EGYPT: Newspaper banned after accusing actors of homosexuality

The weekly independent newspaper, Al Balagh Al Gadid, has been banned after reporting that three prominent Egyptian actors were caught in a prostitution network for homosexuals.

In a story published last week, the paper reported that actors Nour El Sherif, above, Khaled Aboul Naga and Hamdi El Wazir were questioned by police for being part of a homosexuals' network, which was allegedly discovered last month at the Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel in Cairo.

While police sources denied the story, the newspaper said the actors were investigated by authorities before they bribed officers and the hotel management to disregard the whole incident and keep it quiet. The actors were outraged by the report, saying the newspaper's story was groundless. They filed lawsuits against the publication's chief editor, executive chief editor and one of its reporters.

In a statement Monday the Egyptian Higher Council for Journalism said it decided to ban the broadsheet after considering the reports forwarded to the general prosecutor by the actors, who stressed that Al Balagh Al Gadid was aiming to damage their reputations.

Most public figures in Egypt want to avoid being connected to homosexuality, which could damage their popularity among Muslim fans.

El Sherif didn’t seem bothered with the accusations of belonging to a prostitution network, but was frustrated to be described as a homosexual. "Naming me among other homosexuals defamed me and all Egyptian artists. The Journalists' Syndicate has to be firm with anyone trying to insult the dignity of Egyptian artists," he said.

Egyptian law does specifically criminalize homosexuality. Nonetheless, 21 people were sent to prison for homosexual activities in 2003. At the time, the court said that the verdict was to make an example for anyone else trying to spread immorality and promiscuity in the Egyptian society.

-- Amro Hassan in Cairo

Photo: Actor Nour El Sherif. Credit: Al Youm Al Sabee

Comments

[Anwar Rahim]

I have no comments on the personalities involved. How ever I will say that all Muslims must abide by the teaching of QURAN and SUNNAH. There is no excuse one way or other to justify a wrong. Even movies produced by Muslim producers and directors must follow the dictates of Islam. They must produce and direct movies which present good moral lessons to a comman Muslim.
I am sure a sensible audiance of Europe and America will appreciate movies which propogate the true moral values of our faith. Such like filims will augument the influence in the thought process of other faiths and that is already seen in conversion to Islam by people of other faith.

[Chad]

What I dont like about this article is how they all made it bad to be gay. In addition, it's not very clear whether the newspaper was shut down because of the gay accusation or the fact that they do not have any prove for these accusation.

I highly doubt that Al Shareef, who took a part in the 1st Arabic movie that presents a gay character in a positive way, would feel ashamed about being gay if he was.

[Sarah Elnaggar]

some more answers and conclusions:
the paper has been banned to be printed in Egypt based on the grounds that they fabricated news that affects people's life in an attempt to defame them . (The tabloid is licensed in london and financed by Libya and is still being distributed in Egypt which indicates some Security hands is behind a masterminded plan ... (any Egyptian Journalist will verify that in a second)
some: facts:

The story they fabricated even included the attorney general prosecutor personal involvement which of course turned out to be false as well.
the real reason behind all that is no mystery if you live in Egypt and know that Mr Naga and Mr El Sherif are Human rights activists symbols
and had great success lately changing public opinions in taboo matters specially Mr Naga in his AIDS Campaigns as unicef goodwill ambassador
__
on the other hand: Mr Hamdy el Wazir yesterday reported his car being smashed while he was in it! on a highway and it is claimed to be the repercussions of the false news published.
he was in shock and the assaulters ran away with no explanation… things like that happen when
–
This is UNFAIR for all:
Later in 90min TV talk show, The Balagh cheif editor M Maghraby slipped a horrible fact: That he never had any piece of proof before printing, then He asked Adel Hammouda (another Tabloid Chief Editot with links to Security Police in cairo) that he gets him any proof!
We are facing a a scenario to defame stars to protect someone else! just google the net in Arabic and English for Gamal Mubarak and another piece of the puzzle appears very clear:
Here is what I think has happened:
1) Gamal Mubarak rumors that he is gay became out of control on the net, the Security police in charge of protecting him and preparing for his election as president in 2011 thinks of a plan:
2) find and target artists are Gay friendly, hopefully played gay characters as well, Fabricate a story of their bust in some ring.. make it big in the news,
3) later after a big news and TV noise so all people knows the story..
4) claim that the srtists bribed the police! to get off, (so the truth is gone forever) many people will believe that knowing the level of corruption in Egypt, and it makes the artists not being able to defend themselves!
5) measure the public reaction
6) Clear on afinal episode the names of the artists..
7) RESULT: public will not believe all the sites claiming Gamal Mubarak is gay... the son of the president being groomed now to be the president in 2011...
Voila....

Baher Farid, Egypt

[Sarah Elnaggar]

As for what has been published about 2 of our most important as well as art icons as well as Egyptian and Arab celebreties let alone being citizens , it makes no sense for z following reasons :

1- Two of the actors (K Naga and Nour El Sherif) were out of the country at the time of claimed incident.
2- Official sources (General Prosecutor ) stated that no such claimed arrests ever took place!
3- The tabloid named Albalagh is famous for its Fake and Fabricated stories to sell more, also its being extremist (fundamentalist).
4- The journalist (Ihab El Agamy) denied he wrote the article as published! and claimed that the Cheif Editor is the one responsible for adding names of stars to the story!, The Chief editor presented NOTHING to prove his story!
Also z idea of zat Khaled Naga and Nour Elsherif r denying it out of self opression(The impression that Egypt is a muslim country that doesnt approve of homosexuals) is again FAKE .
- Artists attacked by tabloid represent Liberal activists ( sp.Khaled Naga,well known for his liberal , logical as well as sensible humanitarian work and approaches), The fact is these are Brave artists, in the face of extremism and fundamentalism.
-creating such fabricated fake stories is superficial, wasting time
-mentioning names in fabricated stories is considered illegal if no evidence s there....so Press Council cancelled print permit of Elbalagh ( not as some sites n blogs said)..... but it s simply coz Elbalagh violated that law, zat s why it deserves to be sued and 2 be stopped as well as other procedures taken against it.
Such reasons r more zan enough to defend our icons and push zem all z way forward ...as we are completely supporting them ,and zat s wt any sensible Human wd think of.........let aside zat such fake rumors hurt ppl ,whether zey r well known or not.......as well as defame zem.....hurt zeir families,fans(if famous) and whoever apprecite and love as well as respect their personal life as well as their privacies.Simply PERSONAL life s called personal, coz it has to remain personal......so no body ever has z right to accuse ppl coz of wt he sees or deduces out of superficial criteria, no body ever has z right to search for details zat r simply not of anybody's business! or create fabricated stories and lies in an attempt to out famous loved stars that are leaders in human rights actions and do great social work just cause they are simply NOT ABIDING BY THE EXTREMIST ISLAMIST FUNDAMENTALIST LINE , SHAME ON THE NEWS and ARTICLES that totally missed the point and got carried away with the Lie and missed the whole point behind the attack of extremist shady Journalists on such symbols of inspiring liberal Egyptian icons like Khaled Naga and Nour El Shaerif

This news article is ignorant nonsense!
The real story is (from several newspapers and TV shows):
Artists like Khaled Aboul Naga and Nour El Sherif are symbols of Liberal Egypt, Naga is a human rights activist and is fighting a tough war against islamist extremists for years in Egypt, He is also an AIDS awareness spokesman and UNICEF appointed him thier goodwill ambassador lately, If there was anyone fighting for liberal rights, equality, rights for those living with Aids : its Mr Naga…
SHAME ON YOU whoever wrote such an article missing the whole point.

Mr Naga and Mr El Sherif have been falsely accused by some extremists in order to diminish their role in affecting public opinion to human rights
The newspaper (tabloid) known to make up stories to sell more and famous for its links to extremist views,
The news source is allegedly a police informant (it is a known fact that there are several links with tabloids making rumors and special Government Security divisions in Egypt) who fabricated details that never happened to diminish the artists' popularity for a reason...

They claimed that: the artists are being prosecuted as members of a gay prostitution ring! in a Hotel Semiramis Intercontinental ,
1) For their bad luck the main two stars happened to be out of Egypt at the time of their claims
2) moreover: when the artists found out about the rumor, the filed a report to The Attorney general prosecutor
later the The Attorney general prosecutor made a statement that NONE of the allegations is true! and ordered the journalists to be investigated and later they are being sued now by the artists and the state and the Hotel they claimed it all happened
check your sources before attacking human rights activists being framed by islamists in Egypt
its all been very clear all over the Arabic net sources:
check this:
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2009/967/eg3.htm

[SPIDER MAN]

I just want to add that the community can not hide everything for too long time....whatever the real fact is , people should try to accept and live with this and we all know that we have in our arabic world too much great figures who were homosexuals and their stories are everywhere and some times we knew after they die and I can assure you with being close to the life of actors and singers by some how, that many of them are homosexual the same as many of the female actress and singers can be also (FREE WOMAN)...I also know one thing about one of the 3 actors that he is definetly homo sexual and he was working in modeling and I saw him in many hotels before staying with boyfriend and it can be clear from the way he even talk and act and any one who saw him or spoke with him will assure this also.

[rah]

I guess the neocons will advocate attacking and invading Egypt to save the homosexuals in Egypt.

Now if Iran had banned a newspaper the chosen media would be jumping up and down yelping about democracy and freedom. The dicatator siting in egypt can ban newspapers, scam elections (he won 90%+) and torture the opposition yet not a single whine from our chosen media.
rh

[rom ana]

I wonder why the accused do not give a statement of their innocense. a person's word should be more important than one's life

[captain grumpy]

typical actors,one law for them and one law for everyone else.They should go to hollywood.

[toutou]

i don't know about these men if they are homosexuals but it's very hypocrit from the arab world to hide that homosexuality is a real fact
it couldn't be faithed in meaning that it is a nature ..
(i'm arab,muslium & straight)

[Ahmad]

Egyptian law does specifically criminalize homosexuality??

Did you mean "does not" because I do not think it has a clear article criminalizing homosexuality.
Thanks