The Supreme Council for Media Regulation, chaired by engineer Khaled Abdel Aziz, announced that it will refer musician Hani Muhanna to the Federation of Arts Syndicates (chaired by director Omar Abdel Aziz) for necessary measures against the background of comments made by musician Hani Muhanna on a television program, which the council considered to contain insults and attacks on many symbols of Egyptian art.
Media appearances will be temporarily suspended.
The decision included obliging all media outlets to ban Hani Muhanna from hosting or appearing in the media until the Federation of Arts Syndicates has investigated the incident and completed formal procedures, in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 180 of 2018.
Monitoring recommendations and complaints
The ban was based on the recommendations of the Complaints Committee, chaired by the council’s representative, journalist Essam al-Amir, regarding controversial statements by Muhanna, as well as monitoring by the Supervision Directorate of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation.
The spark of crisis… Umm Kultsam after setbacks
The crisis began after Hani Muhanna’s statement about the period after the 1967 setback. In it, Koqab al-Sharq Umm Kulthum was in financial difficulty, considering that it was the state that organized her overseas concerts to aid in the war, which many considered to undermine her national role and the history of her art.
Alleged controversy sparks anger
The controversy further escalated after Muhanna spoke on the “People’s Talk” program with media representative Yasmin Ezz about the alleged altercation between the late artist Faten Hamama and Shadia, mentioning an incident in which she allegedly witnessed Faten Hamama rejecting a joint production project using language that was inappropriate and unbecoming of her status as the “grand lady of the Arab screen.”
Shadia’s family’s reaction
In the family’s first reaction, late Shadia’s niece Nahid Shaker made a short and sharp comment on her Facebook account, saying:
“In the video, you followed me to bully someone…and I couldn’t find a place to put the video other than the trash can.”
Anger spreads in the art world
Anger spread on social networking sites as fans and followers of Shadia and Faten Hama attacked Hani Muhanna’s statement, rejecting its content and considering it an inaccurate narrative affecting a great artistic symbol.
Muhanna replies: I didn’t mean to offend.
Musician Hani Muhanna, on the other hand, denied intentionally insulting the symbols of Egyptian art and stressed that his comments were taken out of context. He said any insult to his colleagues would be considered an insult to him personally and was inconsistent with his background and style, stressing that the controversy arose because his statements were distorted and inaccurately disseminated.
The Supreme Council for Media Regulation, chaired by engineer Khaled Abdel Aziz, announced that it will refer musician Hani Mohanna to the Federation of Arts Unions (headed by president Omar Abdel Aziz) to take necessary measures following comments made by musician Hani Mohanna on a television program that were deemed to contain insults and attacks on some symbols of Egyptian art.
Notice of temporary suspension of media appearances
The decision included obliging all media outlets to ban Hani Mohanna from hosting or appearing in the media until the Federation of Arts Unions completes its investigation into the incident and completes formal procedures, in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 180 of 2018.
Recommendations regarding monitoring and complaints
The ban was based on the monitoring of Mohanna’s controversial statements by the Supervision Directorate of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, as well as the recommendations of a complaints committee on behalf of the council, chaired by media personality Essam al-Amir.
Sparks of crisis: Umm Kulthum after setback
The crisis began following a statement made by Hani Mohanna about the period after the 1967 setback. In it, Oriental star Umm Kultum was in a financial crisis, considering that it was the state that organized her overseas concerts in aid of the war, which many considered a diminution of her national role and artistic history.
Alleged conflict sparks anger
The controversy intensified after Mohanna’s remarks with media celebrity Yasmine Ezz on the show “Kalam Arnaz” regarding an alleged spat between the late artist Faten Hamama and Shadia, referring to an incident in which Faten Hamama allegedly rejected a joint project by using language that was inappropriate and unbecoming of her status as the “grand lady of the Arab screen.”
Reply from Shadia’s family
In the family’s first reaction, Nahed Shakil, the late Shadia’s niece, made a short and sharp comment on her Facebook account, saying:
“I received someone’s crappy video and couldn’t find a place to put it other than the trash.”
Anger spreads in the art world
Anger spread on social media as fans and admirers of Shadia and Faten Hamama attacked Hani Mohana’s statement, rejecting the content mentioned in it and deeming it an inaccurate narrative touching on a great artistic icon.
Mohanna replies: I didn’t mean to insult you.
Musician Hani Mohanna, on the other hand, denied intending to insult the symbol of Egyptian art and asserted that his remarks were taken out of context. He said any insults against his colleagues were personal insults against him and were inconsistent with his background and style, stressing that the controversy arose due to his distortion of words and their inaccurate dissemination.
