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Egypt: Sisi regime cracks down on musicians, gays, atheists

Jan 6, 2018 6:45 am By Christine Douglass-Williams

Egypt now looks set to inherit the coveted title of Arab country with the most absurd restrictions. Having made little progress in combating an Islamist insurgency, the Sisi regime has turned its attention to the “threat” posed by atheists, gay people and – increasingly – musicians.

A Muslim country frowning upon music is no surprise, as music is haram in Islam; but what is astonishing is the reference to “the Sisi regime,” particularly given the glowing attention Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received worldwide several years ago with his declaration “we are in need of a religious revolution.” He stated…

It’s inconceivable that the thinking that we hold most sacred should cause the entire umma [Islamic world] to be a source of anxiety, danger, killing and destruction for the rest of the world. Impossible!

Then, after after Islamic State bombings at churches last April, Sisi declared a three-month state of emergency.

Sisi seems to have mastered the gift of words and putting on an act for the world. During the 2013 overthrow of the Muslim Brotherhood regime, Egyptians denounced Obama’s support for it. Sisi even stated of Obama: “You left the Egyptians. You turned your back on the Egyptians, and they won’t forget that.” Yet in a surprise statement in 2015, Sisi stated that the Muslim Brotherhood can play a role in Egypt, which was widely viewed as a “softening” of his position toward the MB. Then after Trump Presidential victory, Sisi praised Trump for his “true understanding” of jihad terror and the “realities” of the Middle East.

The reality in Egypt is that Coptic Christians began fleeing the country by the tens of thousands since Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Morsi took over in 2012, creating a “new climate of fear and uncertainty.” Then when Morsi was finally toppled by a military coup in 2013, the Muslim Brotherhood blamed the nation’s Christians, and attacks upon them intensified, causing Christian Copts to lose faith in Sisi, viewing him as a failure and no better than his predecessors. The Islamic State also stepped up its attacks on Christians in Egypt, causing a renewed exodus which “intensified fears for the future for Christianity in the Middle East.” Still, no action from Sisi.

Meanwhile, “Sherine Abdel Wahab, one of the most popular Egyptian singers… is charged under an article in Egypt’s penal code which bans statements liable to ‘disturb public security, spread horror among the people or cause harm and damage to the public interest.'” Laila Amer, the third female singer to face criminal charges, is now jailed.

Amid the aggressive jihadist insurgency in Egypt, rather than devote action against it, the Sisi regime is showing a hardline Islamic approach in its crackdown on musicians, atheists and gays. All the while, Christians continue to be massacred.

“Amid Islamist insurgency, Egypt tackles ‘security threat’ from musicians”, by Brian Whitaker, al-bab.com (thanks to The Religion of Peace), January 5, 2018:

As Saudi Arabia relaxes its rules against cinemas and women drivers, Egypt now looks set to inherit the coveted title of Arab country with the most absurd restrictions. Having made little progress in combating an Islamist insurgency, the Sisi regime has turned its attention to the “threat” posed by atheists, gay people and – increasingly – musicians.

This week brought the arrest of Laila Amer, the third female singer to face criminal charges since November. She has been imprisoned since Tuesday following a complaint from Ahmed Mahran, a vigilante lawyer who claims that her recent video performance poses a “great risk” to Egypt. Mahran also filed a criminal complaint against fans who waved rainbow flags at a Mashrou’ Leila concert in Cairo last September.

Amer’s song (see video above) features a housewife complaining about her mother-in-law. Some her movements are sexually suggestive and changing a single letter in the song’s title, Buss Ummak (“Look at your mother”), would turn it into an obscene Arabic expression.

Amer has now been expelled from the government-linked musicians’ union, the Syndicate of Musical Professions – a body tasked with preventing performances of “abnormal art”.

Meanwhile, Sherine Abdel Wahab, one of the most popular Egyptian singers, is facing trial over remarks made at a concert in the United Arab Emirates. Referring to one of her hits, a patriotic song called “Have You Drunk From the Nile?”, she joked that drinking Evian water would be healthier.

She is charged under an article in Egypt’s penal code which bans statements liable to “disturb public security, spread horror among the people or cause harm and damage to the public interest”.

The musicians’ union also banned her from performing in Egypt, pending further investigation of her “unjustified ridicule towards our dear Egypt”.

Last month Shaimaa Ahmed, known to her fans as Shyma, was given a two-year jail sentence (later reduced to one year) for “inciting debauchery” by suggestively eating a banana in a music video.

These cases are just high-profile examples of a more generalised assault on musicians’ freedom which also includes last-minute cancellation of concerts for strange or unexplained reasons, censorship of lyrics, banning live performances of specific songs, and “security” vetting of performers.

In an article for Mada Masr earlier this week, Hessen Hossam suggested the aim is partly to appease conservative elements in Egyptian society but also to harass performers who the regime considers politically suspect.

Describing one example of the cancellations, Hossam wrote:

“Earlier this month, on December 8, a concert by Egyptian rock band Cairokee, whose stardom rose along with the Egyptian revolution and who haven’t shied away from declaring their opposition to the regime throughout the years that ensued, was set to take place. The sold-out and highly anticipated event … was cancelled only one day beforehand.

“No explanations or written orders were given to the band, they were only informed by the managers of the venue … that the concert was no longer happening because of the ‘trouble with Jerusalem’, in reference to US President Donald Trump’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem only a few days before.”

A second attempt to hold the concert, on December 22 at a different venue, also failed when the venue was commandeered for a military funeral.

At the end of October the Ashkal Music Festival featuring Arab and African artists with a popular following in Egypt was also cancelled at short notice. The reason, according to Mahmoud Youssef, one of the musicians’ managers, was that some of the performers could not get permits from the government’s Censorship Board. He told Mada Masr:

“Right now, any political or revolutionary content is being censored or rejected. The board considered the Palestinian band 47 Soul a ‘rebellious’ band, and Tinariwen are known for their opposition to the Qadhafi regime in Libya before and during the revolution. Even though these artists are not openly political in their performance or lyrics, their political backgrounds and ideals are not welcome by the Egyptian state.”

It seems the authorities have stepped up their monitoring of musicial activity in the wake of the moral panic surrounding Mashrou’ Leila’s concert in September. The band’s lead singer is openly gay and several members of the audience were seen waving rainbow flags (which several members of parliament are now attempting to ban)……

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Filed Under: Egypt, Islamic supremacism, Sharia, There Is No Fun In Islam Tagged With: Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, Laila Amer, music, Sherine Abdel Wahab


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Comments

  1. StellaSaidSo says

    Jan 6, 2018 at 7:24 am

    It never occurs to these pathetic, inadequate Muslim men that a system that can be ‘threatened’ by a mere pop song is probably a crap system.

    • mike9a says

      Jan 6, 2018 at 7:44 am

      Without ‘probably’

      • mortimer says

        Jan 6, 2018 at 9:02 am

        IT’S THE IDEOLOGY, STUPID.

        Islamic blasphemy law means that no one may ‘MENTION SOMETHING IMPERMISSIBLE’ about Allah, Mohammed or Islam in general. The mullahs decide what is ‘impermissible’ based on an 11th-century law book.

        • StellaSaidSo says

          Jan 6, 2018 at 9:25 am

          PSSST Mortimer: I KNOW.

        • MSW says

          Jan 7, 2018 at 10:44 am

          7th century, not 11th.

  2. mortimer says

    Jan 6, 2018 at 9:00 am

    EGYPT’S LEADERS HAVE SUCCUMBED AGAIN TO THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD and AL AZHAR’S FATWA DEPARTMENT

    True Islam cannot tolerate freedom of expression of any kind, because it is HIGHLY codified, even down to the direction of sitting for bowel movement! Islam’s myriad petty regulations stop creativity, critical thought, and innovation, producing STAGNATION in the 7th century.

    This Bronze-Age warrior’s DEATH CULT has no valuable idea for the 21st century.

    Islam is as retrograde and anti-intellectual a political ideology as exists today.

    • StellaSaidSo says

      Jan 6, 2018 at 9:23 am

      There never was a more backward or a more barbaric ideology than Islam.

      As W.E. Gladstone observed, there will be no peace in the world while its ‘accursed book’ exists.

      In the past, we fought back against the onslaught. After WWI the threat retreated, but it was merely lying doggo.

      This is our last chance, folks. If we don’t eradicate this scourge, we can kiss goodbye to everything we hold dear.

  3. Winston says

    Jan 6, 2018 at 9:28 am

    Humans are descended from fish. That’s a fact.

    • Guy Forester says

      Jan 6, 2018 at 6:11 pm

      How is it then that I swim like a rock, not a fish?
      🙂

      • Winston says

        Jan 7, 2018 at 2:50 am

        A fish ancestor with a sense of humor. I like that 🙂 You are a sign of intelligent life on this planet.

  4. epistemology says

    Jan 6, 2018 at 10:50 am

    This is really bad news I had put some hope in al-Sisi when he cracked down on the Muzzie Bros. Obviously pernicious Islam is always stronger, they always find a way to make people do what they want. It’s about time to break Islam’s power and restore a free world.

    • gravenimage says

      Jan 7, 2018 at 12:16 am

      Mostly the Muslim Brotherhood was just a rival. Al-Sisi is not really very “moderate” himself.

  5. Ibrahim itace muhammed says

    Jan 6, 2018 at 10:52 am

    Let savage devil Trump also stop security aid assistance to Egypt tied to molesting palestinians on Egyptian border with Ghaza for the benefits of fascist evil zionist state of Israel. Then, Egypt with its educated men and women could look inward to develope their military capabilities Instead of relying on obsolete weapons from evil united states líke backwarded evîl zionist saudi Royal family.

    • 6woods says

      Jan 6, 2018 at 2:30 pm

      Shut up, you inbred little cretin. There is nothing on the planet more fascist and evil than islam, but you seem to be perfectly fine with that particular brand of fascism and evil.

    • LeftisruiningCanada says

      Jan 6, 2018 at 3:02 pm

      Sure, everything wrong with every islamic country in the world is only because of the USA and Israel, we got it.

    • Guy Forester says

      Jan 6, 2018 at 6:19 pm

      Ib, are you Moshe in disguise?

      I haven’t laughed this hard all week long!

      You need to put a ventriloquist act together like Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy or better yet Senor Wences.

    • MFritz says

      Jan 6, 2018 at 6:52 pm

      Common guys, just don’t feed the troll! Soros pays these whores and criminals to lie and provoke.

      • LeftisruiningCanada says

        Jan 6, 2018 at 8:35 pm

        Costs me nothing, and often leads to some interesting reading.

        It’s not like responding to good ‘ol Abe is keeping me from guarding the walls or anything 🙂

    • gravenimage says

      Jan 7, 2018 at 12:21 am

      Notice that Ibrahim itace muhammed is fine with the persecution of musicians, gays, and atheists. But then, why wouldn’t he be?

      • LeftisruiningCanada says

        Jan 7, 2018 at 3:26 am

        Noted loud and clear GI

        He says Egypt should be more militaristic, perhaps for the purpose of being even better at rounding up those violent gays and female singers.

        He thinks they would do it better with domestically made weapons.

        More halal that way perhaps.

    • MSW says

      Jan 7, 2018 at 10:57 am

      You really are a cretin mohorrid.

  6. utis says

    Jan 6, 2018 at 1:05 pm

    Shariafication (nazification) is chugging along. They’re killing the coal mine canaries of society. What group is next?

    • LeftisruiningCanada says

      Jan 7, 2018 at 3:27 am

      Good question…

      Jews,…check
      Gays and such..check
      Coptic Christians…..getting there

      Who’s left?

  7. Sarah says

    Jan 6, 2018 at 3:51 pm

    And here I thought Al-Sisi was supposed to be Mr Moderate. Where’s Graven when I need her? I want to tease her, right now. 😉

    All jokes aside, I’m completely and utterly unsurprised at this news in Egypt. It’s not like Egypt was a paragon of modern civilization and forward thinking prior to this. It’s an Islamic cesspit that limps along, on the foreign aid of the West.

    These idiots can’t even feed themselves without outside help. This is Islam. Just good old, ‘moderate’ Islam.

    • gravenimage says

      Jan 7, 2018 at 12:48 am

      Sarah wrote:

      And here I thought Al-Sisi was supposed to be Mr Moderate. Where’s Graven when I need her? I want to tease her, right now. ?
      …………………….

      Hi, Sarah. I said that he is not quite as bad as the Muslim Brotherhood would have been, but that he is no “moderate”. I see no reason not to stand by this.

      By the way, I like your take-no-prisoners style.

      • Sarah says

        Jan 7, 2018 at 4:29 pm

        That’s me, Graven. A good old wrecking ball, Aussie style 😉

        • LeftisruiningCanada says

          Jan 9, 2018 at 1:04 am

          A wrecking ball with corks hanging off it?

  8. Voytek Gagalka says

    Jan 6, 2018 at 5:10 pm

    Are you surprised on this (al-Sisi’s flip flopping policy toward MB and other “strict Mohammedan” groups? Did you notice what he has on his forehead? It is called “zebibah” or “zabiba” (prayer’s bump) and is accumulated effect of bouncing Muslim’s head against the ground during prayers. Only devoted Muslim develops it and it is the sign of piety. Now, say whatever you might about intentions of such person, sincere or not, if he has such a mark this is the best proof of his absolute DEVOTION to Islam (submission to the “will of allah”). Only two choices such person has: to deceive non-believers with his contradictory statements and plain taqiyya (his “flip-flops”) or leaving Islam permanently. And in the case of the latter he as well everybody should know what that implies…

    • simpleton1 says

      Jan 7, 2018 at 12:58 am

      Voytek Gagalka
      ” “zebibah” or “zabiba” (prayer’s bump) ”
      Yes, one can see he has been doing a bit more than meditating about Mohammad.
      Yes to put a bit of sharia in place,

      https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=el-Sisi&safe=off&rlz=1C1GGRV_enNZ751NZ751&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi1vICJlMXYAhWIwrwKHYseBioQ_AUICigB&biw=1280&bih=633

  9. Voytek Gagalka says

    Jan 6, 2018 at 5:11 pm

    How long Cairo Opera will survive under his “regime”?

    • gravenimage says

      Jan 7, 2018 at 12:50 am

      The funding for the Cairo Opera House did not come from any Muslims, Egyptian or otherwise. It was a gift from Japan. That tells you a lot right there…

  10. cjk says

    Jan 6, 2018 at 5:56 pm

    Sis is the good guy in all of this. One has to consider all the players, the setting, and all the reasonable possible outcomes. Heck even Saddam Hussein doesn’t look nearly as bad now as I once thought.i

    • gravenimage says

      Jan 7, 2018 at 12:54 am

      When the “good guys” are persecuting musicians, gays, and atheists in the name of Islam, you know that things are so Islamic that things are screwed.

      • cjk says

        Jan 7, 2018 at 7:21 am

        Of course things are screwed when ‘the most perfect example for conduct’ for the majority of people in a society happens to be a murderous pedophile. None the less Sisi is in fact the good guy here

  11. Guy Forester says

    Jan 6, 2018 at 6:23 pm

    Al Sisi is trying to avoid the Sadat treatment. Nothing will change in Islam until muslims push the change. When they get tired of killing each other over theological arguments is when it will stop. They don’t seem to mind killing non-muslims, so I don’t expect any changes before the next millennium. Or two. Maybe three is the trick?

    • cjk says

      Jan 7, 2018 at 7:22 am

      It will be sooner. A stone out of heaven will destroy Mohammedanism in the not too distant future.

  12. MFritz says

    Jan 6, 2018 at 6:53 pm

    Egypt will only go worse.

  13. LeftisruiningCanada says

    Jan 6, 2018 at 10:42 pm

    So, a guy whose name sounds like ‘sissy’ is taking a hard stance on homosexuals and female singers….what a super hero.

  14. gravenimage says

    Jan 6, 2018 at 11:29 pm

    Egypt: Sisi regime cracks down on musicians, gays, atheists
    …………………

    Grimly, I’m afraid this does not surprise. Not as bad as the Muslim Brotherhood, but not much better, either.

  15. CL says

    Jan 7, 2018 at 11:26 pm

    Germany is no better. There has long been a law against ‘Volksverhetzung’ – “incitement of the masses”.

    This law doesn’t just cover incitement to violence but anything ‘against the human dignity of others by insulting, maliciously maligning, or defaming segments of the population.’ I.e. just about anything the German regime doesn’t like can be called ‘Volksverhetzung’. Criticism, of islam often comes up against this law, but at least cases went to court.

    Now, under the Network Enforcement Law, large social media such as FB and Twitter have to remove ‘obviously illegal’ posts or they could be fined up to 50 Million Euro.

    Under this new law some FB/Twitter minion is making what should be only a court decision and censoring people. Untrained office workers can’t know what is ‘obviously illegal’.

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