Egyptian artists slam Cairo university ban on screening Oscar film

Egyptian artists condemned on Tuesday Cairo University’s decision to ban the screening of the Oscar-winning Iranian film “A Separation”.

It is alleged that Islamist students were behind the decision as they believe the movie spreads Shiite and atheist ideas, according to a report in Ahram Online.

The recently formed group of artists that defends freedom of expression in the arts, the Front for Creativity, expressed its regret that a film that has received many international awards, as well as an Oscar, was not allowed to be screened in Egypt.

“They [the Islamist students] have to remember that their voices are now heard because of a revolution that calls for freedom, so it is a shame that they suppress this freedom,” they said the statement.

They also spoke of the role arts and cinema had to play in society.

“We learned loyalty to our homeland through film characters such as poor peasant Abu Sweilam whose fingernails grabbed the dry soil while being dragged by a policeman in the film Al-Ard (The Land) and we learned about justice from the trial scene in the film Al-Nasser Salah El-Din (Salahudin).”

“A Separation” was banned in Iran on March 12.