Pornography Laws in Egypt: Court bans Internet pornography in Egypt

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pornography laws in Egypt

Pornography is received differently by many people. And most people consider it a taboo topic. Even after the whole concept of pornography began in the Stone Age and at this point where we have many advancements in everything, people still think it’s something that shouldn’t be talked about freely.

Apart from this people criticize the people in pornography and disrespect them because of their profession. I don’t understand the reason behind it.

If you don’t like it then please don’t watch it and stay away, but why are you throwing hate comments at people who have different opinions than you? Anyway, there is no point in taking these things because certain things don’t change with time like the mentality of people.

Apart from all these, there are many cases related to pornography where people misuse this whole thing which is why certain rules and laws are followed by different countries. Anyways, all the countries do not have the same rules.

Some countries have strict rules and some countries have even banned porn saying that it’s just exploitation of sex. And now we are going to have a look into the pornography Laws in Egypt.

Pornography Laws in Egypt

Porn is illegal in all the Arab countries and is also illegal in Egypt since 2009. the reason why it is illegal in Arab countries is because of their religious beliefs, which is they are not allowed to watch other people’s names unless it’s your husband or wife.

These countries think that pornography corrupted Muslim values and beliefs. Everything related to pornography which is the sale, possession, and production of porn is illegal in Egypt.

Even though porn has been illegal in Egypt since 2009 it wasn’t followed or made into action. But later in 2012 it was banned and a court verdict came out saying that pornography emits ‘poisons in spreading immorality that destroys all religious beliefs, ethics, and moral values ‘.

They feel that not blocking the porn sites will destroy the values of the country. And they are not ready to let people watch porn in the name of freedom of expression as they think these sites harm the national and social security of the country.

History of Laws in Egypt

The reason why this law suddenly came up is because the youth of the country became busy with lust rather than focusing on important issues that were taking place in the country.

Younis Makhioun who was a member of parliament and the Islamist Al Nour party where the one who did the enquiry and other stuff to outlaw pornography in Egypt. It is after their inquiry the verdict came for the ban of porn in Egypt.

The sudden inquiry and verdict were because of the immorality and the lustful mentality of the youth. Instead of raising the standard of the country the people of the country were highly influenced by the obscenity which caused family troubles, rape, and divorce.

The conservative and Islamist people in the parliament were very much supportive of outlawing pornography in the country. Because they wanted to guide the nation with Islamic laws.

Some people were against it because they think that the people in the Parliament were not worried about the lack of security in the country when they were talking about outlawing pornography and watching porn videos contradicting Islamic beliefs that’s why they were interested in this topic.

There were many other problems in the country which was more important than pornography like economic turmoil and social unrest but they didn’t give much focus to those issues.

Agencies were formed in Egypt to find ways to block pornographic websites by the telecommunication minister citing the fact that it affected the families in Egypt.

However, we can’t say that the verdict was wrong. When we take a look into Google trends it shows that Egypt ranked 5th in the world for searching the term ‘sex’ in 2011. You can also see that six pornographic sites were there in the list of Top 100 sites in Egypt.

Here we can see that this inquiry and ban all came up because the situation went out of control. The people in Egypt were addicted to porn and they didn’t focus on other issues which they were supposed to take care of.

A court verdict was even passed in 2009 to ban all porn websites but under the rule of Hosni Mubarak, it was not implemented because the officials didn’t believe in filtering the system. But when things got worse it was finally banned in 2012.

 Even now people think that banning pornography was a bad idea as there were other pressing issues in Egypt and their focus was on outlawing porn. It is considered as an infringement of freedom of information which will never cause any problem for the betterment of society.

The verdict was passed one month after the request was given and the other pressing issues were still there without a solution. It is evident that this decision was issued mainly because of religious beliefs and many people didn’t like that.

Even if they ban porn there are other ways in which people can have access to erotic environments like hiring prostitutes, haram street, or the downtown bar.

Banning porn content because it contradicts the beliefs of a religion was not the right thing to do. The reason for objectifying women and other related issues comes up because excessive focus is given to such things. So it’s better to leave things as it is. 

Porn is Ban in Egypt

Conclusion:


In Egypt, the ban on pornography stems from religious beliefs, leading to a prohibition in 2009, officially enforced in 2012. This decision arose from concerns about the youth’s preoccupation with lust, diverting attention from crucial national issues.

Islamist members of the parliament pushed for the ban, citing moral values and Islamic principles. However, critics argue that the focus on outlawing pornography overshadowed pressing issues like economic turmoil and social unrest.

Despite the ban, some believe it infringes on freedom of information and has not effectively addressed societal challenges, as alternative ways to access explicit content still exist. The decision, largely influenced by religious beliefs, remains a topic of debate in the context of societal priorities and individual freedoms.

FAQs:

Why was pornography banned in Egypt?

  • Pornography was banned in Egypt in 2012 due to concerns about the negative impact on the youth, influencing family troubles, rape, and divorce. The decision was driven by religious beliefs and a desire to uphold Islamic principles.

Who initiated the inquiry to outlaw pornography in Egypt?

  • Younis Makhioun, a member of parliament and the Islamist Al Nour party, played a significant role in the inquiry and efforts to outlaw pornography in Egypt.

Were there objections to the ban on pornography in Egypt?

  • Yes, some people objected to the ban, arguing that more critical issues such as economic turmoil and social unrest were being neglected. They believed that the focus on outlawing pornography was misplaced.

Was the ban on pornography implemented immediately after the request in 2009?

  • No, the ban was not immediately implemented in 2009. Under the rule of Hosni Mubarak, officials did not believe in filtering the system. It was eventually enforced in 2012 when concerns escalated.

Did the ban on pornography receive support from all sectors of society?

  • No, there were varying opinions on the ban. While conservative and Islamist groups supported it to align with Islamic laws, others criticized the decision, viewing it as an infringement on freedom of information.

What were the repercussions of the ban on pornography in Egypt?

  • The ban aimed to address concerns about societal values but faced opposition. Some argued that it diverted attention from more critical issues, and the decision was criticized for being driven primarily by religious beliefs.