This elegantly written exposé explores how artistic censorship reflects larger civil rights restrictions that hinder social development and human potential. By taking readers inside Middle Eastern art galleries and exhibitions, Belal demonstrates concrete manifestations of repression in a field that cannot thrive without free thought. The essay provides an unusual and compelling argument for the importance of critical thinking and open inquiry.
 

Recently the world caught a glimpse of the global battle for individual rights in the events that followed several European newspapers publishing controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed. Protests throughout the Muslim world erupted, flags were burnt and embassies were attacked. The European newspapers stood firm in defiance stating that the publication of the cartoons was their right to the freedom of speech. Many Muslims, however, saw it as blasphemy and an insult to Islam. The events that transpired as a result of the cartoons reflect the heated nature and differences in values that the world must face when dealing with individual rights. In a world of increasing globalization, where the interaction of different cultures and ethnic groups continues to rise, individual rights have become more important than ever. Everyday in instances throughout the world, both noticed and unnoticed by the public media, it is clear that individual rights continue to be overlooked and disregarded.

The Middle East is an area with a blemished individual rights record and one that is still a far cry from much of the developed world. Individual rights remain one of the biggest stumbling blocks to the development of the region. A variety of forms of expression, ranging from sexual to religious, have all been oppressed. It is high time for drastic change: the Middle East desperately needs to free itself from the shackles of stagnation and finally begin its ascent to become a part of the world that is recognized as truly free. It can become an area that once again attracts a variety of intellectuals and thinkers, stimulates creative growth and provides a culturally rich environment for the development and progress of society.

As an artist, born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, the lack of individual rights and the block of creative development that results is of particular importance to me. It was only when I began to study in the United States and experienced the differences in culture first-hand that I realized I needed to understand more about myself and the many facets of identity. As an art student granted free reign to explore, my artwork touched on a variety of identity issues such as politics, language and culture; much of my work also referenced sensitive and taboo subjects such as sexuality and religion.
 
After completing my undergraduate degree in fine arts in the United States, I returned home to Cairo. Wearily accepting that it would be difficult to exhibit in Egypt due to the nature of some of my work, I nonetheless decided to research exhibition opportunities. Previously, I had seen several exhibitions at a gallery (one of the few exhibition areas independent of the government) dedicated to showing contemporary artwork and decided to get in touch with the director. After showing the director my portfolio, he informed me that although some of the work could potentially be shown and would probably narrowly escape the scrutiny of government officials, the others were simply impossible to display. To prove his point, the director cited an instance where the gallery had been forced to close an exhibition that was seen as blasphemous by the government; even after the gallery won a court case, the artwork remained confiscated. I was also secretly shown an exhibition catalog hidden away in one of the director’s drawers. It was the work of a Lebanese artist who had previously exhibited at the gallery many times, but with this particular work that was commenting on Islam, it could only be shown abroad with no publicity in Cairo.

I was quickly brought to my senses and grounded realizing that it was still a dire situation for artists in Egypt. After spending the majority of the previous four years abroad as an art student, it was easy to forget the censorship issues at home. Later that summer, I showed a friend of mine working in Cairo some of my most recent work. His response was the same; I could forget about exhibiting the work in Egypt, and he also mentioned that it would be a good idea not to show the work to anyone else. I was left frustrated, helpless and able to relate to an artist quoted in Douglas Kennedy’s book Beyond the Pyramids, which is banned in Egypt.  The artist states that although one is able to make what he or she wants within a small community, the “problem is that, in Egypt, you make what you want inside a cage” (Kennedy 33).

It became clear to me that the impact of this creative block due to the lack of individual rights was destroying the possibility of any prominent or high level art developing in Egypt. All the art that I had seen was mundane, uninteresting and hardly anything that would provoke thought. In exhibitions such as the annual Youth Salon, allegedly showcasing some of Egypt’s finest young and emerging artists, I found that the art floated around similar ideas that at best flirted with boundaries but never comes close to breaking through or going over the edge. I did not see how anything shown could possibly jolt one into critical thought processes.

Even the grand 9th Cairo Biennale which called itself the “largest international exhibition in the Arab world” was described by Lilly Wei, a writer for Art in America, as an opportunity wasted on “dated, uninspired, provincial work with almost nothing that stood out” (1). It was the same at the recently re-inaugurated Museum of Modern Art in Cairo, where most of the work never strayed from traditional landscapes or tame abstract works and failed to feed my desire for thought, reflection and inquiry.

These mechanisms and policies have starved Middle Eastern society of artists’ voices by keeping them away. Whether by force or by choice, well-established artists such as Shirin Neshat from Iran and Ghada Amer from Egypt currently live abroad. Both are critically engaged with prominent Middle Eastern cultural issues such as gender inequality in Islam. I fear that my voice and ideas will also be kept away.

As an artist, I learned and believe that asking questions is a crucial aspect of art. Whether the questions are about art itself or about society, art must ask people to think. Art and those affected by it are only able to develop and progress through constant dialogue, exchange and critical thinking. As a result, it is not at a standstill but continues to push and redefine its edges. Currently, however, art is being prevented from achieving its goals and purpose of keeping society “in a state of intellectual inertia, thereby guaranteeing the perpetuation of the status quo” (Heggy). Although the censorship of art is only part of the greater problem that societies in the Middle East face today, it is nonetheless a clear reflection of the broader perspective.

As with art, how can society develop and progress in an environment where individual rights are readily infringed upon, where the slightest criticism or questioning is done away with, and boundaries and limits are set to control those who attempt to break through? It is impossible for a society to move forward without looking back upon itself critically while simultaneously encouraging and accepting creative solutions to its problems.

Works Cited:
Heggy, Tarek. “Islam between copying and thinking.” Tarek Heggy. 28 March 2006.
Kennedy, Douglas. Beyond the Pyramids Travels in Egypt. Great Britain: Unwin Hyman, 1988
Wei, Lilly. The Cairo effect: during the 9th Cairo Biennale a striking contrast prevailed between the staid official event and several livelier satellite exhibitions. Art in America. May 2004: 1. Find Articles. 28 March 2006.

Back to Essay Contest Winners