Egyptian court bars belly dancing program

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CAIRO, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- A Cairo court has shut down a local television station for broadcasting belly dancing and upheld a 30-day ban on a show airing on another TV channel.

The Cairo Administrative Court Saturday ordered the government to shut down the al-Tet for "inappropriate material," Egypt Independent said. In addition to broadcasting belly dancing, the court said the station was operating without a proper license and aired "provocative advertisements," Ahram Online said.

In a separate case, the court rejected an appeal by Sheikh Abdullah Badr and Atef Abdel-Rashid, the owners of the al-Hafez religious television channel, seeking to resume regular programming, Ahram Online said.

The court last month suspended the broadcast of Badr's program "Fi al-Mizan" for 30 days after he insulted Egyptian actress Elham Shahin saying: "She is cursed and she will never enter heaven," Ahram Online said.

Shahin and Hala Sarhan, a television anchor, had filed a lawsuit demanding the TV station be shut down. On Jan.12, the court suspended Badr's show for 30 days and levied him a fine.