the circle of freedom

“ “ “ A film recently opened in Cairo has revived a controversy about the depiction of Copts in Egyptian drama.
The film, called One-Nil, tells the story of a Christian woman who is granted a divorce but cannot remarry because of the strict rules of the Egyptian Coptic Church.

She rejects a solution proposed by her lawyer that would allow her to divorce and get married again - convert to Islam - and instead conducts an illicit affair with the hero.

The rules of the Coptic Church prohibit its members from getting a divorce, with two exceptions: if one party proves adultery by the other or if one of the two parties converts to another religion.

The film is not the first of its kind to cause controversy.
About eight years ago a dispute raged when a TV drama series entitled Time of Roses depicted a Christian woman married to a Muslim man.

But it was another film entitled I Love Cinema … which was the most controversial. Its plot was considered by some to be critical of very religious Coptic Christians, who fast for about 200 days a year. The film was also criticised for shooting some of its scenes in a non-Coptic church although it was meant to depict a Coptic church.

"I cannot understand how an artistic work can be proscribed under the pretext of respect for the feelings of a few people. If we allowed ourselves to use respect for feelings to stop any artistic work, all forms of innovation and art would dry up," says Yusuf Sidhum, the editor of Watany newspaper.

The issue then is artistic freedom versus respect for the feelings of the few at a time charged with sectarian tension.” ” ”

May it be that a whole lot of “artistic expression” SHOULD dry up ?
Who but a few are creating the “Art” ?
The good editor seems to be saying that it is the few against the few without acknowledging that, that IS what he is doing. The issue Is AN artist decides to comment and use “artistic license” doing so against the feelings of an established group. ALSO there is what has become a non issue now a days it seems and that is respect of the young toward the old. The Coptic Church HAS been around for a long long time. Much Much longer than “Artistic expression” can claim to reach the masses – books, newspapers, movies, TV, Radio, Internet.

All of us draw circles. If said artist wants to draw a circle around the Whole world they DO need to recognize that there are already in existence a bunch of other circles. “I have to have MY movie show all over the globe ?” Politically there have been a few people who said the same thing and they have been roundly denounced, even by the very people who are claiming said “artistic license” ! !

As it happens Your Freedom stops six feet in front of MY nose !

TAKE NOTE - From there on in you have to get MY permission !

I bet everything that I have that the good editor would be VERY adamant about respect for feelings if some one were to punch him in the nose.

You say, “but that is not the same thing”

To which I reply

“Dry Up ! ! ! !”