Holy month is not all fasting for Egyptians

CAIRO // Cairo’s streets, bridges, newspapers and television channels are overflowing with advertisements for soap operas, talks shows and, to a lesser degree, religious programmes that will air during Ramadan. Anticipation for the Ramadan-only series has become such a common feature of popular culture here that it is difficult to imagine what the holy month was like before the advent of satellite television.

More than 500 Arabic satellite channels and scores of local channels are competing for the surge in viewers, and advertising dollars, with new programmes ranging from soap operas to social, historical and religious fare.

Advertisements for new shows in the run-up to Ramadan have replaced the ads for oil and other food products that traditionally dominate broadcasts before and during the month.

Many conservative Egyptians point to the irony of an increase in the promotion of entertainment and consumption during a time that is meant to be dedicated to prayer, introspection, fasting and the poor.

“For many, Ramadan doesn’t mean more than abstaining from eating, drinking and sexual desires during the day, which is accompanied by short tempers and traffic violations, then excessive food and staying late at night at Ramadan tents, which contradicts the month of rituals,” wrote Moustafa el-Bassiyouni in the ruling party weekly al-Watany al-Youm on Tuesday.

“I won’t let despair prevent me from saying that the month of benevolence is not a month of TV series and violations, excessive spending and attrition,” he added.
“OK, Ramadan is at the door, and Egypt will be filled with the appearance of religiosity, which doesn’t mean at all that we’re religious people,” said Ibrahim Eissa, editor of the opposition daily al-Destour.

Yaser Ayoub, an Egyptian writer and TV presenter who has been writing a series about Egyptians’ ethics, disagrees.

He argued in the independent weekly al-Osbou on Tuesday that Egyptians are religious despite some saying otherwise.

A cartoon in the state owned Rose el-Youssef daily on Wednesday showed a family looking very serious and distressed, gathering around what looks like a war map, with one of the sons telling someone on the telephone: “I’m busy right now, we’re planning our Ramadan TV watching plan.”

Foreign satellite channels are also competing for Egyptian viewers.

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