Movies Illegal In Somalia
Posted by John Campeaon 07. 09. 2006in News Chat
The other day I posted a story about a Chinese filmmaker who has been banned from making movies for 5 years because he submitted his film to a festival before getting government approval to do so. We thought that was bad. Louis… that ain’t NOTHING.
The following is from the good folks at M&C:
it’s suddenly a crime to watch a movie in Somalia — a movie, a video, or a television show. Even music is now forbidden in this East African country. Over the last few weeks the international media has reported several instances of United Islamic Courts (UIC) gunmen storming into full movie houses and arresting everyone, including women and children. Hundreds of people, sitting quietly watching a movie are rounded up forcibly and severely punished or even killed.
HOLY…. SHIT. WIll someone please remind me of this story the next trime I complain about an uncomfortable seat in my local movie theater.
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This is sad. I’m not sure how completely accurate that news story is but recent events suggest that this might indeed be the case. That country has been through so much hardship over the last 15 years and it’s sad to see that even with the aid that goes out there, they can’t get ahead. This goes back to the fact that they have no real ‘leaders’ that the people can trust. This is an example of how far a corrupted government can fall.
Very sad to see — it makes you think again how sometimes a person can get upset with their own country and how things are handled, but that most of us are still very lucky to live where we do and not have to deal with stuff like that!
The worst part and biggest tragedy is how the women and children are treated (or mistreated) in these countries.
Some gpeople with megalomanian tendencies think they have to fight hedonism, I suppose.
Sad, pathetic and somehow ridicolous.
I’ve read that linked article three times now and i still can’t figure out exactly why these mediums have been banned. I guess i’m just stupid. Does anybody wanna help me out?
Phil Gee:
I hope this helps a bit. Most of the power in Somalia, to the extent that anyone has power there, is held by hard-line Islamic radicals. Movies, TV, Music were all banned not because they are sinful, although that may be PART of the reasoning, but because they draw people’s time away from praying and studying the Koran.
At least this was what I read in relation to Afghanistan. I believe that the new center of power in Somalia is sympethetic to the Taliban, if not associated with it directly.
Should of happened to everyone that went to see Bewitched!!!
I would rather be dead then have no movies in my life.
I think that this story is a pretty good reminder of what kind of world we would have if the Islamofascists ever succeed in their goal of establishing a one world Islamic state.
We’d all be wishing we could live in the People’s Republic of China, where you can at least have movies, as long as they agree with the government.
The problem in Somalia is much bigger than an issue with Muslims (the Muslims are only coming into power in Somalia because the secular warlords have oppressed the people for so long).
Somalia doesn’t have a government and hasn’t had one for over 15 years. It is run by various warlords who have devided up the country into a series of fiefdoms. Some of these warlords are Muslim and some are not but life isn’t any better or worse for the people if they a ruled by Muslim forces or secular ones. In fact most of the Muslim power bases in Somalia have sprung up because the great oppression of secular warlords has mobilized people to support the Muslim militia.
Here in Hamilton we have a large community of Somali refugees and they will tell you the horrors of living in that country (it is worst for women). The biggest problem is that their exists a Caste system which sees those at the top attempt to kill those at the bottom.
We should note that as few as 25 years ago Somalia was one of the most beautiful countries in Africa and a place where any of us might have gone on vacation. Civil war has turned it into a wasteland and left it with no government.
Thanks a lot ‘Ted Kord Lives’. It’s that simple eh?
Phil Gee:
It’s probably not quite as simple as I made it sound. One thing I forgot to mention is that, in the past, the more “fundamentalist” interpretations of Islam forbid the image of anything made by Allah as art. That’s why a lot of traditional Muslim art used geometric patterns and written language, but did not show man or nature. That could play into it somewhat. But I think the issue is more that entertainemnt is a distraction of man’s primary task of worship.
Stop Spreading the Lie, We have never Banned Movies, As you know Somalia the country Had No rule of law for last 16 years and the cinamas were show Porn Movies the Kids and the Adults alike, and that is the Only thinks You heard that have been banned, and In fact We will Bann porn Movies From both Adult and the Kids alike, its ilegal To watch such A Porn when you are Muslim, we Don’t care what else you watch, and the one who said Imagine Muslims Ruling the World Wide, we will see law and order world Wide, I hope You check Here @ http://www.theguidedone.bravehost.come do you know what the Guided one is? It means mahdi? do you also Know who is Mahdi ? he is the Guy that Allah is cleaning for Somalia, and you are reading his own writing!
Why don’t you ask how Somali folks reacted this situation?
95% of Somali people are cool with it.