(ANSAmed) - CAIRO, APRIL 25 - Egyptian actors and
intellectuals have expressed their complete solidarity with Adel
Imam, the man considered Egypt's most famous actor with a career
spanning more than 40 years, whose sentence to three months in
prison, inflicted for offending Islam in his work, was upheld
yesterday.
''This ruling is a form of intellectual terrorism,'' says a statement released by the Egyptian Creativity Front, a group of the country's leading artists, directors and writers. The organisation says that those who have sentenced Imam ''want a return to a religious and obscurantist state that suffocates art and creativity''. ''Imam is the Pyramid of Cheops of Egyptian cinema, he cannot be put in prison,'' they wrote.
The Front has organised a protest of solidarity outside a Cairo court tomorrow morning for 5 directors and authors who are also accused of insulting Islam. ''No to trials for intellectuals, long live freedom and creativity'' will be tomorrow's slogan.
Solidarity with Imam has also come from famous actors, such as Amr Waked, and the well-known writer Ala'a el-Aswani. Although he does not share the actor's political views, the author of ''The Yacoubian Building'' said on Twitter that the sentence marks a return to the Middle Ages, the Al Ahram website said. (ANSAmed).
''This ruling is a form of intellectual terrorism,'' says a statement released by the Egyptian Creativity Front, a group of the country's leading artists, directors and writers. The organisation says that those who have sentenced Imam ''want a return to a religious and obscurantist state that suffocates art and creativity''. ''Imam is the Pyramid of Cheops of Egyptian cinema, he cannot be put in prison,'' they wrote.
The Front has organised a protest of solidarity outside a Cairo court tomorrow morning for 5 directors and authors who are also accused of insulting Islam. ''No to trials for intellectuals, long live freedom and creativity'' will be tomorrow's slogan.
Solidarity with Imam has also come from famous actors, such as Amr Waked, and the well-known writer Ala'a el-Aswani. Although he does not share the actor's political views, the author of ''The Yacoubian Building'' said on Twitter that the sentence marks a return to the Middle Ages, the Al Ahram website said. (ANSAmed).
