Al-Gama'a (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Al-Gama'a is an Egypt
ian Drama
, Historical
and Political drama
series written by Wahid Hamid, directed by Mohammed Yasin and produced by Kamel Abu Ali. The series began filming in January 2010 with a budget of 50 million Egyptian pounds. The show deals with the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood
, Egypt’s largest Islamist political group, which is officially banned but nonetheless tolerated to an extent. Critics have decried the show's pro-government stance, charging that it plays into the Egyptian government's agenda prior to the 2010 Egyptian parliamentary elections
.
and in Heliopolis
in Cairo
and several other Egyptian governorates.
and Cairo University
campuses in protest of vote rigging in the 2006 student union elections. At Al-Azhar, demonstrators hold a military-like parade that causes controversy as many observers question the group's claim of renouncing violence. Upon their arrest, the Muslim Brotherhood student suspects are interviewed by a police officers. One of the police officers (Ashraf Helal) refuses to interview them because he knows nothing about them. Helal looks for books about the Muslim Brotherhood but finds that there are too many about the subject. Later, he meets an old female friend (Shirin) and tells her about his station. She suggest that he talks to her grandfather (Chancellor Abdallah Kassab), who gives Helal a list of books to read about the Muslim Brotherhood and its founder, Hasan al-Banna. The show then depicts Hasan al-Banna's life, from his childhood to the banning of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1948. During the season, the show jumps back and forth between Al-Banna's time and the present time.
Saif Al-Islam Al-Banna called for the show to be banned and demanded a copy of the script to revise it and make sure it conforms to the facts of his father's life.
Saif Al-Islam filed a lawsuit against Wahid Hamed and the Egyptian television stations that broadcast the program. The Cairo Economic Court looked into the lawsuit filed against the scriptwriter of the TV series and its producer, the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU).
The Muslim Brotherhood argues that the series depicts them as a violent, fundamentalist group, whose leaders are deceptive businessmen merely hungry for authority. The Muslim Brotherhood quickly decided to retaliate by producing its own series portraying the movement's history. "Hassan Al-Banna: The Journey Did Not End" is a 32-episode series to be filmed immediately after Ramadan
.
The government of Hosni Mubarak
has been accused of influencing the series to present the Brotherhood in a thoroughly negative light (and conversely to present the Egyptian regime, particularly the State Security apparatus, in a thoroughly positive light) ahead of the Egyptian parliamentary elections of 28 November 2010
, in which the Brotherhood forms the larges opposition bloc to the ruling National Democratic Party
.
Al-A'raf
) is "Hold to forgiveness; command what is right; But turn away from the ignorant".
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian Drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, Historical
Historical drama film
The historical drama is a film genre in which stories are based upon historical events and famous persons. Some historical dramas attempt to accurately portray a historical event or biography, to the degree that the available historical research will allow...
and Political drama
Political drama
A political drama can describe a play, film or TV program that has a political component, whether reflecting the author's political opinion, or describing a politician or series of political events. Dramatists who have written political dramas include Aaron Sorkin, Robert Penn Warren, Sergei...
series written by Wahid Hamid, directed by Mohammed Yasin and produced by Kamel Abu Ali. The series began filming in January 2010 with a budget of 50 million Egyptian pounds. The show deals with the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
, Egypt’s largest Islamist political group, which is officially banned but nonetheless tolerated to an extent. Critics have decried the show's pro-government stance, charging that it plays into the Egyptian government's agenda prior to the 2010 Egyptian parliamentary elections
Egyptian parliamentary election, 2010
The Egyptian parliamentary elections of 2010 first voting round was held in Egypt on 28 November 2010 and the second round was held on 5 December 2010....
.
Production
The series was filmed in the Media Production CityEgyptian Media Production City
Egyptian Media Production City is an information and media complex located near Cairo in Egypt.it covers an area of about 35 million square meters .-History:...
and in Heliopolis
Heliopolis (Cairo Suburb)
Modern Heliopolis is a district in Cairo, Egypt. The city was established in 1905 by the Heliopolis Oasis Company, headed by the Belgian industrialist Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Empain, as well as Boghos Nubar, son of the Egyptian Prime Minister Nubar Pasha.-History:The Baron Empain, a well known...
in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
and several other Egyptian governorates.
Season 1
The show begins with Muslim Brotherhood student demonstrations at Al-Azhar UniversityAl-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University is an educational institute in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 970~972 as a madrasa, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. It is the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt. In 1961 non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.It is...
and Cairo University
Cairo University
Cairo University is a public university located in Giza, Egypt.The university was founded on December 21, 1908, as the result of an effort to establish a national center for educational thought...
campuses in protest of vote rigging in the 2006 student union elections. At Al-Azhar, demonstrators hold a military-like parade that causes controversy as many observers question the group's claim of renouncing violence. Upon their arrest, the Muslim Brotherhood student suspects are interviewed by a police officers. One of the police officers (Ashraf Helal) refuses to interview them because he knows nothing about them. Helal looks for books about the Muslim Brotherhood but finds that there are too many about the subject. Later, he meets an old female friend (Shirin) and tells her about his station. She suggest that he talks to her grandfather (Chancellor Abdallah Kassab), who gives Helal a list of books to read about the Muslim Brotherhood and its founder, Hasan al-Banna. The show then depicts Hasan al-Banna's life, from his childhood to the banning of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1948. During the season, the show jumps back and forth between Al-Banna's time and the present time.
Criticism and controversy
Critics of the show, led by Al-Banna's son Saif Al-Islam, have accused the series' scriptwriter Wahid Hamed of defamation, making false claims and attempting to distort the image of his father and the group as extremists.Saif Al-Islam Al-Banna called for the show to be banned and demanded a copy of the script to revise it and make sure it conforms to the facts of his father's life.
Saif Al-Islam filed a lawsuit against Wahid Hamed and the Egyptian television stations that broadcast the program. The Cairo Economic Court looked into the lawsuit filed against the scriptwriter of the TV series and its producer, the Egyptian Radio and Television Union (ERTU).
The Muslim Brotherhood argues that the series depicts them as a violent, fundamentalist group, whose leaders are deceptive businessmen merely hungry for authority. The Muslim Brotherhood quickly decided to retaliate by producing its own series portraying the movement's history. "Hassan Al-Banna: The Journey Did Not End" is a 32-episode series to be filmed immediately after Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
.
The government of Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
has been accused of influencing the series to present the Brotherhood in a thoroughly negative light (and conversely to present the Egyptian regime, particularly the State Security apparatus, in a thoroughly positive light) ahead of the Egyptian parliamentary elections of 28 November 2010
Egyptian parliamentary election, 2010
The Egyptian parliamentary elections of 2010 first voting round was held in Egypt on 28 November 2010 and the second round was held on 5 December 2010....
, in which the Brotherhood forms the larges opposition bloc to the ruling National Democratic Party
National Democratic Party (Egypt)
The National Democratic Party , often simply called Al-Ḥizb al-Waṭaniy – the "National Party", was an Egyptian political party. It was founded by President Anwar El Sadat in 1978....
.
An error in the Qur'an
In one scene during sixth episode of the series, in which Sheikh Mohammed Zahran and young Hassan al-Banna are arguing, Sheikh Mohammed Zahran recites a verse from the Qur'an, accidentally changing a word and thus causing controversy. The verse (number 199 from SuraSura
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...
Al-A'raf
Al-A'raf
Sura Al-A'raf is the seventh chapter of the Qur'an, with 206 verses. It is a Meccan sura. Its final verse, verse 206, requires a sajdah, or prostration.-Verses:...
) is "Hold to forgiveness; command what is right; But turn away from the ignorant".