The head of the Syndicate of Acting Professions in Egypt, Ashraf Zaki, denied what was raised about the syndicate’s intention to expel actors Omar Metwally and Ahmed Fathi against the backdrop of their statements about the late artist Shukri Sarhan.
Zaki said in a special statement to Al Jazeera Net, “I indicated that insulting artistic icons and great figures may require strict measures that could lead to deletion, but I did not specifically mean this incident.”
Zaki explained that he contacted the actors concerned, noting that they did not intend any offense to the late artist, and said, “I am working to resolve the matter amicably with Shukri Sarhan’s family.”
Sarhan’s family threatens to resort to justice
Zaki’s statements come after the family of the late artist Shukri Sarhan filed a complaint against Metwally and Fathi, threatening to resort to the judiciary. The family explained, in a statement issued by media spokesman Mohsen Sarhan, that the statements issued on the “Like Look” program included a clear insult to the late artist.
During the program, Metwally considered that Sarhan’s stardom was “greater than his talent,” while Ahmed Fathi pointed out that “most Egyptian cinema artists did not have sufficient talent, despite their success,” which angered the family and prompted them to respond.
In the statement, Mohsen Sarhan described the statements as “an insult that cannot be tolerated,” noting that the late artist Shukri Sarhan was one of the most prominent figures in Egyptian and Arab cinema. He added that the late artist graduated from the first batch of the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts, where he received training from great artistic figures such as Zaki Tulaimat and Youssef Wehbe.
The statement indicated that Shukri Sarhan was the highest-paid star in the Arab world during his youth, and presented immortal films that left their mark in the history of Egyptian cinema, such as “Son of the Nile,” “The Second Wife,” and “Qandil Umm Hashem.”
El-Shenawy rejects “criminalization of opinion”
For his part, art critic Tarek El-Shenawy commented on the case via his Facebook account, criticizing the trend to criminalize opinion.
“Criminalizing opinion is the worst decision society can face,” El-Shenawy wrote. He added that although he did not agree with the opinion of Metwally or Fathi, he believed that the response to the opinion should be with another opinion, and not by imposing sanctions or threats.
El-Shenawy pointed out that “there are no absolute rulings for any creator, regardless of his status,” calling for respecting freedom of expression and not suppressing dissenting opinions.
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