Egyptian actor Ahmed Adam was met with public outrage after mocking the current situation in the Syrian City Aleppo and insulting the martyrs last week during a TV show on the privately owned TV channel Al-Hayah.
Social media users launched a campaign on different platforms asking to suspend Adam’s programme following his latest statement, which were considered an insult to the Syrian people.
In defence of Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad, Adam said that Al-Assad could not have been responsible for the armed attacks that recently took place in Aleppo, because it is the only city in Syria that sides with him.
Adam also said that the phone calls Al-Jazeera and BBC receive from Aleppo are fabricated because the city has no phone connections.
He also said: “Once Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated channels and American newspapers start to calling for saving Syria, this is when you know that Americans, Turks, and Zionists are in trouble as they do not really care about what is happening there.”
Several lawsuits were filed against Al-Hayah TV channel and Adam for mock the ongoing conflict in Aleppo and Syria, implying that what is happening in the Syrian city is not true and is a mere exaggeration from media outlets.
Mohammed Bassam Al-Malek, a member of the national coalition for Syrian revolutionary and opposition forces, told Daily News Egypt that what was said on the TV show is not even worth a response because the stance of the Egyptian people towards what is happening in Aleppo is known and Adam only represents himself.
Al-Malek added that all newspapers are attacking Adam, which is a sufficient enough response to what he said, but also that these kind of statements should be met with indifference because they are not of any importance.
Mohammed Al-Bitar, a Syrian man, released a video in response to what Adam said, saying that comedy that mocks and makes fun of martyrs is a “ridiculous comedy”.
“As if the vandalism, murder, and sabotage in Syria are not enough, but we also have to deal with people who are mocking the situation in Aleppo,” Al-Bitar added.
Al-Bitar also mentioned a similar incident that happened in September 2015, when controversial TV anchor Reham Saeid visited a refugee camp hosting Syrians in Lebanon. Saeid filmed the refugees while they were trying to reach for clothes and food being dispensed, portraying them as if their actions were barbaric. She received heavy criticism and backlash for such a portrayl.
Al-Nahar TV channel, on which Saeed’s programme used to air, suspended the programme and referred her to investigations.
Daily News Egypt tried to reach out to Al-Hayah TV channel for a statement on how the backlash against Adam will be dealt with, but they no one was available for comment.
Tthe TV channel has not yet released any official statements regarding calls for the programme’s suspension or the legal lawsuits filed against the channel.
