Egypt bans 'Exodus' movie
Egyptian critics consider the Culture Ministry’s decision to ban the screening of the US movie "Exodus: Gods and Kings" a result of Al-Azhar pressure, and believe it will only lead distribution companies to show more such movies.
CAIRO — Egypt's Culture Ministry banned the American movie “Exodus: Gods and Kings” Dec. 25, calling it “an attempt to Judaize Egypt.” The ban decision has created a major controversy, as many see it as an attack on artistic freedom and the result of Al-Azhar’s pressure on the culture minister. The movie tells the story of how Moses fled the Egyptian pharaoh's oppression with the Jews.
Al-Ahzar has issued many fatwas forbidding the depiction of prophets in movies, most recently banning the screening of the American movie “Noah” in Egypt.
The statement issued by the Culture Ministry noted that the movie was not banned for religious reasons, but because it insults Pharaonic Egypt. It also claimed the film promotes certain misconceptions that Judaize the history of Egypt, showing the Jews as having built the pyramids.
According to the ministry’s statement, the movie shows the Egyptians as "savages who hanged the Jews with Moses, which contradicts historical facts as the ancient Egyptians never practiced hanging.”
