An Egyptian administrative court has thrown out a lawsuit demanding the ban of the film “The Atheist,” affirming the right to its public screening and pushing back against attempts to censor art under the guise of religious sensitivities.
The ruling marks a decisive moment for the film—a drama directed by Mohamed El-Adl and written by journalist Ibrahim Eissa—which has been at the center of intense controversy since its production due to its bold exploration of religious extremism and the societal stigma surrounding atheism.
The court on Sunday rejected the case brought by controversial lawyer, public figure and former Zamalek Club president Mortada Mansour, who sought to revoke the film's license on grounds that it offended Islam.
The court also upheld the decision by Egypt’s General Directorate for the Censorship of Artistic Works to grant the screening license, ruling that the film contains no material promoting atheism or insulting Abrahamic religions.
The film follows the story of Yahia, the son of an extremist sheikh, whose intellectual and spiritual doubts lead him to ultimately abandon his faith. His declaration of atheism triggers a violent rupture within his family and community, a narrative that mirrors real-life tensions surrounding belief, dissent, and social conformity in Egypt.
Since its announcement, “The Atheist” has faced fierce backlash, including calls for boycotts, accusations of promoting apostasy, and delays in release, even as its creators insist the film reflects genuine social debates simmering beneath the surface of Egyptian society.
A judicial source involved in the ruling, speaking to Al Manassa on condition of anonymity, said the court had watched the full film and found that none of the claims made in the lawsuit were substantiated.
The court dismissed an earlier advisory from the State Commissioners of the State Council, that had called for the license to be withdrawn. Their recommendation was based on the failure of the film's production company and the censorship authority in acquiring prior approval for screening the film’s from Al-Azhar, Egypt’s top Islamic authority.
The court asserted that while Al-Azhar holds jurisdiction over assessing Islamic matters, which falls under protecting public order, morality, and the state's supreme interests, its prior approval is not legally required for censorship decisions.
Court documents revealed that the commissioners' authority had not viewed the full film before issuing its recommendation. Instead, it relied solely on the film’s official trailer, which shows a young man from a Muslim family declaring his apostasy to his father. The father, invoking “hudud”—fixed Islamic legal punishments—gives his son three days to repent or face death.
The commission argued this storyline involved sensitive Islamic issues and should have required Al-Azhar’s approval. However, the court found this logic insufficient to justify censorship.
Following the ruling, the film’s writer Ibrahim Eissa welcomed the decision in a post on X, writing “Egypt’s esteemed judiciary has issued a decisive and unequivocal ruling permitting the screening of The Atheist, rejecting all attempts to ban the film. The matter is now in the hands of the state’s executive authorities. Egypt’s judiciary has spoken—do not leave the film waiting for its fate.”
With Sunday’s verdict, “The Atheist”—starring Ahmed Hatem, Sherine Reda, Mahmoud Hemida, and Hussein Fahmy—is now cleared for continued public screening. The ruling provides not only a legal green light for the film but also a rare endorsement of artistic freedom in an environment where works tackling faith, authority, and personal belief often face aggressive attempts at suppression.
