Hamas says some Arab dramas promote normalization with Israel
An Egyptian series starring Egyptian actor Mohamed Ramadan angered Hamas for portraying the Gaza Strip as a drug den in the 1940s; Hamas also is critical of Ramadan over issues involving Arab states' normalization of relations with Israel.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Department of Artistic Production of the Hamas movement has lashed out at Egyptian actor Mohamed Ramadan and the creators of the Egyptian series “Musa” airing during the Muslim month of Ramadan. In a statement issued May 1, the department condemned the series’ use of the name of the Gaza Strip as a source for drug smuggling to Egypt.
Hamas' statement further accused Egyptian director Mohamed Salama and Mohamed Ramadan of deliberately insulting the Palestinian people, stoking the fire of sedition, and harming the historical relationship between the Palestinian and Egyptian peoples. “The series producers deliberately described the Gaza Strip as a den for drug smuggling,” the statement added.
The Department of Artistic Production said it “requires an apology from the people of Palestine and the people of the Gaza Strip who have been besieged for 14 years, which has proven to be a beacon of resistance and steadfastness.”
The Egyptian and Israeli authorities have been imposing a blockade on the Gaza Strip since Hamas came to power in 2007.
