Egyptian media on the offense against dissident celebrities

Since the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi and the political polarization of Egyptian society, many Egyptian TV personalities and pro-regime supporters have accused many of being traitors or Muslim Brotherhood supporters.

 

Nowhere is this debate more public than with celebrities who have publicly criticized the new military-backed government. Among the personalities who have criticized the regime were journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, actor Khaled Abol Naga, talk show host Lilian Dawoud and footballer Ahmed al-Mirghany.

 

 

Abol Naga had said in November 2014 that he was against postponing art festivals in Egypt under the pretext of the security situation. Addressing President Sisi, he said: “If you want to prove that the security situation in Egypt is stable, you should allow festivals. Security solutions are the most dangerous thing we face. We made a revolution in order to live in stability. If you are unable to run the country, you have to step down. If you are not able to do your job, you should leave.”

 

Last January, Abol Naga tweeted after a terrorist attack against the army in Sinai: “I do not see light at the end of the dark tunnel of terrorism on the one hand and security solutions on the other. Sisi must step down immediately if he wants to stop the bloodshed.”

 

For this, he was exposed to sharp attacks by the media. Mazhar Shahin, the imam of the Omar Makram mosque, said in a telephone call to a program on Sada the Al-Balad satellite channel: “Who is Khaled Abol Naga? What’s his job? He should leave Egypt and go to Iraq or Syria.”

 

Samir Sabry, a lawyer, filed a complaint with the prosecutor general accusing Abol Naga of treason, incitement against the regime and disturbing national security.

 

Ahmed Mousa, a talk show presenter, said Abol Naga should not talk politics again.

 

 

“I call on Sisi to revolt against his regime, for there are attempts by Mubarak's men to return to political life,” said famous journalist Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, who has been a journalist since President Gamal Abdel Nasser, as advice to President Sisi in a program on the CBC satellite channel in December 2014, which placed him in the range of fire.

 

He also said that Sisi should hold a political trial of Mubarak and his officials, and that Sisi’s statement about not going back in time is not enough.

 

Farid al-Deeb, Mubarak’s lawyer, called Heikal a hypocrite. Addressing him on Sada Al-Balad, he said: “You just hate Mubarak. I think you should stay quiet at home.”

 

Journalist Adel Hammouda said Heikal likes to draw himself close to presidents. “He always did that,” he said on the Al-Nahar satellite channel.

 

 

Some requested the government to deport Lilian Dawoud for tweeting her support of the young people who were sentenced to five years in prison in the Shura Council violence case, reassuring them that no one can take away their freedom.

 

Mortada Mansour, chairman of the Zamalek Club, said she works against the interest of the country and insults the army and the judiciary.

 

Hazem Abdel Azim of Sisi’s presidential campaign also criticized her, while Ahmed Moussa called her a fifth column.

 

But bloggers, including novelist Alaa al-Aswany and former MP Mostafa al-Naggar, said she supported the January revolution and the army in deposing President Mohamed Morsi, and should therefore be allowed to stay in Egypt.

 

 

In a tweet, Mirghany held Sisi responsible for the death of the soldiers who were killed in an attack in Sheikh Zuweid last Wednesday. He wrote: “You asked the people for a mandate to fight terrorism, although you needed no mandate because it is your job. But since then, our soldiers and police are being killed everyday. You are only good at talking. You are a flop.” 

 

Mirghany was suspended for four matches by his club, Wadi Degla, for violating the bylaws and talking about politics.

 

Mortada Mansour said Mirghany was expelled from the Zamalek Club for his insolence. 

 

Ahmed Shobeir, a former goalkeeper, said the country is fighting a war against terrorism in Sinai and needs the support of the people, not the "stupidity" of Mirghany.