David and Goliath banned

     Egyptian censors recently banned a song being sung by children about David and Goliath, saying that the song was inappropriate during the time of the Palestinian uprising. According to the Associated Press, Madkour Thabet, head of the Audiovisual Censorship Authority said,"Presenting this subject now is not in line with the Egyptian social and political stance on the Palestinian uprising." The parallels between David's use of force to take down the Philistine Goliath, and the use of excessive force by Israel in putting down the Palestinian uprising was cited as the reason the censor decided to ban a children's cassette tape featuring a song celebrating the ancient story. Egypt signed a treaty with Israel in 1979 but tempers have run hot since the latest intifada erupted, and Egypt recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv in Israel in Novemeber, 2000. The story of David and Goliath is celebrated in both Jewih-Christian scriptures and is also retold in the Koran. According to the AP there was not much fuss in Egypt over the censor's decision, and "the popular Egyptian weekly magazine Rose El-Youssef applauded the censors' decision, saying they "prevented a scandal." The magazine said the music planned for the cassette would have told Egyptian children about "Israel's glories ... and bluntly refers to the superiority of the Israelites." (AP December 12, 2000). Apparently all movie scripts and song lyrics must first be reviewed by censors in Egypt before production can begin, and that would include the kiddies cassette tapes, or so it would seem. Just how the Palestinians could be equated with Philistine giant facing down the puny Israeli state is puzzling to me, but so it goes.