EGYPT: War on the silverscreen

As a rebuttal to the recent Iranian documentary in which late Egyptian president Anwar Sadat is shrugged off as a traitor, an Egyptian writer announced that he was putting together a movie script that dismisses Ayatollah Khomeini as a “terrorist.”

“This movie aims to glorify President Sadat and show that the ideas, advanced by Khomeini, stood behind his assassination,” said Mohamed Hassan El-Alfy, screenwriter. “Khomeini’s ideas sowed the seeds of terrorism and extremism in the region.” 

El-Alfy said he was already working on his script “The Imam of Bood” (in reference to Khomeini) long before the Iranian documentary “Execution of the Pharaoh” came out. “However, the fury that I and many Egyptians felt made me rush to finish the script and produce the movie.” added El-Alfy, who expects his feature movie to be out in a few months.

EGYPT: Egyptian fury over Iranian film

An Iranian film dismissing former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat as a "traitor" has elicited a storm of anger in Egyptian circles, a development that further reduces prospects of rapprochement between the two countries.

The Egyptian press quoted the Iranian newspaper Jomhuri Islami as saying that the recent movie "Assassination of the Pharaoh" rejected Sadat as a "traitor" for his 1979 peace accord with Israel. The film, which has has been screened in Iran, praises the assassination of Sadat and calls his radical Islamist killer a "martyr," according to the Egyptian press.

The film comes at a critical juncture as Iran is seeking to resume diplomatic relations with Egypt in an attempt to penetrate the lines of U.S. allies in the region. Diplomatic relations between Iran and Egypt have been broken since 1980 after Egypt had recognized the state of Israel and hosted the ousted Iranian shah. Egypt remains averse to any hasty rapprochement with the Shiite state that still names one of its streets after Sadat's main assassin.

EGYPT: Groups accuse Muslim actor Adel Imam of apostasy

The legendary Muslim movie star Adel Imam has been accused of apostasy by Facebook activists over his role as a Coptic Christian priest in the upcoming production "Hassan and Marcos," according to news reports.

Under the slogan "A call to all Muslims, boycott Christian Adel Imam," a Facebook group has recently launched a smear campaign against the actor. The group accuses him of promoting Christianity and discourages Muslims from attending the big-budget movie, which is expected to be released in early July, according to a report posted on the website of the pan-Arab satellite channel Al Arabiya.

“This man is promoting conversion to Christianity and I am calling upon you to boycott him,” read the group’s mission statement. Another group was also created for the same purpose under the slogan “Boycott Imam’s new movie.”

The film, ironically, promotes national unity between Coptic Christians and Muslims through the relationship between a Coptic priest (Marcos), played by Imam, and a Muslim cleric (Hassan), played by Academy-Award nominated Omar Sharif. The criticism of Imam comes in a tense atmosphere marked by violent clashes between Muslims and Coptic Christians in Egypt.

-- Noha El-Hennawy in Cairo

Photo: Actor Adel Imam (center) dresses for his part in "Hassan and Marcos." He is flanked by two Coptic Christian priests. Credit: Al Arabiya

IRAN: A Muslim actor as Jesus Christ

He is an Iranian Muslim who looks so much like a Hollywood or Renaissance image of Jesus Christ that the faithful sometimes make the sign of the cross when they see him.

Ahmad Soleimani-Nia has been playing Jesus for seven years, keeping his hair long and lightly dyed, his beard knotty and vibrant.

He is the star of "Jesus, the Spirit of God," a new film from Iran that depicts the man Christians believe to be the messiah and son of God as a tormented Judean prophet heralding the coming of Muhammad, the founder of the Muslim faith. Nia's Jesus is at once serene, devout, driven and passionate.

In real life, if there is a real life after a spiritual and artistic odyssey that is still not over, Nia lives in Tehran. He was once a soldier in the Iranian army and then a welder for — the irony is interesting in this Jesus story — his nation's Atomic Energy Agency, which the Bush administration accuses of pursuing nuclear weapons.

That may unsettle some American neo-cons, but perhaps not as much as the film itself, which suggests that Jesus wasn't crucified and never rose from the dead.

Check out the rest of the story in today's Los Angeles Times. 

— Jeffrey Fleishman in Tehran

Photo: Ahmad Soleimani-Nia as Jesus. Credit: minbar.tatar.ru/rus/Messiah.htm

IRAN: Protest against Dutch film 'Fitna' draws tepid crowd

The protest in front of the Dutch Embassy today in Tehran was supposed to show the Muslim rage against right-wing politician Geert Wilders' film, "Fitna," which criticizes the Koran.

Instead, the demonstration showed mostly apathy. Only about 40 students, 25 guys and 15 women, showed up for the outing. They brought a couple of loudspeakers and called for the sacking of Wilders, who has likened the Koran to Hitler's "Mein Kampf."

They chanted against America and Israel, but also denounced liberal Iranian political factions as traitors.

Wilders had said that his intention was to provoke. Many criticized him for trying to stir up a hornet's nest between the West and Islam. Some feared riots and bloodshed once the movie was released, like those that erupted amid the 2006 Danish cartoon controversy.

But today, the police outnumbered the protesters, and a 15-foot fence surrounded the embassy wall, preventing anyone from hurling projectiles at the building.

At the end of the rally, a couple of demonstrators pelted the embassy with eggs, but most were polite and calm. One protester went out of his way to say he had no problem with the Dutch or the West.

"We are against the emerging anti-Islamic trend in the West," said Hanif Hussain Satarizadeh, a student at  Amir Kabir university in Tehran. "The Netherlands as a country is not our target."

— Ramin Mostaghim In Tehran

Photo: Iranians attended  a protest outside the Dutch Embassy against the production and broadcast of the film "Fitna" by right-wing Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders in Tehran today. Credit: Hasan Sarbakhshian / Associated Press

MIDDLE EAST: Jitters as Dutch movie 'Fitna' is released

Will the world witness soon another wave of angry Muslim protests?

The release on the Internet Thursday evening of a highly controversial Dutch film asserting links between Islam and terrorism raised fears of renewed riots, similar to those sparked in 2006 by the publication of derisive Danish cartoons of the prophet Muhammad.

So far, according to Los Angeles Times correspondent Geraldine Baum in Paris, no violence was recorded related to the film, at least not in Holland:

"They were all disgusted by the film, but so far there isn't a big explosion," said [Dutch] police spokesman Arnold Aben. "In fact, it's quieter than usual here today. Sort of like a holiday."

The 15-minute film "Fitna," which in Arabic means strife, was made by an extreme right-wing Dutch lawmaker, Geert Wilders. The movie intersperses verses from Islam's holy book, the Koran, and inflammatory sermons by Muslim clerics, along with sensational images of terrorist attacks, including the 2001 attack against the World Trade Center in New York.

LEBANON: Iran revolution film 'Persepolis' unbanned

So finally, freedom of expression triumphed in Lebanon over the archaic practice of censorship.

Lebanese authorities revoked an earlier decision to ban an animated film that was regarded by some Shiite clerics here as "offensive to Iran and Islam."

The film in question is "Persepolis," an internationally acclaimed animated feature that was released last year in the United States and Europe. It is based on an autobiographical graphic novel series about a young girl trying to find her way in restrictive Iran after its 1979 Islamic revolution.

The earlier ban imposed by an official security body in the country set off an outcry in Lebanese intellectual and political circles, who saw the move as outrageous. Condemning the ban of cultural and artistic works in the country, a Lebanese journalist wrote on his From Beirut to the Beltway blog: "I know that the heart of every culture-loving Lebanese breaks with every ban."

Persepolis will be released in theaters in Beirut starting May 3, according to the film's distributor.

— Raed Rafei in Beirut

Photo: A Lebanese man holds a copy of the animated film "Persepolis" in Beirut. Credit: Joseph Barrak /  AFP / Getty Images

LEBANON: 'Persepolis' kept from theaters

Can the  memories of an Iranian child in her turbulent country really exacerbate tensions in today's edgy Lebanon?

Lebanese censors apparently believe so. Authorities are considering imposing a ban on "Persepolis," the Oscar-nominated animated feature based on co-director Marjane Satrapi's graphic novels.

LEBANON: Dressing up the Oscars

Lebanon might not be these days at the forefront of glitz, glamour and glory. But its fashion designers can definitely compete with their Western peers on the world's most celebrated catwalks.

During the Academy Awards ceremony last month in Hollywood, Lebanese designer Georges Chakra shined on the red carpet through one of his creations: a strapless red satin gown with Swarovski crystal sleeves. The stunning tailor-made dress was worn by Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren, a presenter at the ceremony.

Chakra has created designs for pop stars Beyonce and Carrie Underwood. His dresses also appeared in the hit movie "The Devil Wears Prada."

In 2002, another Lebanese designer, Elie Saab, caused a sensation at the Oscars when Halle Berry received the award for best actress wearing a burgundy floral embroidered gown he designed. 

A flurry of Lebanese fashion designers has made a successful entry into the world of haute couture in the last few decades. Many of them made a name in the fashion business by dressing wealthy women in the Persian Gulf.

— Raed Rafei in Beirut

Photo: Helen Mirren arrived at the Oscars last month in gown by Lebanese designer Georges Chakra. Credit: Chris Pizzello / Associated Press

MIDDLE EAST: Dutch film about Koran could spark new clash

Uh-oh... The clash of civilizations may fire up again with the possible release of a short film by an ultra-rightwing member of Holland's parliament who has likened the Koran to Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf."

Geert Wilders, a Dutch lawmaker, has made a movie that has raised alarm bells across Europe even before it's been screened. Political leaders worry about another flare-up of cross-cultural conflict like the one that erupted in 2006 after the Danish publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed. 

The film purports to show the dangers of the Koran and Wilders has threatened to air his movie during a segment on Dutch television alloted to his Freedom Party. Wilders has a less-than-stellar record when it comes to cultural sensitivity on the issue of Islam. He has demanded an outright ban on Islam's holiest book, which he calls a "fascist" text. And he means it when he says ban, according to his website:

Not only the sale, but also the use in mosques and ownership in a household context should be punishable. If the current legislation does not allow that, then a new law on banning the book should be introduced. This book incites hate and murder, and therefore does not fit in with our rule of law. If Muslims want to participate, they must distance themselves from the Koran. I know that is asking a great deal, but we have to stop making concessions.

EGYPT: Much ado about a movie

A new film portraying the inhumane living conditions in Cairo slums has stirred a huge controversy in Egypt. The movie, "Heena Maysara," (An Arabic expression widely used to mean "when things improve") zooms into the social dynamics that govern the slum areas where thousands of Cairenes struggle amid poverty and ignorance, drawing very little attention from the ruling elites. The movie tackled prostitution, street children, incest, drug smuggling, homosexuality and religious extremism as examples of deviant practices that are widespread among Cairo's marginalized communities.

All this is highlighted through the stories of two main characters: "Adel Hashisha" and "Nahed." Adel Hashisha, a young unemployed man, supports his mother and the children of his brother who left  for Iraq in the 1990s. To feed his family, Hashisha turns to drug smuggling and ultimately becomes one of his neighborhood's top thugs. In the meantime, Hashisha also serves as a police informant spying on Islamist cells that have been growing in his neighborhood. However, after the police raids his house, tortures him and his mother to extract confessions from them about his brother who has allegedly joined Al Qaeda in Iraq, Hashisha decides to have his revenge by helping Islamist militants against the police.

Nahed is another significant character. The beautiful young woman runs away from her mother's house as her step-father has been consistently harassing her sexually. She meets Hashisha, sleeps with him and gets pregnant by him. Given his terrible economic conditions, Hashisha refuses to marry Nahed or to raise the child, which forces the latter to abandon the infant. In her quest for a living, Nahed is exposed to different forms of sexual abuse. A scene in which another woman tries to seduce Nahed has caused a huge uproar.

One prominent Islamic scholar has called for prosecuting the two actresses who played that scene on charges of promoting lesbianism and fomenting vice. Another scholar was quoted by the media as saying: "There are no lesbians in Egypt and we will never have any in the future." However, one of the actresses involved replied: "The scene was neither explicit nor immoral; on the contrary, it was very realistic and relevant to the context of the movie."

— Noha El-Hennawy in Cairo

SAUDI ARABIA: Stale popcorn?

In response to our Oct. 31 post, "Banished from the kingdoms," about the banning of director Peter Berg's new film "The Kingdom," in the Persian Gulf,  Saudi Arabia expert Stephen H. Franke writes:

"This film disparages the Saudis, their culture, and the Saudi organizations for public safety/national security, and the film also aims to 'get in the face' of every official organization depicted, including the US Department of State and the FBI."

In his extensive and thoughtul comments, Franke also says the movie is unrealistic, loaded with "numerous nonsensical and inaccurate items, scenarios which would be impossible."

SAUDI ARABIA: Banished from the kingdoms

Director Peter Berg's "The Kingdom," a star-studded Hollywood blockbuster set in Saudi Arabia, has been banned from the screens of at least three Persian Gulf kingdoms.

Puritanical Saudi Arabia, where most of the film's story unfolds, doesn't allow any movie theaters. But other Gulf states have given the film a big thumbs-down. News agencies report that Kuwaiti censors have banished the film from the nation's screens. Even libertine Bahrain's Ministry of Information has barred the action-packed thriller.

MIDDLE EAST: Pop stars and soda pop

When Lebanese mega pop star Nancy Ajram signed a six-figure endorsement deal with Coca-Cola in 2005, Pepsi took the challenge, and very seriously.

Not content with signing one rival singer, Pepsi assembled a whole team of Arab world pop stars and cast them in a full-length musical, a totally unprecedented move by a multinational in the Middle East.

The two giant beverage companies have been gearing up vehemently to claim the soft-drink allegiance among Arab youth. This comes as no surprise in a region with a burgeoning population of Muslim youths often socially or legally forbidden from drinking alcohol.

EGYPT: Star-gazing in Cairo

By Borzou Daragahi in Cairo

Cairo’s teeming, smog-choked streets cloak all in anonymity. Even blond-haired, blue-eyed foreign visitors don’t draw too much attention.

But I've never experienced anything quite like walking out of the Café Arabica in downtown Cairo with the famous actress Hind Sabri while reporting my story on the Egyptian movie industry.

All of a sudden, the calloused eyes of Cairo street vendors, police officers and passersby lit up with delight, swarming toward her. A few asked for autographs, but most just greeted her politely.

I felt like a bigshot, as if I were hangin’ with Julia Roberts.

“Madame Hind! Madame Hind!” the teenage boys called out, bowing as they approached her.