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General Security Bans Play That Allegedly Offends Political Class

On October 1st, budding director Awad Awad premiered a musical play at Al Madina Theater in Hamra. What was supposed to be a simple performance piece quickly became a political debacle. Ten-minutes before the second performance was meant to take place, the cast and crew were informed that it had been cancelled. They then took to the streets outside the theater to perform in public. Despite the fact that they were informed that the play had been cancelled because of due process, many felt it was the political nature of the play that had been problematic.

The content had repeatedly referred to an unidentified figurehead and their effect on our daily lives, calling for a thawra. You can check out a brief clip below.



General Security tweeted a clarification on the matter, highlighting Awad’s nationality and stating that they refused to stand by as the play attempted to outsmart local laws. They also revealed that the play had not been cleared by their offices.



Twitter users were quick to call out this act as censorship, going so far to criticize the office of General Security for not caring about more vital matters.











In a country plagued with so many issues, it is always interesting to observe what the state’s priorities are.


Update: This morning, people gathered in front of the offices of General Security in Sodeco in solidarity with Awad Awad.