Among recent criticism of Egypt in the Arab media was an unprecedented attack on Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu Gheith, in a public address by Sunni Lebanese cleric Sheikh Maher Hamoud. In his address, which aired on NBN TV on January 3, 2009, Hamoud called the foreign minister "Idiot Abu Shit." (To view this clip, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1970.)
In another attack, the Syria-based TV channel Al-Rai defamed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak with a poem by poet Nizar Qabbani that was aired as filler. In his poem, Qabbani compares Arab leaders to the pre-Islamic poet Antara bin Shaddad, considered a symbol of false Arab bravado. The poem is accompanied by images of Mubarak, and is part of a recent anti-Egypt media campaign. The film aired on January 3, 2009. (To view this clip, visit http://www.memri.org/legacy/clip/1969.
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Sheikh Maher Hamoud: "Today, there is no distinction between Sunnis and Shiites. The party of resistance stretches from Beirut, Maroun Al-Ras, Bint Jbeil, from the proud southern suburb of Beirut, and from Ein Al-Tineh, to Gaza, Beit Hanoun, Jabalya, and Sajaiyeh. This is the party of Islam, and it exists in Baghdad, in Kabul, and in the villages of Afghanistan as well. Whoever brandishes a sword at the Jews, anyone who incites against the Jews, against the Americans who support them, and against the [Arab] thrones that support them [and that] obey their commands, carry out their wishes, and constitute a party that confronts Hizbullah ["the Party of God"]...
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"In this sense, we are all the Party of God – from Tangier to Jakarta, from Tashkent to Nigeria, throughout the Islamic world, in all its capitals, wherever the displaced are to be found, wherever there is anyone who demonstrates, who makes his voice heard, who raises banners, shouts slogans, and incites against the Jews, wherever there is anyone who has nothing but a shoe with which to express his faith. These are all [members] of the Party of God – regardless of their identity, or the identity of their fathers and mothers.
"This [Party of God] is faced by the Party of Satan, one of whose members [Egyptian Foreign Minister Abu Al-Gheit] did not hesitate to say anything possible in order to please the Jews. It is a disgrace that his name is Ahmad. He is Ahmaq Abu Ghaet ["Idiot Abu Shit"] – you all know what "shit" means. He is Idiot Abu Shit, not Ahmad Abu Al-Gheit. It is Idiot Abu Shit who is talking a load of shit, when he says the missiles are the reason for these crimes and for what is happening, without shedding a tear."
Syria-Based TV Channel Defames Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
Announcer: "This country is a furnished apartment, owned by a man called Antara.
"He gets drunk all night long at the door, collects rent from the inhabitants, wants to marry their women, and opens fire at the trees, the children, the eyes, and the scented hairstyles.
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"This country in its entirety is Antara's private property:
"Its skies, its waters, its women, and its green fields.
"Posters of Antara hang from all the windows, and all the public squares are named after Antara.
"Antara lives in our clothes, in our bread, in our coca-cola bottles, and in our dying dreams.
"He lives in our lettuce and watermelon carts, in the buses, in the train station, in the airport customs, in the postal stamps, in the football courts, in the pizza restaurants, and on all sides of our counterfeit coin."
Applause
"A deserted ghost town – not a mouse, an ant, a brook, or a tree remains.
"Nothing in it amazes the tourists – except for the official, authorized picture of General Antara, in the drawing room, on his happy birthday, and in his splendid luxurious, walled palaces.
"There is nothing new in the life of this colonialized city.
"Our sorrows repeat themselves, our death repeats itself, and the aroma of coffee on our lips also repeats itself.
"From birth, we are imprisoned in a bottle of circular culture, circular language.
"Ever since we went to school, we have learned only one biography, which tells us of the muscles of Antara, the generosity of Antara, and the miracles of Antara, and in all the cinemas we watch a single tedious Arab film, starring Antara."
Applause
"There is nothing on the morning radio that interests us.
"The first news item is about Antara, and the third, the fifth, the ninth, and the tenth items are all about Antara.
"The only thing in the second program is a qanoun[1] musical piece, composed by Antara."
Applause
"The only thing in the second program is a qanoun musical piece, composed by Antara, as well as an oil painting, scribbled by Antara, and a medley of the worst possible poems, sung by Antara.
"In this country, the publicists lend their voices to the master of intellectuals, Antara.
"They beautify his ugliness, they write the history of his era, they spread his ideology, and they beat the drums of his triumphant wars."
Endnote:
[1] The word qanoun is a pun, referring both to a musical string instrument and to law.
