Barbie: How Did An American Cult Movie Promoting Homosexuality Get Approval For Theatrical Release in Nigeria By The National Film and Video Censors Board?
- Ahmed Muktari
In Lebanon, Mohammad Mortada, the Minister of Culture has convinced the Lebanese government to ban the film "Barbie" from cinemas on Wednesday, saying it "promotes homosexuality" and contradicts religious values.
"Barbie" has been banned in
Kuwait to protect "public ethics and social traditions", the state news agency reported. Other anti-gay countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa are most likely going to do so.
The National Film and Video Censors' Board (NFVCB) and National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) have questions to answer for the release of "Barbie" in Nigeria.
Homosexuality carries a 10-year jail term in Nigeria.
The act of aiding and abetting anyone in homosexuality is also a crime like aiding and abetting anyone in robbery and other crimes.
Did the NFVCB watch the film before approval or they have compromised their official duties and responsibilities to censor movies violating the ethics and laws of the constitutional policy of the agency and the laws of Nigeria?
OUR POLICY – NFVCB | National Film And Video Censors Board:
The detail of the Guidelines is contained in the following pages. But it is right to set out here the general underlying grounds on which the Board exercises the broad discretion conferred on it. There are four main considerations:
is the film or video work in conflict with the law?
that adults should be free to choose their entertainment, within the law.
is the film or video classified for a particular age group likely to be harmful?
is the material, at the age group concerned, clearly unacceptable to broad public opinion?
The Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, which banned gay relationships and entrenched intolerance of sexual minorities in Nigerian society, was signed by Goodluck Jonathan, then president, in January 2014.
Nigeria is a country of almost equal populations of Christians and Muslims who are against homosexuality condemned by both religions of Christianity and Islam. And the minority of traditionalists also condemn homosexuality as demonic and against the native customs and traditions of the tribes in Nigeria.
We must not permit the corruption of our society and the violations of our laws by Western import of homosexuality.
- Ahmed Muktari,
Lagos,Nigeria.
PS:
"Barbie' is a 2023 American fantasy comedy film directed by Greta Gerwig from a screenplay she wrote with her partner Noah Baumbach. Based on the Barbie fashion dolls by Mattel, it is the first live-action Barbie film after numerous computer-animated films and specials.
It is currently the highest grossing movie so far in 2023.
The views of the author of the article are not the opinions of Nigerians Report Online.
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