Khaled Youssef wishes to change “Awlad Haretna” into a movie in defense of Naguib Mahfouz

Director Khaled Youssef recently announced that his upcoming movie will be “Awlad Haretna” or “People of my Neighborhood” the novel taken from the international novelist Naguib Mahfouz.According to what CBC published, Khaled is choosing this particular novel to turn into a movie, because he was genuinely disappointed at the criticism the late Nobel Prize winner received from some of the religious extremists. He also added that many preachers and sheikhs will not be able to change the image of Islam in the west where as one single movie can achieve that result, that is why he has much faith in the effect of the cinema.This specific novel was banned in 1959 by Al Azhar because is indulged in the process of God’s creation to human, which resulted in much controversy. In 1988 Naguib Mahfouz won the Nobel prize for this novel, which yet again resulted in more controversy, but this time an attempt was made on his life by a group of religious extremists.