The 鈥淏arbie鈥� movie was pulled from theaters in Algeria this week almost one month after its release in the North African country.
Online news outlet 24H Algerie said Algeria鈥檚 Ministry of Culture and Arts notified cinemas in Algiers, Oran and Constantine to 鈥渋mmediately鈥� pull the movie.
Neither the ministry nor the Algerian Audiovisual Regulatory Authority commented on the reported directive or provided a rationale for it.
鈥淏arbie鈥� opened in some some Algerian cinemas last month. The film鈥檚 distributors removed the Hollywood blockbuster from their screening schedules starting this week..
The move comes after banned the live action movie based on the American fashion dolls for allegedly threatening conservative values.
Some people in Algeria protested the cancellation on social media, posting their complaints along with the hashtag 鈥�#IAmBarbie.鈥� Others denounced it as 鈥渃ensorship鈥� and 鈥渂igotry.鈥�
鈥淭he 鈥楤arbie鈥� film 鈥榠s a threat to morality,鈥� they say,鈥� writer Leila Belkacem posted pn her Facebook page. 鈥淲hat morality are they talking about when the censors gorge on porn films at home? Aren鈥檛 you tired of dragging the country into your dark delusions?鈥�
Fatima Ait Kaci, a retired teacher, told The Associated Press she had promised to take her two granddaughters, who were visiting from Canada, to see the movie. Ait Kaci said she heard what had happened to 鈥淏arbie鈥� only when they arrived at the Riadh El Feth cinema in Algiers and discovered another film showing in the 3 p.m.-5 p.m. time slot.
Algerian authorities 鈥渄on鈥檛 have the courage to take responsibility for this shameful act of censorship,鈥� she said.
Last week, the Audiovisual Regulatory Authority announced its decision to 鈥渢emporarily鈥� suspend all programming by private TV channel Es Salam for allegedly broadcasting 鈥渋n an irresponsible and unprofessional manner, a program containing scenes contrary to the precepts of Islam and the way of life of Algerian society.鈥�
鈥淏arbie鈥� contains no overt sexuality or references to LGBTQ+ rights. But it seems to have drawn fire because of its sheer flamboyance and broad message of inclusion and gender equality in a region where homosexuality is widely seen as taboo.
The Warner Bros. film worldwide since it鈥檚 release.
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