Egyptian TV War Against Veiled Actresses And Anchors

In a new episode of narrow mentality that governs the Egyptian TV, the administration of the Egyptian TV in Maspiro decided to engineer a new massacre against the veiled actresses as if it was not satisfied with the evil propaganda launched against them and practiced by those who call themselves enlightened and intellectuals. Yet Maspiro (Egyptian TV) was not satisfied by this; it refused to display the TV series “Habib Al-Ruh” for the veiled actress Sohair Ramzy who returned for acting after long absence lasted for 14 years. The series was refused to be displayed in Ramadan.

Great Egyptian veiled actresses launched great censure against leaders of the Egyptian TV because it refuses to display 5 TV series where five veiled actresses participated in. They assured that their series and works were admired by the audience and occupied the position A, despite that, they were not displayed in accordance to the regulation that rejects the appearance of veiled actresses.

 They believe that there is a conspiracy against eiled actresses although all Arab satellite channels showed great turnout to display their artistic works.

The actress Sohair Ramzy assumed that her series was not displayed because the Egyptian TV adopts a general stance against all veiled women, because they refused to display other works for other veiled actresses.

 She said that this is another kind of anti reaction like that happened with veiled reporters.

She pointed that she refused all advices given to her in order to contact the Minister of Information and complain, and she asserted that her series was a good one and tackles important issues, it occupied the position A in the committee of watching, and refusing to display this TV was unjustified just because of the veil.

She said in a resentful tone, “Is veil compared to Bird Flu so that all leaders became panicked from! I believe that war against them is on purpose”

On the other hand, the Egyptian TV refused to display a TV series for the actress Hanan Turk who started to wear the head scarf recently, she criticized severely this action and she described those who run the TV as the superstitious spirits.

Hanan said that she was informed by one of the members in the committee of watching that they received a resolution to ban displaying any artistic work made by veiled actresses after they tried to choose “Qalb Habiba” seies for the veiled actress Sohair Al-Babli.

 The question is why the resolution of banning the appearance of veiled actress not to be declared in public or even the veiled reporters? “We respect this information body greatly” Hanan said, ” If this decision was taken by the minister then we will be brave enough to declare that we respect his decision and we will not endeavor to display our works on this TV”
Hanan added, ” I can not grasp the real stance taken against veiled actresses despite the fact that about 85% of Egyptian women were the head scarf, I do not have any explanation for that and I want the one who is responsible of this decision to appear before us and explain his point of view.

Hanan Turk said that there is a secret person controlling this body, takes decision without being known and their common reply “we have received a decision” but from who? The Egyptian TV will be a respectful one as all workers in this body are really respectful people, but they always trained us to listen and obey without objection.

The case of the veiled actresses and reporters are the most controversial issue among Egyptian artists where those who are pro believe that it is the right of any one to take his own decision and to do as he likes but it is not the right of any one to impose his own point of view on others. Those who are anti believe that art is a message so we should be away from any religious effects.

The Egyptian artistic arena experienced several issues like that related to the head scarf of actresses and reporters, and the most famous case was that of the reporters in Channel 5.

Reporters of Channel 5… uprising as well

It was known among all workers in mass Medias that there was an issued resolution from the Egyptian TV to refuse the appearance of 5 reporters working at Alexandria Channel known as Channel 5. They were prevented from presenting their programs because they wear the head scarf. Fatmah Foad the head of the channel shift Ghada Al-Tawil, Hala Al-Malki, Amira Shalabi, Rania Radwan, Amal Sobhi to other programs among which preparing the programs and she refused to let them appear before the screen even in news. Fatma Foad appealed to the head of the broadcast and television sector “Hassan Hamid” to hurry and appoint other new reporters rather than the banned ones especially because they were skillful and senior reporters.

Fatma Foad defended herself saying in an interview with an Islamic site, “It is the common code that the reporter in TV should not be veiled, and she can not break the law besides the Egyptian TV has rules and conventions that should be considered while working.

” She added, “I, as the head of a channel, I can not allow veiled reporters to appear because I do not have the authority to do that, besides  this did not happen before because she can not allow a veiled reporter to present an entertainment program where there are dance shows.” Fatma Foad said that shifting the veiled reporters to other programs not in their specialization will be a temporarily resolution until the matter becomes solved.

A high official in the ministry of information said, “Egyptian TV does not oppose that a reporter wears a head scarf since this is her personal freedom but at the same time she will not be allowed to appear on TV screen due to several consideration, without mentioning any of them.”

He pointed that the reporter has a right to practice all works save introducing programs, he said that the Egyptian broadcast has many veiled reporters but they do not appear. He said also that allowing veiled reporters can not be applied now, while the former head of the mass media production land Amin Basyouni said the final decision of allowing veiled reporters to appear before screen is in the hands of the minister of information and the decision makers of the Egyptian media policies, he refused to elaborate.

Amal sobhi the veiled reporter said to another Islamic site that she was sure that the resolution of preventing her from  appearance  was related to my head scarf, despite that I decided to wear it although my salary was reduced after I became in the staff of preparation.

The case of these reporters is still ongoing and it did not end.
This battle was transferred and propagated from press to the Parliament where the representative Ibrahim Zakaris Yunus submitted a complaint to the premier and the minister of information asking about the reasons behind the refusal to display series made by veiled artists.

The representative asked that banning these TV series was due to the veil and he pointed to the case of the two reporters Ghada Al-Tawil, Hala Al-Malki who were prevented from appearance before screens because of the head scarf.
The actor Hassan Yossif said in an interview with Ikwanweb that the policies of the Egyptian TV is always anti-Islamic because if we observed the religious artistic works being produced you would find only one production of “Imam Al-Maraghi”.

 Yossif assured that this is related to the fact that information sector is domineered by those who call themselves enlightened who believe that Islamic rites are ignorance.

Yossif appealed to the Administration of the Egyptian TV in order to change its policies against veiled actresses and the religious artistic works besides all must enjoy his freedom like those reporters who wear whatever they want and some times they were clothes that are against the codes of oriental dress, so it is better that the administration should encourage the head scarf and modesty in an Islamic country rather than fighting it.