Egyptian singer jailed for suggestively eating fruits in music video
Shaimaa Ahmed, a 25-year-old Egyptian singer, was convicted on Tuesday of inciting debauchery through her music video. Professionally known as Shyma, she was arrested last month after a video featuring her in underwear and suggestively eating fruits sparked nationwide outrage in conservative Egypt. She and the video's director Mohammed Gamal have reportedly been jailed for two years. Read on to know more.
Substandard, filthy and morally corrupt, critics slammed Shyma's video
In the 3.5-minute long music video for her song 'I Have Issues', which can arguably pass off as soft porn, Shyma is seen wearing skimpy lingerie, making sexually-suggestive gestures and provocatively eating fruits as she teaches a classroom of adult male students. Her video was slammed widely across Egypt for "corrupting public morals" and "inciting debauchery", so much so that Facebook took it down.
Had best intentions at heart, was seduced by fame: Shyma
Confessing that she "had the best intentions at heart, but was seduced by fame," Shyma, before being arrested, apologized to everyone who found the video offensive. She also blamed director Gamal, saying she was "a tool" in his hands and was guided by him throughout. On her Facebook page, which she has since deleted, she wrote that she didn't expect such a strong backlash.
Egyptian president infamous for repressing freedoms of expression
Shyma is the latest among the many artists who have been prosecuted under Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's rule, infamous for repressing freedom of expression and political liberty. In 2015, Egypt jailed two belly-dancers for six months for spreading immorality through their music videos. Another singer, Sherine Abdel Wahab, is under trial for suggesting the water of River Nile isn't fit for drinking.
