The politicization of Syria's soap operas
As Syrian drama series gain popularity in the Arab world, the Syrian regime seeks to promote its vision through these series produced inside the Syrian territory.
Over the past 10 years, Syrian drama series have been very popular in the Arab world and have even taken the lead among Arab series, Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said during a meeting with South American actress Carla Ortiz May 20 in Damascus.
Syrian series have been getting high ratings on Arab channels, especially those that address Damascus and Syrian history, such as the series “Bab al-Hara,” which started in 2006 and is in its eight season. Although Syrians have widely criticized the series and said it distorts Syrian history, the series continues to be the most popular in the Arab world.
When the Syrian revolution broke out in March 2011, several Syrian actors, as well as other people from all social categories — such as doctors, artists and even the unemployed — rushed to join the revolution. As a result, several actors were arrested, while others were forbidden from acting. For its part, the Syrian Artists’ Syndicate, which is affiliated with the Syrian regime, dismissed hundreds of artists who denounced and opposed the practices of the regime.
Syrian actress Sawsan Arsheed told Al-Monitor via Skype from Paris, “The regime labeled us as opponents just because we supported calls for freedom and equality. I do not have any political orientation, but I act in accordance with the principles of humanity and justice. We know that the people expect us to say what is right about the arrests and killing of the people. We were labeled as traitors and enemies of the country. We faced incitement campaigns and we lost our presence in our own country just because we uttered the right word facing the regime. Our loss, however, is nothing compared to the Syrians who lost their lives and their children.”
