Drama as a Tool for Change
Drama is no longer just a form of entertainment; it has become a tool for change or deception. The relationship between art and politics has always been multifaceted, serving various purposes throughout history. Both art and politics are present together, influencing and being influenced.
Study on Anti-Islam Narratives
A study revealed that the number of novels attacking Islam in the West reached 1,800 in just two decades. Egyptian drama has been used to support the authorities and settle scores between the July Movement and its opponents. Films during Sadat's era succeeded in removing the facade that hid the reality of Nasserism. In some series, the distortion extended to attacking religious values, such as in "Faten Amal Harby."
Role of Drama in Shaping Public Awareness
Drama plays a role in shaping public awareness; the images it presents, especially in cinema and television, imprint on minds. With repetition and insistence, it reshapes awareness more than it redefines reality. Therefore, it is described as one of the tools of "soft power" that authorities are keen to possess and utilize. Drama has transcended its role as mere entertainment to become a political tool for change or deception.
Political Deception
The concept of political deception is based on the idea of individuals strongly holding onto false information. On a mass level, deception leads to building public biases towards certain political issues and forces, based on ingrained mental images. This deception can lead the public to accept the authorities' justifications for committing atrocities, arrests, and eliminations against the opposition, without feeling any moral guilt. Deception changes the standards of ethics, values, and justice among the masses.
Art and Politics
Art mostly addresses the human subconscious, aiming to influence awareness. According to psychological studies, watching films activates certain brain cells and creates a desire to emulate the heroes. Behavioral theories suggest that watching films affects our lives. Therefore, the use of drama by politics is a form of influencing reality. This might be why the late Spanish writer Carlos Zafón considered cinema a form of fraud, a means to deceive and mislead the public, accusing it of creating hordes of illiterates.
Historical Interconnection
The relationship between art and politics is multifaceted and has been intertwined throughout history due to art's role in shaping the cultural identity of society and conveying politically motivated messages to present reality in a certain way, obscure it, or distort political forces. Art is present with politics, both in utilization and influence.
Western Intelligence and Art
The book "Who Paid the Piper?" by British historian Frances Saunders highlights the role of Western intelligence agencies in supporting certain arts and using them as effective tools during the Cold War. The United States and its allies managed to undermine the moral strength of communism and create psychological and cultural cracks in the Soviet model. The James Bond film series, which began in the early 1960s and continued for over half a century, produced 26 films on espionage, successfully undermining the Soviet model until its collapse in 1989.
Distortion of Arabs and Muslims
The distortion of Arabs and Muslims through drama in American and Western cinema increased significantly after the events of September 2001. A mental image of Muslims as terrorists was imprinted in the public consciousness, contributing to deepening Islamophobia.
Statistics on Anti-Islam Narratives
Dr. Anas Sheikh Ali, a professor of English literature at the University of London, noted that the number of novels attacking Islam and Muslims in the West reached 1,800 in just 20 years (1974-1994), and has since risen to 3,600. Some of these narratives have found their way into drama.
Islamophobia in TV Series
A 2015 study by Gernot Mayer on Islamophobia in the American TV series "Homeland" highlighted it as one of the most fear-inducing programs about Islam and Muslims, despite being adapted from the Israeli series "Prisoners of War." Similarly, the American series "24," which aired in November 2001, during the peak of American anger after September 11, ran for eight seasons with 192 episodes, reinforcing stereotypical images of Islam.
Drama and Political Revenge
In Egypt, art has been politically utilized across successive generations of the July 1952 Movement. The officers recognized the importance of drama and cinema in shifting the focus from the royal era. General Mohamed Naguib wrote an early article titled "The Art We Want," considering cinema a tool for political education, not just entertainment. Drama activities were set to support the authorities' efforts and convey their political project and goals to the masses. It also settled scores between the July Movement and its opponents, resulting in several films that distorted the royal era, such as "Sunset and Sunrise," "Cairo 30," "My Heart's Reply," and "A Man in Our House."
Sadat's Era
With the end of the Nasser era, President Sadat began his era relying on drama to highlight Nasserism's human rights violations and its repressive policies. Films like "Chatter on the Nile" (1971) explored the reasons for the June 1967 defeat, while "Visitor of Dawn" showcased atrocities against political opponents. "The Sparrow" addressed public sector corruption, and the famous film "The Return of the Prodigal Son" saw poet Salah Jaheen turn from a voice of the July Movement to its critic. Other notable films included "Behind the Sun," "We Are the Bus People," and "The Bullet is Still in My Pocket."
Mubarak's Era
During Mubarak's era, drama initially addressed the effects of economic liberalization, rampant corruption, the growth of parasitic classes, and the proliferation of living and class crises. Films like "The Bus Driver" (1982), "The Innocent," which dealt with brainwashing of central security soldiers, "The Wife of an Important Man," which addressed the authorities' stance on the 1977 bread riots, "The Ghoul" (1983), and "The Time of Atef Zahran" (1987) were notable. Some filmmakers, influenced by the Nasserite experience, used drama to exact revenge on the Sadat era.
Rise of the Muslim Brotherhood
With the political and social rise of the Muslim Brotherhood after the mid-1980s and the state's clash with some extremist religious groups, drama began to associate religiosity with violence and terrorism. Films like "Terrorism" (1989), "Terrorism and Kebab," "The Terrorist," "Survivors of the Fire," and "Birds of Darkness" emerged.
Political Tensions in 2010
In 2010, amid escalating political tensions between Mubarak and the Muslim Brotherhood, the series "The Brotherhood" was produced with a massive budget of nearly $10 million and aired during Ramadan. Ironically, the Associated Press noted that the series brought the Brotherhood into every home, increasing curiosity about them rather than defaming them. This policy continued after July 30, 2013, with a study titled "National Drama Pursues the Remnants of False Consciousness," indicating that the Egyptian state found its solution in drama to eliminate what it called "remnants of false consciousness and conspiracy rhetoric." Since then, drama has been intensively used to relentlessly defame the regime's opponents, with notable series like "The Choice" in its three seasons. However, in other series, the distortion extended to attacking religious values, such as in "Faten Amal Harby," which prompted Al-Azhar to denounce its content in a statement issued in April 2022.
The Power of Art
Art retains a latent power to stir human emotions, awaken thoughts and feelings, and drive energy when properly utilized. True art is said to be a defense of conscience. As the great thinker Ali Izetbegović noted, "Art's search for what is human is a search for God." It represents a moment of liberation if it escapes the clutches of politics. Dictatorships fear this moment, as history reminds us of the Nazis banning Charlie Chaplin's 1940 film "The Great Dictator" for mocking Hitler. Despite 80 years passing, drama has successfully portrayed and ridiculed the dictator's character.
