Evaluation of Censorship in Egypt

World Fact Book on Egypt

 

 

 

 

Abstract: The objective of this assignment is to achieve an understanding of the reasons and examples of the types of materials censored by the Egyptian government, with comparison to censorship in the U.S.

 

Goals for the activity: Encourage a discussion on censorship, based on the reasons why each group decided to censor the articles the way they did, compared to the actual censored text.

 

Knowledge to be developed: An understanding of censorship, why it occurs in general, and some understanding of the reasoning of the Egyptian government censors in particular.

 

Procedure:

 

Pre-Class Activity:

-         Read the overview of relevant Egyptian law from a selection of the references.

-         Read the posted example of an article from Egypt that had selected portions of it censored.

 

In-Class Introduction:

-         Present a brief introduction to Egyptian censorship policy by displaying an overhead containing Egyptís policy on censorship entitled ì11 commandments of censorship. (See below)   Briefly, discuss their policy and how it is enforced.  (See listing of censored articles and The forbidden file...) Compare their policy to American policy on censorship.  (5 minutes)

-         Display an overhead of an example article from Egypt that has portions that were censored highlighted.  (Examples - Operation Bright Star, Brother of another color, A sweetheart economy, Looking for a revolution) Talk briefly on why these sections were censored. (5 minutes)

 

In-Class Activity:

-         Split class into three groups and give each group an uncensored article on an overhead and an overhead marker. (Stella in bed with army's Safi, Our democracy)

-         Ask each group to censor their article as if they were Egyptian censors, marking censored text on the overhead with the marker.  (15 minutes)

-         Have one spokesperson from each group present their overhead and explain why they chose specific information to censor.  Then compare that groups selections with the selections that the Egyptian government actually censored.  (15 minutes)

-         To conclude class, have a discussion on the differences in censorship selections between the group censored articles and actual Egyptian censored articles.  Touch on points such as, why the Egyptians chose to sensor things the groups did not and why groups chose to censor things that the Egyptians did not.  (10 minutes)

 

Post-Class Activity:

-         Each student is to individually censor a selected article based on that they have observed about Egyptian censorship during the in-class activity.

 

 

Assessing outcomes: From the discussions in class and the resulting censored article compared to the actual censored article, it should be possible to determine if the students have understood the points of the activity.

 

Additional comments: Attached is supporting information used during this project.  To vary activity different articles can be selected from either http://www.metimes.com/cens/censored.htm or http://www.cairotimes.com/content/ff/ff.html

 

Authors: Group 1: Tim McGaughey (timbo@vt.edu),  Mike Poland (mpoland@vt.edu),  Albert Suk Chan Lee (sulee3@vt.edu),  Joshua Lukens (jlukens@vt.edu),  Jeremy Farge (jfarge@vt.edu),  Dan Mielinski (dmielins@vt.edu),  Ramy El-Masri (relmasri@vt.edu).

References:

 

Title:   The Cairo Times media and censorship archive

URL:   http://www.cairotimes.com/content/issues/media/media.html

 

Title:   The Cairo Times Forbidden File

URL:   http://www.cairotimes.com/content/ff/ff.html

 

Title:   A quick overview of the Egyptian press

URL:   http://www.cairotimes.com/content/issues/media/quidir.html

 

Title:   Press censor denies censorship: interview with the censor

URL:   http://www.dfn.org/Voices/Mideast/egypt/metimes/presscensor.html

 

Title:   1999 World Press Freedom Review - Egypt

URL:   http://www.freemedia.at/archive97/egypt.htm

 

Title:   The Prophet falls foul of Egyptian thought police

URL:   http://www.idrel.com.lb/shufimafi/archives/docs/indep990728.htm

 

Title:   The Egyptian Predicament - FILM AND TELEVISION CENSORSHIP

URL:   http://www.article19.org/pubs/eg8on.htm

 

Title:   Silence in the Nile: Egyptian Freedom of Speech under Peril

URL:   http://www.derechos.org/wi/2/egypt.html

 

Title:   FAIFE World Report: Egypt

URL:   http://www.faife.dk/report/egypt.htm

 

Title:   The State of Freedom of Expression in Egypt

URL:   http://www.cjfe.org/actfile/1997/egyn07.html

 

Title:   Journalists in Egypt Fear Return to "Bad Old Days" of Strict Censorship

URL:   http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/0194/9401049.htm

 

Title:   Censorship of Egyptian Cinema

URL:   http://simr02.si.ehu.es/FileRoom/documents/Cases/373egypt.html

 

Title:   The Cairo Times media archives

URL:   media.html

 

Title:   58 publications kicked out

URL:   pribanb4.html

 

Title:   11 commandments of censorship

URL:   http://www.metimes.com/cens/command.htm

11 commandments of censorship

 

In 1992, in a suspiciously hasty manner that worried intellectuals and artists in Egypt, censorship law 430 of 1955 was amended by Law 38 of 1992. The punishment for those who break the law was changed from imprisonment of "no less than one month and no more than six months" to "no more than two years." The fine was increased from "at least E£200 and not more than E£500" to a fine of "no less than E£5000 and no more than E£10,000."

 

A decree in 1976 amending the 1955 censorship law prohibited:

 

• Portraying the propagation of atheism and denigration of religious beliefs and the encouragement of superstition;

   

• Portraying the Prophet Mohammed and all prophets directly or symbolically, and in such cases Al Azhar should be advised;

   

• Showing nudity in a way that contradicts the customs and traditions of society; also actors' costumes must not reveal the profile of the body in a way that embarrasses the audience or that is outside the limits of customs and traditions of society;

   

• Filming sexual acts or any movements or words that suggest sexual acts;

   

• Filming dancing that provokes the senses;

   

• Portraying alcoholism or drug addiction; portraying gambling and the lottery as an acceptable source of income;

   

• Filming killings, torture, or beatings;

   

• Portraying suicide as a solution to human problems;

   

• Distorting historical events or national symbols;

   

• Portraying any foreign country or people that has good relations with Egypt in an unacceptable manner;

   

• Portraying social problems in a manner that creates despair or class divisions and ethnic conflicts, or which undermines national unity.