Region | Egypt
Lebanese pop sensation angers Egypt's Sufis
Lebanese pop star Haifa Wehbe, known for her controversial music videos, has raised the ire of Egypt's Sufis, who accuse her of insulting them in her debut movie.
- By Ramadan Al Sherbini Correspondent
- Published: 23:22 June 6, 2009
- Haifa Wehbe in a scene from Dukan Shehata, the film whichhas offended the Sufi community.
- Image Credit: Supplied picture
Cairo: Lebanese pop star Haifa Wehbe, known for her controversial music videos, has raised the ire of Egypt's Sufis, who accuse her of insulting them in her debut movie.
Mohammad Al Shehawi, the acting chief of the Sufis Orders in this predominantly Muslim country, has filed a complaint with Egypt's Chief Prosecutor Abdul Majuid Mahmoud, accusing Wehbi and the makers of her film Dukan Shehata (Shehata's Store) of making fun of the Sufis. He demands the film be banned.
The scene which the Sufis have found offensive shows Wehbe frolicking on a swing at a moulid (a local fiesta), with her uncovered legs distracting a circle of mystics from their prayers.
Al Shehawi said that this was a disgraceful act, which harms Islam and offends Muslims, especially the Sufis.
Dukan Shehata was released to the public early this month after its controversial director Khalid Youssef was engaged in a high-profile wrangle with the censors.
Last year , Youssef caused a big stir in Egypt with his blockbuster film Heena Ma Yassra (Until Things Get Better), which tackles the problems in the nation's slum areas. His detractors accuse him of harming the image of Egypt.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Maher, a legal adviser to the Sufis Orders, has disclosed that negotiations are under way with the makers of Dukan Shehata to delete the contentious scene.
He threatened to go to court if the negotiations reached a dead end. The scene is punishable under the law because it offends Muslims, he said.
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