Egypt has banned Ridley Scott’s “Exodus: Gods & Kings” from playing in theaters due to alleged historical inaccuracies and a “Zionist” agenda the film supposedly pushes.
“The Ministry of Culture bans the film ‘Gods and Kings’ for historical inaccuracies,” Egypt’s culture ministry explained in a statement Sunday, a few days after the initial ban, The Associated Press reported.
Egyptian Culture Minister Gaber Asfour scoffed at an apparent claim in the film that “Moses and the Jews built the pyramids.”
“This totally contradicts proven historical facts,” Mr. Asfour said, The Guardian reported.
“It is a Zionist film,” he added. “It gives a Zionist view of history and contains historical inaccuracies, and that’s why we have decided to ban it.”
The ban was decided by a committee comprising the head of the supreme council for culture, Mohammed Afifi, the head of the censorship committee and two history professors, Mr. Asfour told The Guardian.
Mr. Afifi said he took issue with a scene in the film that showed the parting of the Red Sea where Moses is seen holding a “sword” instead of a “stick.”
The Ministry of Culture’s statement said the movie also inaccurately depicts ancient Egyptians as “savages” and presents Jews as a people who mounted an armed rebellion. It said religious scriptures instead present Jews as being weak, the AP reported.
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