Since the earliest stages of human existence, mankind has known art and engaged in lawful sexual relations as a natural biological function. He also, on a limited and individual scale, committed unlawful acts such as adultery and sexual deviance. In response, societies instituted firm religious, moral, and social prohibitions against such reprehensible behaviors. So what, then, are the new concerns I raise today regarding the current rise of intellectual debauchery, the normalization of pornography, and the accompanying sexual deviance in modern art—if humanity has, in fact, been acquainted with all of this since ancient times?
Humanity and Art
Art, in all its forms, has traditionally been a secondary aspect of a secondary domain of human life: the realm of leisure, play, humor, and entertainment—engaged in after a hard day’s labor, or so it is presumed.
In our inverted age, however, the secondary has become primary. Art and sports have taken precedence over more essential domains—politics, culture, economics, and media. Trivial public interests now dominate daily life, and celebrities from the entertainment and sports industries have become cultural icons, media guests, and public influencers. Societies have abandoned genuine loyalties—such as to truth, creed, or even tribal identity—and replaced them with artificial affiliations to favorite teams or entertainers.
Historically, humanity has engaged with numerous art forms: painting, sculpture, theater, singing, music, and dance. In recent times, with advances in cinematic and television direction, these forms have converged into single audiovisual packages: the film or TV series—formats that have eclipsed other individual art forms in popularity.
Thus, when I refer to modern art in this article, I primarily mean acting and singing, whether presented separately or in combination.
The Myth of “Art as a Noble Message”
A popular trope among artists and media personalities is the oft-repeated statement: “Art is a noble message.” This lofty rhetoric is frequently echoed—even by individuals such as belly dancers Dina and Fifi Abdou, following overtly sexual dance performances, or singers like Haifa Wehbe and Nancy Ajram after performing provocative, hyper-sexualized songs.
This empty claim is widespread among the icons of contemporary Arab entertainment, particularly within superficial Egyptian cinema and uninspired Gulf drama.
At its best, art is a form of entertainment and diversion—beginning as permissible, then descending into the disliked, the forbidden, and finally, into systematic corruption. It is hardly a “noble message.”
Even if we were to adopt a balanced view and concede that art can be a vehicle for goodness, reform, or awareness, the art currently available is largely decadent and corrupt. The occasional exception—such as the films The Message, Omar Mukhtar, or select Turkish dramas like Diriliş: Ertuğrul or Kuruluş: Osman—are but drops in a sea of shallow and degenerate content.
Why, then, is the myth of “noble art” so aggressively propagated in the Arab and Islamic world? The answer lies partly in the historical project of ideological subversion. I recommend Anwar al-Jundi’s book, The History of Intellectual Invasion and Westernization During the Interwar Period (1920–1940), as an essential reference on this matter.
The Myth of “The Audience Wants This”
Another common fallacy in artistic and media circles is the justification of artistic vulgarity with the phrase: “This is what the audience wants.”
In truth, no such measurement exists. Audiences are not consulted nor granted choice. Rather, they are subjected to pre-selected content—films, series, or programs—broadcast at the behest of media corporations. Especially in much of the Arab world, where citizens have lost control over governance, wealth, judiciary, and media, is it reasonable to expect that they control artistic programming during Ramadan or dictate its themes?
Whereas it may have been difficult for past generations to discern the manipulative forces behind media content, today we see with clarity the strategic promotion of content via social media trends (e.g., Twitter hashtags), subtly or overtly engineered by invisible hands.
A notable example is the consistent, mysterious promotion of hashtags related to pornography or sexual deviance on Twitter in Saudi Arabia—on Fridays in particular.
This manipulation is no accident, nor is it reflective of popular demand. The process mirrors earlier decades of media subversion through print and television, when few could see the hidden hands shaping public consciousness.
Hollywood: The Architect of Modern Art
Since the early 20th century, Hollywood has dominated the film industry, spawning the world’s largest and oldest production studios and eventually monopolizing global cinematic output. The industry captivated international audiences, especially in Europe and Australia, with its bold and youthful American lifestyle. As a result, Hollywood became the de facto benchmark for artistic standards.
Over time, however, cinema transformed into a ravenous beast—forever chasing shock, suspense, and curiosity to generate revenue. It increasingly tackled controversial topics under the guise of “breaking taboos,” often violating sacred values and disturbing deeply held beliefs.
With the invention of television, computers, and eventually the internet and digital revolution, the United States amassed unprecedented soft power through its cultural exports—chiefly, Hollywood.
Today, five major U.S. conglomerates control approximately 85% of American (and arguably global) cinematic output. These include:
- Walt Disney Pictures
- Warner Bros.
- Universal Pictures
- Columbia Pictures
- Paramount Pictures
These media behemoths are not detached from American political and intelligence institutions. During the Cold War, the CIA operated a front organization called the Congress for Cultural Freedom, effectively laundering funds for ideologically-aligned cultural production[1].
This is not mere conspiracy theory. Scholars such as Tricia Jenkins, in her 2013 book The CIA in Hollywood, and Frances Stonor Saunders, in her widely acclaimed Who Paid the Piper? The CIA and the Cultural Cold War (1999), have documented these ties. In an article published in The Independent titled Modern Art Was a Weapon of the CIA, Saunders exposes how art was weaponized against the Soviet Union and European traditionalism—ironically, at a time when America had no traditional art of its own.
Former CIA operative and CNN analyst Robert Baer once remarked that Hollywood studio executives regularly meet with U.S. senators and intelligence directors, suggesting deep institutional cooperation.
Since 1996, the CIA has maintained an official liaison office with the entertainment industry, offering consultation to film producers and embedding intelligence narratives into cinema.
Pornography in Modern Art
If Hollywood was never a “neutral” artistic entity but rather a politically and commercially manipulated force, it remains vulnerable to further ideological control—whether from multinational corporations, transnational ideologies, or even sinister metaphysical influences.
Hollywood never upheld the constraints of virtue, public decency, or conservative Christian ethics. From the outset, it welcomed pornographic actors (from the adult film industry) into mainstream roles, later elevating them to stardom. Notable examples include:
Even American society objected to the moral degradation promoted by Hollywood. In 1930, the Motion Picture Production Code was established, banning depictions of nudity, sex (even implied), profanity, and blasphemy. Yet over the decades, filmmakers gradually normalized these taboos until the Code was repealed in 1969.
More recently, the surge in deliberate pornography in mainstream cinema is hard to ignore. Explicit scenes are now included without narrative justification—added solely to meet an implicit demand or external expectation.
Worse still, sexually explicit content increasingly appears in works labeled “family-friendly” or “suitable for minors.”
Sexual Deviance in Modern Art
Homosexuality, by definition, contradicts human nature, biological purpose, and foundational social structures such as marriage, family, and ethical law. Historically, mankind recognized such behavior as immoral, shameful, and punishable.
Today, however, sexual deviance is being normalized as a lifestyle choice under the umbrella of “personal freedom,” aided by relentless media campaigns.
Modern art—especially cinema and music videos—plays a central role in this moral inversion. But what we see now is not simply normalization; it is a perverse escalation—deviance upon deviance.
Consider a film about five immortal superheroes dedicated to saving the universe. Midway through the script, we discover that two are gay, two are lesbian, and one is heterosexual. This is deviance in the portrayal of deviance.
Recent productions like Game of Thrones exemplify this, glamorizing incest, necrophilia, demonic copulation, and other grotesque acts.
One cannot ignore Netflix, a platform seemingly designed to promote such themes. The company reportedly negotiated with Saudi authorities to remove a film critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman—on the condition that it be allowed to stream content promoting sexual deviance within the Kingdom.
Clearly, the motives here surpass mere “entertainment.”
Even global filmmakers have complained about imposed criteria in recent years. Under the guise of supporting social justice, political correctness, and minority rights, only films that promote LGBTQ2+ content, feminism, or similar agendas receive awards and festival recognition—often by forcibly injecting these elements into the plot.
Who Is Behind the Promotion of Pornography and Sexual Deviance?
What has happened in recent years such that sexual perversions have become norms, deviations have been recast as “differences,” and vices reframed as “personal freedoms”? Who is orchestrating this trend, and who is empowering it so forcefully?
There are several explanations:
1. The Approach of the End Times
One possible explanation is that this moral and aesthetic decline reflects the world’s march toward its end.
This view has theological legitimacy, supported by prophetic traditions and rational evidence. Ever since God created humankind, He has sent them prophets and messengers to renew moral standards. When long periods pass after a prophet, and people deviate from his teachings, another prophet would come to realign them with truth.
Were it not for the fact that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the Seal of the Prophets, we would now be in need of another prophet to revive the faith and realign humanity. But since we are the final nation, living in the last era, we inhabit a time of moral distancing from divine values.
The Prophet ﷺ said in authentic ḥadīths:
“The Hour will not be established except upon the worst of creation” and:
“The Hour will not come until no one on earth says: ‘Allah, Allah.'”
—this will happen after the righteous perish and the path of truth is erased[2].
2. The Empowerment of Evil through Digital Technologies
Another valid interpretation was suggested by my friend Ibn Alberts, who posited that past eras offered a natural shield against widespread immorality due to social shame and limited communication tools.
With the advent of the internet and social media, even the most taboo behaviors now find public expression—often under anonymity. Deviants found spaces to share their impulses and build communities. Some of them, it turned out, held influential positions in society, which allowed them to lend legitimacy to what was once publicly condemned.
Through this process—the digitization of the human being—deviance slowly transformed from a hidden shame into a “valid alternative,” openly discussed, increasingly tolerated, and finally accepted.
3. The Conspiracy of Evil
This, too, is a legitimate explanation. But what exactly is “evil”? And who operates it?
In my view, evil begins with Satan himself. Not as a symbolic whisper or passing thought—as many now believe—but as a real, sentient being, created by God, who vowed to lead mankind astray from the very beginning.
Allah says:
“Do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy. He only commands you to evil and indecency.”
—[Surat al-Baqarah, 2:168–169]
Satan now utilizes all of humanity’s inventions and innovations to orchestrate a global conspiracy against mankind.
Following Satan are his human allies—those who spread corruption either unknowingly, driven by their base desires and deviant ideologies, or knowingly, operating in secret as elite agents of his agenda. These latter actors may belong to clandestine circles or secret cults—those that researchers may one day uncover through professional investigative journalism, including the inner workings of Satanic temples and ritualized groups.
In my assessment, these three explanations are not mutually exclusive. Rather, they complement each other. Together, they form a coherent account of how pornography, immorality, and sexual deviance are being promoted and normalized in today’s world—especially through modern art and media.
Footnotes
[1] F. S. Saunders, Who Paid the Piper? The CIA and the Cultural Cold War, p. 141.
[2] Ḥadīths reported by Aḥmad, Muslim, and others.
