Egyptian Singer Jailed For 2 Years For Controversial Music Video

A 25-year-old Egyptian singer has been sentenced to two years in prison for a controversial music video she starred in. In the video, she is wearing her underwear and suggestively eating a banana.

Shaimaa Ahmed was convicted for inciting debauchery and producing an indecent film. The video's director was also sentenced to two years in jail

On her Facebook page, Ahmed wrote, “I didn’t imagine all this would happen and that I would be subjected to such a strong attack from everyone."

She denies all accusations. Ahmed says the director included the controversial scenes in the video without her consent.

The video has caused outrage in Egypt because of its content. Marina Younis, a blogger and presenter, asked his followers to report the singer’s page and shut it down. The singer had apologised and appeared in court wearing a niqab.

Egypt's Conservatism

Egypt is known for arresting those who disseminate sexually explicit content. In 2015, it arrested two belly dancers who were sentenced to six months in prison. Authorities have also been cracking down on LGBT people who are often arrested on charges of ‘debauchery’. In September, some young Egyptians were arrested for attending a concert in Cairo where a rainbow flag was raised. 

Last month, pop singer Sherine Abdel-Wahab was charged with incitement and harming public interest for joking with a fan about her hit song, “Have You Ever Drunk From the Nile?”

She had spoken about how drinking from the Nile River could lead to schistosomiasis, a parasitic infection that has plagued Egypt for thousands of years. She was banned from performing and could face three years in prison.

Cairo Most Dangerous City for Women

Cairo was recently named the most dangerous city in the world to be a woman, says a report from the Thomas Reuters Foundation. It was the third-most dangerous megacity in the world in terms of sexual violence — Delhi and Sao Paulo -- ranked as more dangerous.

Also Read: UK Woman Could Face Death Penalty In Egypt For Carrying Painkillers

Picture Credit: The Express Tribune