We still have a lot to learn about the censorship in both Egyptian and actually all Arabic countries. It seems to work in reverse of the way censorship works in the rest of the world.

In other countries, censorship normally has lists of 'do's and don'ts' that have to be followed. Lines are drawn to show the film maker how far they can go and when they cross that line, there are penalties and rejection. Censorship in Egypt 'seems' to work in reverse and is more from the LACK of documented rules and regulations. Very few limitations are actually written. It seems to be a practice of 'self-censorship'. One film critic stated "I have never seen a single kiss in Algerian films! Yet there is no law preventing it". And yet drastic penalties abound.

A story about censorship concerning Chahine, who was probably the most famous of all Egyptian directors states, Chahine was stripped of the awards Saladin had won and threatened with prison because of a script dispute.

The fear of crossing non-existant lines is greater than having the barriers themselves. As a recent example, in November 2006, an advertisement in the Al-Ahram published in Cairo, for the film Dunya (Kiss Me Not on the Eyes), directed by Lebanese filmmaker Jocelyne Saab, announcing that it would be screened in 17 cinemas in Cairo and other cities. When it didn't open, of course, the first presumption is that the censorship board stopped the release. But when Ali Abu Shadi, the head of the Censorship Board was asked about the film not being released, he said he had not banned the film.... The reason why the film was not screened, he continued, was that the director had not paid LE120,000 in fees due to three syndicates -- the cineastes', the actors' and musicians' -- and that the Censorship bureau cannot grant screening permission to any film without these fees having first been paid. I asked him whether these fees are fixed, and Abu Shadi explained that they were discretionary, set according to the assessments of the three syndicates.

There was no advanced warning of any fees, especially the day BEFORE the release. The fees were larger than the expected opening revenue. So consequently, the film was not released in Egypt.