Minister of Religious Endowments Mohamed Abdel Fadil al-Qoussy has said that creativity should not be restrained. “Not all types of art are haram [forbidden by Islam],” he said.
Qoussy explained that artists should have self-discipline and adhere to the ethics of religion. “It should come from within and not be imposed on them,” he said.
“If art portrays the vices of society, such as pornography and homosexuality, then it is haram,” he said, adding that people like to watch these things, and that artists are promoting vice by portraying them. “Also, they must take into account that children are watching.”
“The media must censor art in order to preserve the ethics and behavior of society,” he said. “A nation falls when ethics fall.”
Qoussy also said that Islam does not label anyone as an infidel. “It is a religion that promotes virtue,” he said.
“We need religious scholars who can enlighten society,” he said. “And we need to agree to disagree.”
“Egypt is a Sunni society, and we are against the Shia trying to infiltrate us,” he said, commenting on a religious holiday celebrated last week by Egyptian Shia.
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
