Since fundamentalist views have prevailed in many Muslim countries, the lives of artists and dancers have become increasingly difficult. Take filmmaker Jawad Rhalib's mother – she was a belly dancer. Her art, her way of expressing female sensuality, was labeled 'haram' by the fundamentalists: impure and thus forbidden. Rhalib should be ashamed of his mother, so he was told. Little remains of the once rich and diverse Arab culture. 

But what happens next? Will the portrayed artists stubbornly continue creating? Do they fight for their freedom of expression or does self-censorship seep into their work under the pressure of the outside world or their own community? This documentary searches for answers by using fragments from presidential speeches and Michel Houellebecq's much debated and controversial novel Soumission (Submission).