Egypt’s government censors have rejected a foreign company’s request to distribute an album by the Israeli singer Dana International.
The censors said the album contained sexual incitement and unacceptable expressions. In addition, they cited a previous decision banning songs by Israeli singers from Egypt.
The chief censor, Madkour Thabet, told the London-based daily Al Sharq Al Awsat that an Israeli album could not be permitted in the Egyptian market under the current anti-Israel circumstances prevailing in the region.
The company had obtained permission to sell an album by the same Israeli singer 10 years ago, and achieved good results.
Dana changed her name at that time to Saidah Sultan, which helped her promote her album, especially in Egypt and Jordan, prompting the Israeli Foreign Ministry to call her the ambassador of Israeli culture.
Dana, originally a male named Baron Auhin born in 1972, underwent a sex change operation - Albawaba.com
