Cairo: Egyptian film director Amr Salama said he was detained by authorities for questioning over his controversial film “Shaikh Jackson”.
He added in a Facebook post that the prosecutors ordered the film be examined by the country’s top Islamic institution, Al Azhar, to make an opinion.
The probe was in response to a legal complaint by a lawyer, who accused the film of insulting Islam and promoting atheism.
No formal charges were levelled against the director or other makers of the film.
“Shaikh Jackson”, currently playing at Egyptian theatres, tells the story of a hardline Muslim clergyman, who was as a teen a devotee of the pop singer Michael Jackson.
The protagonist, played by Egyptian actor Ahmad Al Fishawy, feels so devastated on hearing the news of Jackson’s death that he plunges into an identity crisis.
The controversy surrounds one particular scene in the film where the protagonist imagines he meets Jackson inside a mosque.
The film had been approved by government censors before it was released for public showing in October.
“What is the use of having the film examined by the censorship if its approval does not guarantee protection for us? Is it anybody’s right to file a legal complaint against the artist, alleging he defends the religion or the country?” the 34-year-old director said.
“The film is an artistic. It is not a religious work that requires clearance by the religious establishment.”
Salama, a Muslim, accused the lawyer, who sued the film, of fishing for fame.
The lawyer, identified as Abdul Rahman Abdul Bari, defended his move.
“The name of the film itself insults Islam,” Abdul Bari said.
“Could the director have named his film ‘Rabbi or Priest Jackson’? Or has Islam become the target of anyone, who wants to make a film?” the lawyer told private Egyptian television DMC Monday night.
“Shaikh Jackson” premiered at the Tornto Film Festival and nominated by Egypt for the best Oscar for a foreign film.
Salama is known for directing films that deals with sensitive issues. His 2014 film “Excuse Me” tackles alleged discrimination experienced by a child from Egypt’s Christian minority.