Egypt shuts down TV spots over xenophobia
Source: Agencies |
June 11, 2012, Monday
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EGYPT'S government has pulled public service announcements that warned against talking to foreigners who may be spies after criticism that the spots fueled xenophobia, a media official said yesterday.
The two spots ran on both state and private television stations for a few days before Minister of Information Ahmed Anis ordered them off the air. One opens with a blond-haired young man scanning a cafe while a narrator says:
"From the beginning, he knows why he is here and sets up his goal. He won't have to spend much time getting to know the people in the place." The foreigner then spots three young Egyptians and heads over to them, saying in broken Arabic: "I love you so much." The narrator says: "Our generosity has no limits," as one of the Egyptians stands up, shakes hands and invites the foreigner to sit with them.
It goes on to show the foreigner smiling slyly and narrowing his eyes while listening intently to young Egyptians complaining about the economy and talking about overhearing a plot against the ruling military council while in the subway. The narrator warns Egyptians not to share with outsiders their woes about the country's economy or political situation.
Both spots close with: "Every word comes with a price. A word can save a nation."
Ahmed Maher, co-founder of April 6, one of the youth groups that steered Egypt's uprising last year, described the spots as "deceptive to spread fear of conspiracies and tarnish the image of the revolutionaries through indicating that dealing with foreign journalists leads to leaking dangerous information about Egypt."
It is not clear which state agency ordered production of the announcements. But Maher demanded parliament summon Minister of Information Ahmed Anis, a former army general, over "such sneaky" advertisements.
Anis, according to the media official, asked "media experts" to examine the content and decide whether to ban the announcements. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Some pointed the finger at Egypt's security agencies, including intelligence and military intelligence, which have a long-running xenophobic culture. The agencies have remained largely intact after Hosni Mubarak's ouster in a popular uprising last year and the ruling military council that took over is led by Mubarak's defense minister of 20 years.
During the uprising, foreigners - especially foreign journalists - were targeted, beaten up by citizens or snatched by plainclothes security agents.
The two spots ran on both state and private television stations for a few days before Minister of Information Ahmed Anis ordered them off the air. One opens with a blond-haired young man scanning a cafe while a narrator says:
"From the beginning, he knows why he is here and sets up his goal. He won't have to spend much time getting to know the people in the place." The foreigner then spots three young Egyptians and heads over to them, saying in broken Arabic: "I love you so much." The narrator says: "Our generosity has no limits," as one of the Egyptians stands up, shakes hands and invites the foreigner to sit with them.
It goes on to show the foreigner smiling slyly and narrowing his eyes while listening intently to young Egyptians complaining about the economy and talking about overhearing a plot against the ruling military council while in the subway. The narrator warns Egyptians not to share with outsiders their woes about the country's economy or political situation.
Both spots close with: "Every word comes with a price. A word can save a nation."
Ahmed Maher, co-founder of April 6, one of the youth groups that steered Egypt's uprising last year, described the spots as "deceptive to spread fear of conspiracies and tarnish the image of the revolutionaries through indicating that dealing with foreign journalists leads to leaking dangerous information about Egypt."
It is not clear which state agency ordered production of the announcements. But Maher demanded parliament summon Minister of Information Ahmed Anis, a former army general, over "such sneaky" advertisements.
Anis, according to the media official, asked "media experts" to examine the content and decide whether to ban the announcements. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Some pointed the finger at Egypt's security agencies, including intelligence and military intelligence, which have a long-running xenophobic culture. The agencies have remained largely intact after Hosni Mubarak's ouster in a popular uprising last year and the ruling military council that took over is led by Mubarak's defense minister of 20 years.
During the uprising, foreigners - especially foreign journalists - were targeted, beaten up by citizens or snatched by plainclothes security agents.
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