Aug. 22: A prime-time TV show charting the rise of Egypt’s main Opposition movement the Muslim Brotherhood is gripping audiences and angering leaders of the group, who see an attempt to tarnish its name before 2010 elections.
The sweeping historical drama shows how the Brotherhood’s call for a return to Islam’s roots took hold in colonial 1920s Egypt and gained traction after independence as its criticism of Western influence on Muslim society resonated among the poor. The $6.15 million series is being aired every night on Egypt’s main state-owned channel during Ramzan, when TV ratings soar as families and friends gather in the evening.
“The government would never allow a series on the Brotherhood to be shown on its TV channels unless it is happy with it... The government is very cautious towards anything that involves the group,” said film critic Tarek el-Shenawy. Egypt’s secular-leaning government, a staunch Western ally, has been wary of any group with Islamist leanings since the assassination of President Anwar Sadat in 1981 by Islamist militants.
The movement, which is banned from formal politics, remains popular among the underprivileged, partly because it offers social and economic services in deprived neighbourhoods. It secured a fifth of the seats in Parliament in 2005 by fielding candidates as independents and remains the only Opposition group able to muster significant support in the run-up to a legislative election late in 2010.
The TV series follows the work of a young police officer who decides to investigate the Brotherhood’s past after questioning some students who have joined the group. Brotherhood members portrayed in the first 12 episodes are aggressive, exploit religion to achieve their personal goals.