Egyptian rappers given jail warning for ‘sexist’ material

EGYPT is drafting a law that would jail rappers for up to three years if they use offensive language, in the latest crackdown on free expression since Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the country’s authoritarian president, came to power.

Under proposals reported by Arab newspaper Al-Monitor, the Penal Code would be amended so that artists who use colourful language are imprisoned instead of paying a fine of 500 Egyptian pounds (£26).

The law was drafted by Faraj Amer, an Egyptian MP who said he had grown tired of hearing profanity on the radio, and claimed the main rationale was to prevent women being exposed to sexist language.

“These songs have entered every household in Egypt through the internet and smartphones,” Mr Amer told Al-Monitor.

“A mother, a sister, a wife or daughter should never be exposed to such words because they are offensive and often sexist. These songs are so frequently played that the [words and idioms] they use inevitably end up penetrating daily language.”

However, the law could also be used as a pretext for imprisoning those who undermine Egypt’s conservative customs and traditions.

Al-Monitor highlighted two artists, Hassan Shakosh and Omar Kamal, who could be subject to the law if it is passed.

Their song Bent El Geran (The Neighbour’s Daughter) suggests that drinking alcohol and smoking hashish can help youngsters recover from a break-up, and triggered a heated debate about public morals when it was released.

The law is the latest sign that Egypt has become increasingly draconian since President Sisi seized power in a military coup in 2013.

It also follows the Egyptian government’s decision this week to eject Ruth Michaelson, a British correspondent from Cairo, over spurious claims she had misreported the severity of the coronavirus outbreak.