Geez, that's the only defense that the actor gave...that he hadn't known that another cast member was Israeli? That's sad. No matter what the guy might think personally, I guess he can't go against his union. I've heard that a lot of Egyptian intellectual, artistic, and professional associations are very, very anti-Israeli.

And who knows? Maybe this actor really believes his union is right!

I think a similar thing happened when Omar Sharif starred opposite Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl, kissing her in the movie. I believe that Nasser scored Sharif for doing that, saying that he shouldn't be allowed to continue "enjoying Egyptian nationality," i.e., that he should have his citizenship revoked. I don't know what Sharif said or what was done, though I'm sure he didn't claim that he hadn't known Streisand was Jewish.

Back then the problem was that Streisand was Jewish. Now maybe the Egyptians wouldn't mind a Jewish American. Now to be objected to, you have to be Israeli, so they're not banning all professional contact with Jews. Hey, that's progress for you.

I pity the Israelis for having such hateful neighbors as these. But I also pity the Egyptians for living in a society fraught with such narrow-mindedness and stupidity.

"Hey, that's progress for you."

Not really.

"Third, actor Omar Sharif, according to Al Bawaba, "infuriates Muslims with his latest remarks about Islam." (Thanks to Nicolei.)

What were his terrible remarks? "According to the London based Elaph, the remarks that caused the storm of anger were Omar's revealing that he has two grandchildren, one Jewish and the other a Muslim. The actor had stressed that he does not interfere in religious matters and is giving his grandchildren the freedom of choosing which religion they want to follow. Omar added that he will not in any way try to influence them to both follow Islam even if his Muslim grandchild wanted to convert."

In other words, Omar Sharif is under fire for affirming religious freedom instead of anti-Semitism and dhimmitude. Even worse, from this noxious point of view, is the fact that "the actor did not deny making such remarks with regards to his grandchildren and attempt to calm the storm of Anger." A friend tried to calm the waters on his behalf: "On a different note, his good friend Egyptian actress Nadia Lutfi denied that Omar made such comments stressing that he would never say such a thing."

It is a sad commentary on the Islamic world today that such remarks would stir controversy -- just as it is sad that in Toronto a young woman received death threats for pro-Israel statements, and a neo-Nazi spoke at an Islamic conference."

http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/000574.php

Just a thought: Doesn't this union policy and ostracizing members who work together with Israelis of the same trade, remind you of something?

Like, for example, what the anti-Israeli academic boycott proposed by some British unions? Isn't this exactly the kind of consequences their initiative searches to achieve?

Well, Omar Sharif sounds like a nice man. BTW, he was originally Christian (of Lebanese parentage) and only converted to Islam so he could marry a Muslim actress. So he's no true believer, anyway. I wonder how he got the Jewish grandchild.

Another actor who's a good candidate for Muslim apostasy is that Bollywood cutey Shahrukh Khan. He is an Indian Muslim who married a ...gasp!... Hindu. I don't think he has plans to raise his kids any particular religion, if I remember correctly.

I think that Egypt is way beyond the boycotters in moral turpitude. Their whole society is steeped in such antisemitic values

By the way, you did pick up that my statement "that's progress for you" was meant sarcastically. Right? T

hat's the problem with the internet: It's so easy to misunderstand because you don't hear the tone in which things are said.

"I think that Egypt is way beyond the boycotters in moral turpitude. Their whole society is steeped in such antisemitic values"

Well, the boycotters are getting there. Maybe someone should point out to them where it is they are heading. They are agreed on the princple, the degree of the moral turpitude is still being negotiated.

As in the famous joke about George Bernard Shaw. He sees a beautiful woman at a party and asks her whether she would sleep with him for a million pounds.

"Why yes", smiles the woman.

"And for fifty quid?

"Sir, what do you take me for?

"I thought we agreed on that. Now we are just haggling over the price".