Hot Gay News: Singapore bans documentary about gay muslims from film festival (April 11)

Singapore bans documentary about gay muslims from film festival

A Jihad for Love was filmed over five years and in nine languages by India-born and raised director Parvez Sharma who travelled the world from India to Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa and France to interview devout Muslims who are lesbian, gay or transgender to speak about their faith and their sexuality. In the film, a gay South African imam argues that homosexuality is not banned while another imam rebuts his view.

According to traditional interpretations of the Quran, homosexuality is strictly forbidden and officially carries the death penalty in some Muslim or Muslim dominant countries including Iran, Saudi-Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Mauritania, Sudan and Nigeria.

Three other documentaries were banned from the censors: Arabs And Terrorism and David The Tolhildan, were “disallowed on account of their sympathetic portrayal of organisations deemed terrorist organisations by many countries;” while Bakushi, a film on a Japanese form of sexual bondage involving elaborate rope patterns was disallowed because it “normalises unnatural fetishes and behaviour,”

AFP: Singapore censors say four films banned from film festival (April 4)

Singapore censors say four films banned from film festival

Apr 4, 2008

SINGAPORE (AFP) — Four film documentaries, including one by a gay Muslim and another about terrorism, have been banned from being shown at Singapore's film festival, the censor board said Saturday.

It said the films "exceed the Film Classification Guidelines".

Board of Film Censors chairman Amy Chua said "Arabs and Terrorism" and another film, "David the Tolhildan", were "disallowed on account of their sympathetic portrayal of organisations deemed terrorist organisations by many countries."

Since independence in 1965, Singapore has grown from an underdeveloped country to an Asian economic powerhouse. But critics say this has come at a price, in the form of restrictions on freedom of speech and political activity.

According to the film festival programme, "Arabs and Terrorism" presents a dialogue between right-wing American policymakers and Middle Eastern political factions.

"David the Tolhildan" is about a Swiss man who joins the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the festival said. The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by much of the international community, has been fighting for self-rule in southeastern Turkey.

Another rejected film, "A Jihad for Love" by gay Muslim film-maker Parvez Sharma, is about homosexual people living within Muslim communities, the festival said. In a statement, Chua said the film was disallowed because of "the sensitive nature of the subject".

Japanese documentary Bakushi, which is about bondage, also failed to get classification because it "normalises unnatural fetishes and behaviour", Chua said.

Festival officials could not be reached for comment but a notice on the its website said "A Jihad for Love" and "Arabs and Terrorism" had been "disallowed". It did not elaborate but said "Arabs and Terrorism" had been set for a sold-out screening on Saturday.

Singapore's government says the city-state has been liberalising but maintains a conservative core.

About 200 films have been classified for the festival which runs until April 14, Chua said.

BBC News: Singapore upholds Janet Jackson ban

Jackson's All For You tour starts in July

Officials in Singapore have thrown out an appeal against a ban on Janet Jackson's album, All For You.

The Publications Appeal Committee, a panel of academics and professionals, considered the appeal by record company executives.

They decided that the lyrics of the album, particularly one song, Would You Mind, were "not acceptable to our society".

The record was initially outlawed because of its "sexually explicit lyrics". The song lyrics include "I just wanna touch you, tease you, lick you, please you, love you, make love to you."

Downloadable

Distributor EMI is now attempting a compromise by trying to persuade Jackson's management to delete Would You Mind from the album.

This would make the album more acceptable in Singapore. However, Jackson fans can still access and download the offending song from the internet.

Singapore officials banned Jackson's previous album, The Velvet Rope, because three of its songs contained lyrics about homosexuality.

Singapore, a conservative city-state, is notorious for its tight controls on all media and for its promotion of family-oriented "Asian values".

Censorship

In 1963 it outlawed the Peter, Paul and Mary hit Puff, the Magic Dragon, fearing it referred to smoking marijuana.

An episode of Ally McBeal was banned because its titular character shared a steamy kiss with co-worker Ling, played by Lucy Liu.

Ally McBeal: Lesbian kiss banned

The Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS) said it had dropped the episode because it "centres around alternative sexual explorations".

Two further episodes in the same series were given parental guidance warnings.

Austin Powers 2 was heavily censored and had its subtitle changed from The Spy Who Shagged Me to The Spy Who Shioked Me.

Shioked means good or nice in Singapore's mix of English, Malay and Chinese dialects. Singapore's board of film censors said the use of the word 'shagged' was "crude and offensive".

All pornography, even partial nudity, is banned, websites considered obscene or offensive are blocked by the government, and many films are censored or banned.

Jackson is still enjoying success, however. The album is currently riding high in the American charts at number five, after occupying the number one spot.

Her All For You world tour starts in Vancouver, Canada on 7 July. Singapore is not on the list of tour dates.