As Saudi Arabia relaxes its rules against cinemas and women drivers, Egypt now looks set to inherit the coveted title of Arab country with the most absurd restrictions. Having made little progress in combating an Islamist insurgency, the Sisi regime has turned its attention to the "threat" posed by atheists, gay people and – increasingly – musicians.
This week brought the arrest of Laila Amer, the third female singer to face criminal charges since November. She has been imprisoned since Tuesday following a complaint from Ahmed Mahran, a vigilante lawyer who claims that her recent video performance poses a "great risk" to Egypt. Mahran also filed a criminal complaint against fans who waved rainbow flags at a Mashrou' Leila concert in Cairo last September.
Amer's song (see video above) features a housewife complaining about her mother-in-law. Some her movements are sexually suggestive and changing a single letter in the song's title, Buss Ummak ("Look at your mother"), would turn it into an obscene Arabic expression. [al-bab.com] Read more
