When Syria’s pioneering stand‑up collective Styria cancelled its shows in Hama during the country’s first Comedy Festival, co‑founder Malke Mardinali warned that “every word is being scrutinized and reports are being filed.” The incident captures how surveillance, informal pressure, and fear of denunciation still define the limits of artistic expression in Syria’s fragile post‑war cultural opening
In August 2024, Egyptian syndicates suspended Lebanese singer Haifa Wehbe’s work permits over contractual disputes, briefly restoring them later that month. In March 2025, the Musicians’ Syndicate escalated the case by banning her from performing, after a complaint from her former manager. The Administrative Court finally overturned the ban in December 2025, closing a 16‑month battle with major implications for artistic freedom
After months of religious backlash, boycott calls and a high‑profile lawsuit led by lawyer Mortada Mansour, Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court upheld the right to screen the already‑licensed feature The Atheist, reinforcing constitutional protections for artistic creativity and limiting attempts by private actors to erase controversial works from public space.
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When Pomme d’amour, a satirical short film by Fares Naanaa, was re-released online in 2025, it ignited a wave of outrage over alleged blasphemy. Yet behind the public uproar lay a deeper story , one of political distraction, fear-driven self-censorship, and the rapid erosion of Tunisia’s post-revolutionary creative freedoms.
Syrian author Khalil Sweileh’s acclaimed novel The Barbarians’ Paradise faces renewed censorship more than a decade after its first Cairo publication. Authorities demanded removal of passages depicting the Syrian conflict and changes to the text, which Sweileh refused. This episode underscores the persistent control over artistic expression in Syria and highlights the limited space for writers to challenge official narratives.
When a Basra fashion show celebrating cultural heritage sparked armed threats, it revealed how non-state actors now dictate Iraq’s moral and creative boundaries. The case exposes the deepening crisis of artistic freedom in a society struggling to reclaim its cultural voice.
When the Saudi historical drama Muawiya aired during Ramadan 2025, it ignited religious and political tensions in Egypt. Al‑Azhar issued a fatwa prohibiting its viewing, citing the portrayal of Prophet Muhammad’s companions as impermissible. Despite bans on local TV, the series remained accessible online, highlighting the clash between traditional censorship, sectarian sensitivities, and digital media’s reach in shaping historical narratives across the Arab world.
On 6 February 2025, Iraq’s Karkh Misdemeanor Court issued a one-year prison sentence in absentia against Iraqi singer and performer Taysir Al-Iraqiya for publishing content deemed “immoral” online. The ruling, based on vague morality provisions in Iraq’s Penal Code, reflects a broader state campaign targeting artists, influencers, and creators. The case highlights growing risks to artistic freedom, digital expression, and cultural diversity amid intensified online content policing.
In July 2025, Syrian folk singer Omar Khairy was abducted from a wedding in his hometown of Al‑Bab by armed men who said they were acting for “general security.” Hours later, videos showed him beaten, shaved, and forced to sing under duress over his alleged praise of Bashar al‑Assad. The case reveals how rival authorities in northern Syria enforce red lines on cultural expression through intimidation and public degradation
The July 2025 eviction of Damascus’s historic Al‑Kindi Cinema by Syria’s Ministry of Religious Endowments has become a defining test of post‑Assad cultural policy, pitting promises of renewal against fears that religious and political authorities are tightening their grip on what counts as legitimate art and public memory.
The censorship of Better than Earth at the 26th Ismailia International Film Festival exposes how informal, undocumented decisions by Egyptian authorities can effectively erase a film from public view. Despite being officially selected, the film was barred through a verbal order, revealing the fragility of artistic freedom under Egypt’s censorship regime and the limited, quiet resistance available to filmmakers and festival organisers operating within state-run cultural institutions.
Iraqi digital artist and performer Joanna Al Aseel was arrested in Baghdad on 12 May 2025 after her online content was flagged as “immoral” by a Ministry of Interior committee. Her conviction and three‑month prison sentence on 20 November 2025 exemplify Iraq’s expanding use of vague public‑morals laws to police artistic expression online and deter women artists and content creators from participating in digital public space
In August 2025, security forces shut down Um Al-Rabe’ain Café in Mosul after a video of two women dancing inside the venue went viral online. The women, both employees, were detained along with other staff for alleged violations of “public morals.” The case exposes how digital outrage now drives state action, shrinking space for culture, leisure, and women’s visibility in Iraq’s recovering cities.
Iraqi novelist Rusly Al Maliki says security agents have informally banned his new book A Year of Decline, a searing account of Iraq’s corruption and social deterioration in 2024. The book was reportedly blocked from bookstores, the Baghdad Book Fair and delivery services without any court order. Al Maliki denounced the move as illegal and vowed to put the book online for free unless authorities back down by 26 September.
In August 2025, the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Damascus University ordered a ban on nude models in all graduation projects, threatening students with a grade of zero if they refused to comply. The decision triggered protests, a strong student statement, and wide online debate, reigniting long‑standing tensions over morality, religion, and artistic freedom in Syria.
In March 2025, security forces in Karbala closed the “Umm Kulthum” cultural café under the 2021 Sanctity of Karbala Law, solely because its name honored the iconic singer Umm Kulthum. The case shows how religiously framed regulations in Iraq are reshaping public space, restricting cultural venues, and pressuring owners to adopt overtly religious branding to avoid future trouble
In July 2025, authorities in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, banned the sale and circulation of Labubu collectible dolls, citing deceptive blind-box marketing, consumer exploitation and potential psychological impacts on children. The move, framed as both consumer protection and cultural defence, has triggered debate over children’s welfare, market regulation and state control over cultural products.
When journalist Naouel Bizid invited trans activist and performer Khookha McQueer to mark the 100th episode of Deep Confessions Podcast, a show about mental health became a flashpoint for Tunisia’s culture war over queer visibility and freedom of expression.
A groundbreaking Tunisian–Croatian theatre collaboration on migration drew full houses and critical praise, only to be quietly shelved by the Tunisian National Theatre without explanation.
At the 26th Ismailia International Film Festival, Mohammed Salah’s Co-directed with a Ghost won Best Film yet was barred from public screening by Egypt’s censorship authorities, exposing how opaque permit regimes quietly erase celebrated works from local audiences.
