Egypt Censor Bans 'Pro - Israel' Song

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Egypt-Censorship.html

December 12, 2000

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 6:31 p.m. ET

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- David slew Goliath, and then the Egyptian
censor slew David.

Three thousand years after the Biblical battle between the daring
young shepherd and the armor-clad giant, the government censor
ruled the Old Testament story, also found in Islam's holy book, the
Quran -- shows Israel in too positive a light.

``Presenting this subject now is not in line with the Egyptian
social and political stance on the Palestinian uprising,'' said
Madkour Thabet, head of the Audiovisual Censorship Authority.

He vetoed the production of a children's music cassette that would
have included a song based on the tale, saying it was inappropriate
at a time when Egypt and other Arab states have accused Israel of
excessive use of force in confronting Palestinians.

More than 300 people have died in the current violence, the vast
majority of them Palestinians, including children and youths, some
of whom were throwing stones at Israeli troops.

The track on the David and Goliath tale was the only one struck by
the censors. The cassette on which it was to be used had been
envisioned as the first of a series to teach Christian children
various virtues by drawing on Biblical characters.

The contents of the album -- lyrics and narration -- had been
approved by Egypt's Coptic Christian Church, whose followers number
about 10 percent of the mostly Muslim population of 65 million
people. But Thabet told The Associated Press the church's opinion
on the material was only relevant in so far as religious matters
are concerned.

``Anything related to the political and social contexts is a
different story,'' he added.

In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab country sign a peace treaty
with Israel, but the relations have often been cool. Angry and
frustrated with Israel's role in Israeli-Palestinian violence that
began Sept. 28, Egypt recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv last
month.

The story of David and Goliath is common to Judaism, Christianity
and Islam. David is a hero for all three faiths, showing how God
helps those who believe in him. ``Daoud,'' the Arabic version of
``David,'' is common among both Christians and Muslims in the
Middle East.

The popular Egyptian weekly magazine Rose El-Youssef applauded the
censors' decision, saying they ``prevented a scandal.''

The magazine said the music planned for the cassette would have
told Egyptian children about ``Israel's glories ... and bluntly
refers to the superiority of the Israelites.''

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