Weekly spotlight on state culture: ‘Noah’ to be screened in Egypt

Egypt’s board of censors has approved the screening of “Noah” in local movie theaters.

Veteran film critic Tarek al-Shennawy announced in several interviews this week with the media that Ahmed Awaad, head of the censorship board and undersecretary at the Culture Ministry, will allow the Hollywood blockbuster to show despite the repeated objections of Cairo’s Al-Azhar.

Darren Aronofsky’s biblical epic, inspired by the story of Noah who tries to save humanity from an apocalyptic flood, stars Russell Crowe, Anthony Hopkins, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone and Emma Watson. The film topped the US box office in its debut weekend, collecting US$44 million for Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures. It also generated US$51.1 million outside the US despite being banned in several Muslim countries, including Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

The film outraged some Christian, Jewish and Muslim scholars, the latter objecting to depicting Noah on screen. The view of Al-Azhar, the top Sunni Muslim authority and education institution in the region, was no different. In early March, Al-Azhar issued a statement condemning the film. It read: “Al-Azhar, its grand imam, the Council of Senior Scholars and the Islamic Research Council reject any work that depicts images of God’s prophets, messengers and the companions of the Prophet Mohamed … [Such depictions] violate the principles and fundamentals of Sharia, and provoke the ire of believers[.]”

“Noah” was scheduled to open in local theaters on March 26. But much confusion arose due to the overlap between the authority of Al-Azhar and Egypt’s Board of Censors, which operates under the Culture Ministry. The new Constitution, approved in a popular referendum in January, states that only the censorship board has the right to approve the screening of cinematic works. It simultaneously requires Al-Azhar to advise on political, social and cultural issues with a religious dimension.

The Culture Ministry has refused to give a definite opinion on the matter as conflict arose over the past month. Culture Minister Saber Arab has made several statements, emphasizing both the respected status of Al-Azhar and the constitutional right to freedom of expression.

Most recently, on March 25, Arab said that he had formed a special committee to review the film’s artistic merits and advise on it, without providing details about the committee’s members, authority or timeline. He acknowledged that it would be ineffective to ban the film anyway, because copies will surface online and be widely shared on social media.

In response to the outcry by religious scholars, Paramount Pictures added a disclaimer to the film’s trailer, stating that: “The film is inspired by the story of Noah. While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide.”

Other productions with a religious twist that have caused controversy in Egypt include the 2006 American mystery thriller “The Da Vinci Code," which was banned, as well as Qatar TV’s 2012 television series “Omar,” depicting the life of Muslim Caliph Omar Ibn al-Khattab. A heavily censored version of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” (2004) was shown in Egypt.