Several Arab countries this week banned the screening of the fourth part of the “Thor” saga in cinemas, due to the homosexual characters in the film.
Entitled Thor: love and thunderMarvel’s blockbuster swept the North American box office but, like other recent American blockbusters, has been met with trepidation and even censorship in some countries due to LGBTQ references.
The film contains more or less explicit allusions to homosexuality, “Valkyrie”, the character played by Tessa Thompson who clearly shows feelings for another woman.
“Preserve the virtuous values of society”
In Bahrain, the Ministry of Information has “decided to stop the screening of a film shown in theaters in the interest of preserving the virtuous values of society,” according to a press release published Thursday night.
He did not specify the title of the film in question, but the distribution of Thor was actually interrupted.
Kuwait has also banned it, according to local press. This cites the Ministry of Information, which explains its decision by the presence of “scenes with homosexual characters.”
In Egypt, the press -including the state press- had promoted the cinema at the beginning of the month. But a day after its premiere, it was officially banned due to the presence of homosexual characters.
kiss between two women
Instead, Thor is still playing in the United Arab Emirates, a similarly conservative Gulf country that had banned the Pixar Studios animated film. buzz the lightningcontaining a kiss scene between two women.
In April, Saudi Arabia asked Disney to remove “LGBTQ references” from the Marvel film. Doctor strange in the multiverse of madnessin order to authorize its projection in the halls of the ultraconservative kingdom.
The issues of gender and sexual freedom remain taboo in many Arab countries, especially in the Gulf monarchies.
Source: BFM TV
