean conscience). The censorship found the song a mocking the prime minister's personality.
f- “Ragol ghani faqeer geddan” (a very poor rich man) episodes series
In May 2007, the censorship rejected some scenes of “Ragol ghani faqeer geddan” (a very poor rich man) episodes series written and directed by Muhammad Sobhi. The censorship said that the scenes contained obvious negative references to some public political personalities. Sobhi responded to the censorship and deleted the scenes. Also, the censorship requested deleting some other scenes that highlighted the impact of the foreign authorities like the USA , Israel and Iran . Sobhi did the same towards these scenes too.
5- Censoring in favor of ministers
a- “Al Dalee” episodes series
In July 2007, the ex-minister of housing Muhammad Ibrahim Solaiman, objected on the “Al Dalee” episodes series starred by Nour El Sharief and directed by Yousif Sharaf El Dien. The series tackled a case of corruption in which a minister of housing was involved during the era of the late president Muhammad Anwar El Sadat. In his complaint handed to the information minister Anas El Fiqi, the ex-minister demanded discontinuing of the series shooting which started in March 2007. the ex-minister alleged that the series tackled his life story. The information minister could not discontinue the series shooting because the series were produced by a private sector company. The ex-minister threatened to escalate the situation and send a memorandum to the Egyptian president since the series contained many political implications. The television censorship requested the series makers to delete the scenes which highlighted the minister corruption.
III- Legal suits against art and artists
1-“Qadiat Ra'i aam” (a public opinion case) episodes series
“Qadiat Ra'i aam” (a public opinion case) episodes series faced many legal suits demanding its show discontinuing. Some lawyers alleged that the series defamed the lawyers' reputation, because of the dishonest character of “Morsi” the lawyer, which was played by actor Samir Sabri specially the events of episodes 18 and 19 in which the lawyer appeared dishonest in advocating the minister's sun charged with rape crime. This, according to the lawyers, was a defamation of the holy nature of legal profession which aims at leading, not misleading, the justice to reach the truth.
The first law suit was launched by a lawyer in September 2007, who demanded discontinuing the series show. In the end of October 2007, six lawyers launched a case against the information minister Anas El Fiqi and the chief of censorship system Ali Abu Shady, and the production company “Al Adl Group, and the scenarist Mohsen Al Gallad, the series writer, to discontinue showing the series of “Qadiat Ra'i aam” (a public opinion case). They also demanded the concerned authorities not to permit its display again on Egyptian television and space channels, alleging that the series were harmful to both lawyers and legal profession.
Moreover, the series producer, Gamal Al Adl, willingly deleted 10 minutes out of 15 minutes, the real time of the raping scene. After deletion, he distributed copies of the modified episodes on the channels displaying the series; ART Hekayat, Orbit, Dubai , Channel 2 in the Egyptian television. These channels previously received the same episode without modifications. The producer indicated that he deleted the 10 minutes as a response to the censorship which objected on the scene and found it harmful to the traditions of the Egyptian television. The series writer, Mohsen Al Gallad, decided to impose a ‘self censorship'. He assured that he agrees on lessening and deleting some part of the scene because it was harmful to the Egyptians' values and tradtions, he added that he did not write the scene as it was shot. But, the series director Muhammad Azizia, objected on deleting any part of the series considering this deletion a violation against his vision and his right as a director.
The Egyptian television displayed the scene after deletion and so did Orbit and ART Hekayat channels after hinting that the scene was rated parental supervision program. But Dubai TV displayed the episode without any deletion.
IV: Defamation and Takfir and banning fatwas
1- “Al Imam Al Shafi'e” series
In November 2007, and after playing the role of “Al Saiyeda Nafisa” whose character was personified by actress Mona Abdul Ghani who wears Hijab, in “Al Imam Al Shafi'e” series displayed on September 2007, Sheikh Yousif Al Badri issued a fatwa assuring that the actress is “sinful and committed a major sin” for personifying the character of Al Saiyeda Nafisa. He rejected personifying the characters of “the Messenger's family”. He indicated that acting is a pagan art which came from the ancient Egypt and from the Romans. He added that if acting was something good, it would have been recommended by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). On another hand, Dr. Abdul Sabour Shahin, Dr. Amna Nosair and Dr. Mogahed Tawfiq, said that no harm in personifying the characters of the “ Messenger's family”, since it is good for people to take them as good examples in their lives.
2- Marriage and divorce scenes are prohibited
In September 2007, a number of Al Azhar scholars renewed, on the internet, a fatwa prohibiting marriage and divorce scenes in artistic works. They said that such marriages is legally confirmed if done even in a movie or a series. So if an actress is involved in such a scene, she is considered married to the actor playing the role with her.
The fatwa is based on a fundamental rule saying that both marriage and divorce trifle to be jokes. They built their fatwa on a Prophet's saying which states, “Three matters, you cannot joke about; Marriage, divorce and setting a slave free.” This means that we can not joke about these things.
This fatwa was spread years ago, but it came to light again in last Ramadan/September 2007, the occasion of the television drama. Although there was not a formal approval to this fatwa from Al Azhar, it created a disturbed atmosphere among series makers who were afraid to commit sins.
3- The Egyptian singer, Angham
An arbitrary complaint was launched by one religion person accusing the singer Angham of shooting a video clip inside a historical mosque while wearing “hot” cloths. Al Azhar and the ministry of Awqaf (endowments) and some parliament members demanded a criminal trial against the participants of the clip in May 2007.
This defaming campaign was done without watching the song.
When the song video clip was displayed, it showed that the clip was shot in a remote place and there were not any “hot” cloths. Also, it was approved that the singer Angham paid the formal fees for shooting in historical places.
No one of the campaign participants apologized and none was punished.
4- The actress Abeer Sabri
In August 2007 the actress Abeer Sabri stopped wearing the Hijab after more than four years of wearing it. After announcing this in the media, the lawyer Nabih Al Wahsh made a notice to the prosecutor accusing the actress of religions, including Islam, contempt.
In his notice, Al Wahsh considered discontinuing wearing the Hijab makes the actress due to be sentenced. The lawyer, known of being one of “Hesba” lawyers, asserted that Abeer Sabri should be requested to repent, and if she refuses to repent, she will be considered denying a fundamental religious rule. So, she will be due to be punished according to law by being imprisoned!
Although the attorney general reserved the notice in October 2007, the campaign launched by that lawyer against Abeer and other writers and actors are still disturbing a lot of people.
