20 - 26 December 2001
Issue No.565
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 20 - 26 December 2001 Issue No.565 |
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Talk of the town
Dena Rashed talks to the man who has stirred Israel's wrath
The satellite elite have known about it from the beginning, but Irhabiat ("Tales of Terror") -- the daily programme broadcast on Kuwaiti and Abu Dhabi satellite channels -- has quickly developed wider renown. The black comedy created by Egyptian writer Youssef Ma'ati has become a Ramadan must-see and has stirred up some heated discussion about its violent themes.
True to the original?: Dawoud Hussein as Sharon
The show features dark tales about the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon -- here played by Kuwaiti actor Dawoud Hussein -- and elaborates on the theme of Sharon as terrorist. Harshly critical of Sharon for his policies against the Palestinians, Irhabiat has angered the Israeli leadership as much as it has drawn an avid Arab audience. Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres has threatened to present an official complaint to the United Nations and has called for the cancellation of the show.
The episode that fuelled the controversy is entitled "Sharon meets Dracula" and depicts Sharon drinking the blood of 20 Palestinian children. He offers Dracula some of the blood in a show of bonhomie, but later kills him and drinks his blood, too. As the grand finale Sharon appears shooting captured Arabs.
Not surprisingly, the show has drawn all kinds of criticism, including anger from local viewers who denounce it as violent and tasteless. Ma'ati is undaunted, however. He believes there is nothing wrong with the controversial episode. "What happened in this episode was the truth," says Ma'ati. "Sharon did kill 20 Palestinian children, commemorating his 20th birthday. That is why this particular episode was severely attacked. Simply because it is true."
According to Ma'ati, the basic aim of the programme is to criticise Sharon with a picture of "what terrorism really is and to show that it is an organic part of his behaviour." He added: "We are trying to let the world know that there is another form of terrorism that needs to be addressed other than what is shown on CNN."
Ramadan -- as much a month for television bingeing as it is a month of fasting -- was a key release time for Ma'ati's programme. He explained that this was not just because a high number of viewers is guaranteed, "but also because of the special connotation that the month has in the hearts of all Muslims."
"Besides, with all the sadness in the Arab world, we need to give people some amusement. Sometimes the worst that could happen to us can make us laugh," Ma'ati added.
The programme is only broadcast on satellite television, meaning that those who cannot afford satellite programming are unable to watch it. Even so, the show is well-known. Ma'ati could easily have introduced his idea locally, but he believes that it was more important to broadcast the show on satellite channels, so that people around the world would be able to watch it. "I only wrote what I felt was in the hearts and the minds of all the Arabs, and what is depicted in the show of Sharon's acts is only a small part of his real actions," Ma'ati explained. "That is why I felt the rest of the world should know -- not just us."
Ma'ati claims that the Israelis have lost their sense of humour. "They have featured Yasser Arafat and many Arab leaders in their satirical shows on Israeli TV. Why are they angry now with Irhabiat?" he demanded.
But it is not just the Israelis who are exhibiting a "lack of humour." Some of the sponsors of the show -- Procter and Gamble (P&G) and the Italian chocolate-maker Ferroro Rocher -- have also complained about the show. P&G pulled its shampoo advertisement and announced that its policy was to avoid "morally ambivalent" programmes. Ma'ati points out, however, that the show has attracted many other advertisers, reaching 30 ads during and after the show.
Biting to the very end, Ma'ati wonders when the Israeli Foreign Minister "had time to watch the programme, when the Israeli government has been so busy bombing the Palestinian territories?"
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