The Ministry of Culture and Information will not allow the screening of the Hollywood film Brokeback Mountain in the UAE because of scenes involving homosexuals.
Brokeback Mountain is a film which has nothing positive about it. The portrayal of the sexual behaviour of its main character is offensive to eastern societies, particularly Muslims and the Arabs since Islam forbids abnormal behaviors like homosexuality, said Dr Abdullah Al Amiri, Chairman of the Committee of Financial, Economical and Industrial Affairs of Sharjah Consultative Council yesterday.
“The film will upset the people of this culture and tradition,” he said, explaining that there were scenes showing two men romantically inclined to each other.
09 February, 2006
Brokeback Mountain banned
Khaleej Times reports:
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27 comments:
As I just said in my blog, I'm buying the film when it's released, the Ministry has no right to prevent me from viewing it, and it should not be able to prevent anyone to view it.
Just read my blog for the rest. (There's a translator at the side, if you need it)
It just pisses me off, because I already read the story, and it's a damn good story. Particularly because it already happens here underground.
Everyone here should have the Personal Individual Choice to watch it or not, even if the Ministry declares it could be upsetting to the culture, people or traditions. (Hehe, they forgot to use that excuse for absolutely everything else that comes from other countries.)
hypocrites!
samawel, loudly proclaiming that you have rights is pretty entertaining.
As for "should be able to", i'd move somewhere else if you don't want to appreciate the local culture.
As for the banning, it makes absolutely no sense, double standards once again.
It should be banned simply because its a romantic drama. Any film with the description of 'romantic' as its definition that does not feature witty banter between Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan is going to be a total bore and waste of time.
Brokeback Mountain looks like nothing more than porn for women and men who like that kind of thing.
Ban it.:-p
I'm a bit peeved that it's not coming to cinemas, but at the same time I do realize that this is a Muslim country, and as expats here we have to accept the decision to ban this film.
However, I don't appreciate people calling this film 'a gay cowboy porno'. If you don't like a film, clam up. I hated 'Titanic', yet people went to see it for its drama and Oscars. You can bet that if Brokeback Mountain starred two cowgirls, you'd get the DVD in Bur Dubai in 1 week. Personally, I don't need to wait for a film to hit the cinemas - that's what p2p software is for.
I saw it last night...was quite good actually, and Heath Ledger put in a very good performance. As a Welshman, I was of course too interested in the sheep they were herding to notice the sex scenes, but as a film it was not too bad - although not half as groundbreaking and thought-provoking as critics are making it out to be.
At love a christian. Who u calling hypocrites??? The film has also been banned in several states across the US.
I find it ironic that a society that produces movies such as Bound, Wild Things and programs from Buffy to the L Word, that all promote lesbianism sometimes extremly explicitly as perfectly acceptable entertainment, even for kids are still willing to make a fuss over Brokeback.
The UAE has a right to stand for its principles on whether or not it chooses to promote homosexuality as 'entertainment', regardless what goes on behind closed doors.
At least we are consistent.
"At least we are consistent."
was that supposed to be sarcasm?
at anon. I dont think the Bold and The Beautiful or whatever daily soap opera they show on tv here has graphic depictions of homosexuality and lesbians. Or i am sure it would be banned as well
WARNING: X Rated conversation with an old friend a couple weeks back.
Friend: Fcuk Brokeback. Dont like them gays.
Me: Yeah Haram
Friend: So did you have any fun when u were younger?
Me: You mean..?
Friend: Yeah.
Me: I never liked the idea of getting shit on my dick or someone elses cum on my hands.
Yeap. Thats right folks. Proud to say it, I remained a 100% virgin till I was 25 when i got married. So fcuk all that gay by default bull some ppl sprout and all that alternative lifestyle shit that they promote.
Offended? Well I will be offended if they promoted that crap here as well.
So yeah ban it. Muslim country, Muslim rules. Deal with it.
Muslim country, Muslim rules.
Copious amount of alcohol consumed, legions of hookers, pork dishes in restaurants and widespread adultery? Hey no problem!
But a film about gay cowboys?!! No way, that is just too much.
I dont think the Bold and The Beautiful or whatever daily soap opera they show on tv here has graphic depictions of homosexuality and lesbians.
What about incest?
Me: 1, You: 0.
and the fact is that the bold and the beautiful was shown on national television, no restrictions at all, anyone can watch.
Brokeback Mountain would be shown in a cinema with a rating.
Your argument is stupid, you sound like these idiot admins on counterstrike servers world-wide, "Samuraisam STOP SWEARING OR YOU WILL BE BANNED", so it's ok for children to be playing games with masses of blood and sniper rifles that kill people in one shot, blood on the walls, a knife to slaughter people, but a few swear words make everyone begin pointing the finger.
What is the difference? Violence? Romance? Gay romance?
Double Standards?
It's evident that there is an imaginary line in the UAE which no one wants to cross, but it's position and enforcement makes no sense to me and quite a lot of people I know.
I respect their banning of films, tv shows, music, web sites etc, but the least they could do is apply it evenly and let their standards be known, here in Australia they don't shut up about small kids being able to watch violent movies, they have ads on TV documenting each rating a TV show/film is given.
And to the point, I believe the premise of their action is that people will begin watching movies like these and become homosexuals, so applying the logic of this, if true, people that watch terminator 2 will run around with a german accent and shoot peoples knee caps with 9 mm pistols.
So why is something far more trivial, like what people do in the privacy of their bedrooms given priority over people that could be running around the streets decapitating people with machetes?
Sense = 0.
The film has also been banned in several states across the US.
Bullshit and lies. Any government trying to ban this would immediately be in court. Hell, the Mormons in Utah weren't able to ban hard-core porn.
The problem with this film is that it reminds too many locals of their days of rump-humping in high school and college.
Actually it has not been shown in several states. Source courtesy of Fox News...but hey u said 'lies lies lies'
I am with Local Hero. That gay by default is just an excuse for insecure closet cases to deal with same sex attraction.
If it was true, I still wouldn't be single.. :-p
I am not a homophobe and no where near as conservative as my good friend LH. I prefer not to judge people on their sexual orientation but instead on the quality of their character.
Although I agree that a few weak hetrosexual men engage in gay 'encounters' only as an outlet, I am not sure it is wise for someone like you who is gay to have a relationship with a frustrated str8 man.
You may have said it as a joke, but if this is the case and you were.. then to me it adds up to nothing more than the explotation of a bad situation of segregation, simply for your own sexual gratification and to me that is absolutely disgusting.
Don't think for a moment that I run after str8 men...why that would just be absurd
And I have long doubted the validity of information on Fox News, especially after the first Bush election. But that, my children, is another story.
Actually it has not been shown in several states. Source courtesy of Fox News...
This is plainly not true. Brokeback Mountain is playing in every single state in the US. No government body has tried to ban it.
The only incidence of censorship occured in Salt Lake City, where a theater owner refused to show it. One theater owner in a country with tens of thousands of theaters.
BTW, I believe that a theater owner has the right to sohw whatever he wants in his theater, but this is not to be confused with "banned in several states."
Anybody continuing to claim that this films has (a) "been banned" or (b) "has not been shown in several states" is dead wrong.
It is currently playing in over 2000 theaters in the US, at least one in every state.
Go to the Wikipedia page on this movie to see a list of "controversies" in the US.
BTW, anybody citing Fox News for anything is automatically an idiot.
I saw on MBC 4's morning program (which is a US program) some 3 weeks ago about how several cinemas in some states were refusing to show the film. This was before the oscar nominations came out so a) Fox's or anyone elses report may have had truth to it and B) Any cinema that may have had reservations against showing the movie in the 1st place probably had succumbed to mass appeal and allowed it to be shown anyway.
Whatever the case may be calling people idiots because the cited a certain news source for their information is...well idiodic.
That whole line of pointing at redlight districts, alchohal etc is a tired line. These things are primarily allowed in this Emirate and ignored by the authorities as so as not to appear to authoritan and scare the liberal expats and tourists away from Dubai.
But it is still a muslim country and instead throwing all the rules of its religion out of the window at least they trying to hold onto something at least for the sake of the locals and people indeginous to the region.
BTW, there are even gay red light districts in dubai? This one is news to me and for me thats just nasty. What is going to be the last straw for this emirate?
It also occured to me, that even though that this is a Muslim country, pork products can be bought at most supermarkets with seperate sections that have clear labels "NOT FOR MUSLIMS". I suggest they have such a sign outside the cinema if this movie is screened "NOT FOR __________"
"not for people...with a brain"
morning guy, so is the whole "if you don't like it leave" line.
nicholas, that's what we like to call a rating system, an impossible to implement system in the UAE. Red light districts and alcohol aside if they can get movies with near nude women jumping around, why on earth do a bunch of "gay cowboys" cause a fiddle?
can get movies with near nude women jumping around
I know! You know how distressing it is for me to watch things like that in the cinema with no Fast Forward button??? :-(
Sara....I LOVE YOU BABE! I was blubbering like a baby at the end of the film...I am proud to add it to my collection! :) And Jake was just va-va-voom!! =)
those posting homophobic comments should read about a study by Prof. Henry E Adams of the University of Georgia. in this study a group of straight men were divided into two categories, those with homophobic attitudes and those without. both groups were shown videos of gay sex. 80 percent of the homophobic group got erections but none of the other group were aroused. it suggests that homophobia is caused by people repressing their own same sex attractions. in other words, truly straight people are not homophobic because they don't care.
Can someone explain to me what is morally wrong with love? Isn't that exactly what ANY religion is preaching?
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