Faith is an extremely sensitive topic, and when it is portrayed in its purest form in movies or series, it often sparks controversy. This is exactly the case with the Egyptian film Al-Molhed (The Atheist). Since the release of its trailer, the film has faced major backlash due to its atheist character.
What Is The Film’s Story?
The movie narrates the story of Yahia, played by Ahmed Hatem. Yahia is the son of an extremist Sheikh and starts questioning his own faith, eventually becoming an atheist, which angers his father and other religious figures. This is the basic plot of the film, written by Ibrahim Eissa.
The Reactions: Good, Bad & Ugly
Ever since the trailer for the film was released, the film became the central topic of discussion across social media, spurring all types of reactions:
The Lawsuit
Taking literal action against the film, Egyptian lawyer Mortada Mansour ended up filing a lawsuit against the production company, El-Sobky, where he demanded the removal of the film because of how it allegedly undermines the foundations of the Islamic religion.
Call For Boycott
Along with the lawsuit, many social media users have called for a boycott of the film. One user even commented, “All of us will not watch this.” Many have said that they won’t watch the film because Eissa is its creator, someone they believe does not have a fair view of Islam.
The Defense
In the line of defense are the film’s creators, cast, and crew. At the frontlines is Eissa, who defended the film and argued that the main topic reflects a part of Egyptian society, “not only is atheism present in Egyptian society, but the phenomenon is often openly discussed.”
The film’s producer, Ahmed El-Sobky, made it clear that Al-Azhar actually approved the film and that it does not contradict Islam.
Along with that, many Arabs defended the film, like Egyptian Professor of Economics Adel Abadeer, who said on X that Muslims should not fear the film because their fear implies that their faith is not well-rooted and that such a film could shift them toward doubt.
With all that being said, tell us, what do you think of the film?