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Thursday, 6 Jul 2006
After banning the Da Vinci's code book and movie in Egypt, the great MP's of our most distinguished parlaiment are tackeling the next biggest impending problem: a popular egyptian movie that has a gay character in it. Their solution? Censor the scene from the movie.
The Egyptian parliament is to review a film after 112 of its members demanded that homosexual scenes be censored.
Politicians
have attacked "The Yacoubian Building" since it was released two weeks
ago, saying it defames Egypt by portraying corrupt politicians, police
brutality, terrorism and homosexuality.Mustafa Bakri, an independent parliamentarian who has
led the campaign, said members also demanded that "profane" scenes be
cut from the film."This film is spreading obscenity and debauchery, which is totally against Egyptian moral values," Bakri said.
"I respect freedom of expression and creativity. But this is neither."
Parliament decided to form a committee to review the
movie and determine which parts should be cut, the official Middle East
News Agency reported.
Fantastic. Fellow egyptians, aren't you glad that you live in a country where the morality is so high, that the MP leave everything they are doing to watch a movie and censor it? Aren't you glad that You have people like Mostafa Bakry to protect Egypt's reputation from such slurrs that it may have homosexuals and terrorism in it? (Mostafa Bakry, in case you forgot, is this guy.)
Onwards!
July 6th, 2006 at 10:09 am
Hmmm what are they so worried about? According to our Arab MK, Ibrahim Sarsur (United Arab List-Ta’al) there are no gays in muslim society.
Uhhh right, boys.
July 6th, 2006 at 10:14 am
I am glad. First, they will be busy for 3 hours from whatever the s**t they are doing every day. Second, may be after they watch the movie they understand how they look like….
July 6th, 2006 at 10:43 am
Who was it that said: “Mafish fayda?”
July 6th, 2006 at 11:03 am
I don’t know, but it was someone wise beyond their years!
July 6th, 2006 at 11:16 am
Saad Pasha Zaghloul howa ka2el hazihi el 3ebara
July 6th, 2006 at 11:56 am
Classic Bakri. He is the Egyptian equivalent of Rick Santorum in the US, who has an unhealthy (and suspicious) obsession with gays! I guess some people like to spend their time thinking about naked men getting up to no good and then talk heatedly about it with their (virtually all-male) fellow parliamentarians and force them to watch movies about gays.
The irony is that the novel is judged by some to be homophobic in the first place.
July 6th, 2006 at 12:01 pm
huh? homophobic??? is this because the gay character gets killed by his lover?it seemed rather unprejudiced to me
July 6th, 2006 at 1:14 pm
SM, have you seen the “Bird Cage”. It is hilarious, you’ll love it!
July 6th, 2006 at 3:44 pm
well guys i saw da movie and there’s absolutely nothin wrong with it; the thing is every society has its own preservations and most of da egyptians ain’t ready to deal with such issue cuz its not really common here (i mean in egypt tab3an)
July 6th, 2006 at 3:53 pm
Well atleast the Parliment agrees that police brutality, and corrupt politicians are generally bad things for a country to have. Even if the most pressing action is to stomp out a movie.
July 6th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
This is nothing new, practically every movie in Egypt is censored, a matter of fact in 2002 I was in Egypt and I rented Office Space. There is a scene where Peter tells his Arab friend Samir, “This isnt Riyad, their not gonna chop your hands off”. It was removed from the movie for obvious reasons.
July 6th, 2006 at 5:21 pm
D.B. - that is hilarious! That’s one of the funniest lines in the movie. Actually, who am I kidding, the whole damn movie was just as hilarious!
Issander - Um, something tells me that this douche bag is NOTHING like Rick Santorum. lol. I don’t think you could compare the worst politician in America with morons like this. Besides Sen. Santorum is one of America’s youngest and brightest minds in Congress. God bless that guy!
Back to Egypt…the slow-motion train wreck continues….
July 6th, 2006 at 6:35 pm
santorum is an idiot and don’t even try to make him look bright or reasonable
This Egyptian process of denying truths that exist in our society is disgusting. We need to be progressive and embrace homosexuality and noncensorship. This movie is one of the best to come out of Egypt. Instead of censoring it, we should be sending it to the Academy for consideration for best foreign film. If Totsi can win, so can this.
July 6th, 2006 at 8:03 pm
Love the link to the Knesset fight. Are there any Arab countries that have Jews in parliament? Oh wait, Arab countries don’t have functioning representative guv’mints.
July 6th, 2006 at 8:17 pm
Wow… Brokeback Mountain will become a 15 min ducumentary about sheep…
July 6th, 2006 at 10:03 pm
beast - I know you’re not a fan of the American “right” I’ve checked out your blog
I, on the other hand, share our host’s political views…staunch Republican 
That’s cool though. I think everybody, regardless of their political leanings, need to work togethether and fix Brokeback Egypt!
Peace
July 6th, 2006 at 10:38 pm
MEB,
embrace homosexuality
Oooh… yuk… that’s a nasty turn of phrase! Now you got me thinking of huggings some big fat hairy guy, or being chased down the beach by Ricky Martin in a speedo!
How about just tolerance, instead?
July 7th, 2006 at 2:27 am
tolerance is good too
July 7th, 2006 at 5:07 am
So, this is not against Egyptian moral values?
“…Egyptian cleric tells children’s TV show: Come on to the jihad, encourages child-soldiers to join holy war ……….”
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3271274,00.html
July 7th, 2006 at 1:54 pm
Craig - tolerance ? Pigs might fly
July 7th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
Why are we so anti gay? I am not gay myself, but I dont mind them. I guess it is part of our male dominated macho culture to look down on homosexuals and consider them sub human freaks. We tolerate sex and drugs in our movies, but not homosexuality. I dont believe the human oil slicks (politicians) who say the movie defames Egypt by portraying things like corruption, police brutality, terrorism. These are all issues that Egyptian movies have been dealing with for years. It is the gay bit that really got the ants up their pants. What an insult to homosexuals to consider them as shameful as terrorists and corrupt politicians and police psychopaths.
July 7th, 2006 at 6:03 pm
Dying to see that movie. Or read the book. Isn’t it a bit too late for censorship?I mean the movie has already been released & the public has seen it no?
July 7th, 2006 at 7:16 pm
I suggest the film to perform in Cannes next year
July 7th, 2006 at 9:36 pm
> that the MP leave everything they are doing to watch a
> movie and censor it?
Tell us something about Janet’s nipples - hypocrite.
July 8th, 2006 at 5:00 am
From a British priest (see signature below)
Please excuse the impersonal nature of this message, the importance of the matter and the urgency of the situation means that I am sending this to too many people to address it individually.
I have no doubt that you are aware of the situation in Gaza, and the
increasing hardship among the ordinary people who live there - both
Christian and Moslem. I spoke with the parish priest this morning, Fr
Manauel, who said the circumstances of people is dire. He mentioned the loss of power as a major hardship; those who had had the use of generators no longer do so as the supply of petrol has now ceased. He compared life in Gaza to that described in the book of Lamentations. “If you wish to really understand what is taking place in the Gaza strip, please open your bible and read the Lamentations of Jeremiah. This is what we are living, people are crying, hungry, thirsty, desperate.”
The loss of electricity, incidentally from a power station built with UK aid money, has meant that water pumps will no longer work, hence the supply of fresh water has been seriously interrupted. Fridges no longer work and already there have been several instances of people with diabetes dying simply through being unable to keep insulin supplies cold.
Fr Manauel said: “They are suffering from hunger. They need food. Even if there is food for sale, people have no money to buy food. They have no income, no opportunities to get food from outside and no opportunities to secure money inside Gaza. No work, no livelihood, no future. They have no hope and many very poor people are aimlessly wandering around trying to beg for something from others who also have nothing. It is heartbreaking to see.”
His final comment was chilling. “I beg you, we do not need pity, we need only justice. If you don’t give justice, there will be no peace. Peace is the farthest thing away from the mind of anyone, Christian or Moslem, in Gaza at this time.
Caritas Jerusalem have also issued an urgent plea for assistance in which they mention many of the same details from Gaza.
Attached to all our parish newsletters this week is the following message and appeal for action from the Amos Trust - a group that works for peace and justice for all who live in that region of the world. Whilst accepting that those holding the Israeli soldier should release him immediately, collective punishment of civilians is explicitly forbidden by the Geneva Convention and Israel should be called to adhere to this, and other, internationally accepted laws.
I commend to you both the words of Fr Manauel and the statement from the Amos Trust. Please, please pass on this document to anyone you feel could help and fell free to contact me if you would like and further information.
Many thanks
Rev Paul Maddison
Parish Priest of St Ives, Cambridgeshire
01480 462192
___________________________________________________
From the Amos Trust:
As the crisis in Palestine deepens (and many thanks to those of you who have responded to our newsletter appeal on this already) we have been in regular touch with other organisations working to support the Palestinian people. At a meeting last night a Muslim colleague from Friends of AlAqsa came up with a great idea for an action, and after some discussion about practicalities it turned into the following:
We are asking you to send Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AH a night light or candle with a message that she pass it on the people of Gaza to enable them to have light during the minimum of six months it will take to rebuild the power station destroyed by the Israelis in the current action.
Background:
We are appalled at the complete silence from Mrs Beckett in respect of this and other actions, which are clearly collective punishment of civilians and breach international law. Even the normally neutral Swiss Government has spoken out (see BBC website world news) stating ‘There is no doubt that Israel has not taken the precautions required
of it in international law to protect the civilian population and
infrastructure’. In contrast have a look at the FCO website - not a
mention. Yet the power station was amongst other infrastructure
previously destroyed by Israel (Gaza airport, Bethlehem 2000 road
infrastructure) paid for by British aid.
While the previous incursions have been devastating, and their effects
are still felt in Gaza and the West Bank, the removal of electricity and as a result fresh water (no pumps) is an appalling act. The people of Gaza were already trapped into the Gaza Strip, and now as sitting ducks they are being frightened by the use of sonic booms and bombing, and they have no light, air conditioning, televisions, computers and as batteries run out no charging facilities for phones. Sewage systems don’t work, hospital scanners etc. can’t work, and they cannot use generators as they don’t have petrol.
On top of that, many of their elected representatives have been arrested - in the West Bank as well as Gaza. What price encouraging democracy across the world now?
And of course that follows four months of no salaries for doctors,
nurses, policemen, and all other public servants, due to the withholding of EU aid and Palestinian taxes held by Israel. This has already had a devastating effect on the lives of many people - families
of those without salaries, tradespeople who normally deal with them,
institutions (including the Anglican church) who are overstretched and
not receiving funding that was previously available etc. Hardly anyone is untouched by this decision.
Still nothing is said by the UK.
Urgency:
Parliament goes into recess on 20th July. Please act immediately to
write to Margaret Beckett to express your concern/anger/despair and ask for her response - sending her the night light or candle to make the point very clear. We need to make this a big action to reflect the nature of the crisis. We are very nervous about what will happen after
the recess starts - nobody will be available to comment, and Israel will
be able to continue to do as it pleases with the people of Palestine.
_____________________________________________________
July 8th, 2006 at 6:44 am
What a bunch of freeloaders stealing other people’s server space for their propaganda.
Get lost Rev Paul Maddison
July 8th, 2006 at 6:53 am
I wonder how they would feel about a film that accurately portrayed the life of Lawrence of Arabia. It seems they might not be too happy about some of the reasoning he gave for wanting to help the Arabs achieve independence.
http://isteve.blogspot.com/2002/02/edward-said-jonah-goldberg-and.html
Maybe they can title the movie “The Waterboy II” with Adam Sandler playing the role of Dahoum.
Off-topic, but interesting: Saddam apparently was testing anthrax as late as 2002. http://ace.mu.nu/archives/185197.php
July 8th, 2006 at 7:15 am
The core of the problem is that Freedom of Speech is not well defined!!!
July 8th, 2006 at 8:01 am
Freedom of Speech gets complicated when some folks make Free with somebody else’s Speech dontcha think ?
I imagine the “Friends of Suicide Bombers” who pasted this same stuff all over innumerable boards last night, did so without reference to the originators. Probably the same who created that imaginary stomach-turning missive from a “Palestinian Schoolgirl”.
July 8th, 2006 at 10:34 am
It’s all bravado, shahada, martyrdom, and pushing the Jews into the sea until the IDF gets cranked up. Then it’s whine, whine, whine. You have to credit the Palestinians and their terror apologists for an effective good cop, bad cop strategy. It’s unfortunate that the good cop is still bad.
Why not act peacefully in your new state? Grow and build things. What a radical approach, I know. That means less posters of suicide bombers and real jobs.
July 8th, 2006 at 4:56 pm
> Then it’s whine, whine, whine.
When hebrew fascists are not crying and begging - they steal
pal. land, kill pal. civilians and sell their filthy propaganda like
> pushing the Jews into the sea
while pushing harder and harder to starve out the Pal. in Gaza.
The scum of the earth - hebrew fascists funded by amnesian
christo-fascists. Boyott now.
July 8th, 2006 at 5:58 pm
Sorry, this time I agree 100% with the Egyptian Parliament. Do you guys think that all of America welcomes guy marriage and the open expression of homosexuality in movies? Of course not. If you do then you do not understand what America is all about. Everyone in America is free as long as they do not step on other people’s and children’s rights. Do you guys think that everyone in America go to see gay movies? Of course not. Most Americans choose not to. Yes they are legal, but not accepted by the majority of Americans. Most Americans respect people’s right to be homosexual, but they still want to protect their children from the destiny of a homosexual lifestyle. It is not a happy one, believe me.
I, of course respect the right of everyone sexual choices as long as they DO NOT hurt children below the age of 18, BUT I also do not want tastless homosexual sex sceens to be shuved my throughtas. I do not want to be forced to think that homosexuality is as normal and good as hetersexuality for society. I think marriage should remain ‘one man, one woman’ only. But unfortunately that is not the case in Muslim marriage which gives the right to men to have up to 4. There are enough social problems in Egypt and Egyptians do not need to add this to the list. Let us look to real reform in the social aspects of Egyptian society and not burden it by immitating the controversial aspects of Western society. Let us do the reforms within the Muslim family first.
July 8th, 2006 at 8:55 pm
Never again…
…will I bother posting on Israel knowing eee will come along.
July 8th, 2006 at 9:01 pm
I personally do not want to see homosexuals going at it - major yuk and gay men wonder why they get beat up…….not that I’m for violence, but get a grip dimwads.
July 8th, 2006 at 9:21 pm
Chip,
Keep posting! eee just says the same old thing over and over and it is usually easy to scroll down and ignore her/him.
July 8th, 2006 at 9:34 pm
Wow… Brokeback Mountain will become a 15 min ducumentary about sheep…
LOL! Maybe someone could make that and post it to YouTube
July 9th, 2006 at 8:48 am
If you don’t approve of the movie, don’t watch it. If the book offends you, don’t read it.
If you allow ANY Government, Religion, Political party or other organisation to decide what you can read, see or think - then all that will remain for you will be their own propaganda. You will think what they want you to think. Look around.
“and gay men wonder why they get beat up” How civilised Joanne!
July 9th, 2006 at 10:11 am
34 Joanne Says: July 8th, 2006 at 9:01 pm
“and gay men wonder why they get beat up”
and women wonder why they get beat up
and black men wonder why they get beat up
and white men wonder why they get beat up
and Christians wonder why they get beat up
and Muslims wonder why they get beat up
Quite right too Joanne - no moral fibre.
At least they all KNOW THEY DESRVE IT !
Get a bit part in “The Good Samaritan” Joanne, you’re made for it.
July 9th, 2006 at 10:41 am
Lies here: http://www.fadetoblack.com/consumerreport/religion/
July 9th, 2006 at 1:26 pm
> eee just says the same old thing over and over
Your kidding!
I’m really trying to be not as boring as the zionist crowd with
their cheap propaganda and stereotypical distractions.
8))
July 10th, 2006 at 12:33 am
Anon chicken - I never said I was for gays getting beat up, as I pointed out “not that I’m for violence.” Gay men are offensive to heterosexual males - sorry, but it is true; gay men are very careful not to hit on heterosexuals - most aren’t fools.
Anabel - don’t be putting those words in my mouth; I imagine it makes you feel good to be so damn self-righteous, but I am not for any sort of violence at all, but I do know human nature and how heterosexual men feel about gay men.
I’m not politically correct; I have a mind of my own.
July 10th, 2006 at 8:24 am
The movie/novel puts lights on several problems in our society. It doesnt just represent an egyptian society, those characters exist everywhere in the Arab world, and they are not just few. Each one of the characters has many many copies among us. We dont have only one Yacoobian building. I guess every single building we have is Yacoobian.
How many young children are being brainwashed by regligeous extremes?
How many young women are being harrassed daily at work?
How many men married their second wife secretly behind their first wife back and asked her to not get pregnent?
How many corrupt people made it to authority roles based on bribe and fraud?
How many gay people are among us?
Why dont they allow people to talk about our problems instead of covering it? Do we have to keep our heads burried in the sands pretending not to see what is right infront of our eyes?
I have blogged how my building resembles Yacoobian’s. I guess each one of you can find some similarity between his and Yacoobian’s. check it out:
http://www.thearabobserver.blogspot.com/