- Drama is no longer merely a form of entertainment; it has become a tool for change or deception.
- The relationship between art and politics has been multifaceted throughout history, as both are present together in utilization and influence.
- A study reveals that the number of novels attacking Islam in the West reached 1,800 in just two decades.
- Egyptian drama has aligned its activities to support authority, settling scores between the July movement and its opponents.
- Films during the Sadat era succeeded in removing the colors that obscured the reality of Nasserism.
- In some series, the distortion has extended to infringing upon religious values, such as "Fatin Amal Harbi."
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The Role of Drama in Shaping Public Consciousness
Drama plays a role in shaping public consciousness; the image it presents—especially in cinema and television—imprints itself in minds, and with repetition and insistence, it reshapes consciousness more than it does reality. Thus, it is described as one of the tools of "soft power" that authorities strive to possess and employ. Drama is no longer just a form of entertainment or pleasure; its role has transcended to become a political tool for change or deception.
Political Deception
The concept of political deception hinges on the idea of retaining incorrect information intensely. On a public scale, deception leads to building public biases toward certain political issues and forces based on a mental image that has been ingrained. This deception can lead the public to accept the authority's justifications for committing atrocities and arrests against the opposition without feeling any pangs of conscience; deception alters the standards of morality, values, and justice among the public.
Between Drama and Politics
Art primarily addresses the human subconscious to influence awareness. According to psychological studies, watching films activates specific cells in the brain and creates a desire to emulate heroes. Based on behavioral theories, watching films affects our lives; thus, the utilization of politics in drama is a form of influencing reality. Perhaps this is what led the late Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón to consider cinema a form of deception, a means to cover up the trickery of the public and keep them ignorant, accusing it of being a tool for creating crowds of illiterates.
The Relationship Between Art and Politics
The relationship between art and politics is multifaceted; they have intertwined throughout history due to art's role in shaping the cultural identity of society, conveying messages with political objectives to present reality in a certain way, or even to obscure this reality or distort political forces. Art is present alongside politics in both utilization and influence.
Western Intelligence and Art
Those who peruse the book "Who Paid the Piper" by British historian Frances Saunders will note the role that Western intelligence agencies played in supporting certain arts and employing them as effective tools in the Cold War, enabling the United States and its allies to undermine the moral strength of communism and create psychological and cultural cracks in the Soviet model. We refer here to the series of "James Bond" films in the early 1960s, which continued for more than half a century, during which 26 films addressing the theme of espionage were produced, managing to undermine 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 has been a significant trend that escalated after the events of September 2001. A mental image of Muslims as terrorists was ingrained in people’s minds, and this image seeped into public consciousness, contributing to a deepening hatred of Islam and Muslims, commonly known as "Islamophobia."
It may be useful to note a statistic provided by Dr. Anas Al-Sheikh Ali, a Professor of English Literature at the University of London, which states that the number of novels attacking Islam and Muslims in the West reached 1,800 over just 20 years (1974–1994), and has now risen to 3,600. Undoubtedly, some of these works found their way into drama.
Islamophobia in Popular TV Series
In a study published in 2015 by Jernot Meyer on "Islamophobia" in the popular American television series "Homeland," it was identified as one of the most fear-inducing programs about Islam and Muslims, despite being adapted from the Israeli series "Prisoners of War." Similarly, the famous American series "24," which premiered in November 2001 (at the height of American rage following the September events), aired for eight seasons and included 192 episodes that reinforced stereotypical images of Islam.
Drama and Revenge Against Opponents
In the case of Egypt, it is observed that art has been subjected to political exploitation throughout the successive generations of the July 1952 movement. The officers recognized the importance of drama and cinema in undermining the royal era. For instance, General Mohamed Naguib wrote an early article titled "The Art We Want," considering cinema a tool for political education and not just for entertainment. Drama was thus oriented towards supporting the authority's efforts and conveying its political project and objectives to the masses. On the other hand, accounts were settled between the July movement and its opponents, leading to the emergence of several films that distorted the royal era, such as "Ghoroub wa Shorouk," "Cairo 30," "Radd Qalbi," and "Fi Baytina Rajul."
Drama in the Sadat Era
With the end of the Nasserite era, President Sadat began his term leveraging drama to highlight the violations of human rights during Nasser's rule and its violent repressive policies that harmed citizens. This was evident shortly after he assumed power, as seen in the film "Thartharah Fawq El-Nil" in 1971, which explored the reasons behind the June 1967 defeat. The film "Zair Al-Fajr" showcased atrocities committed against opposing politicians and gained fame after being banned by censorship just a week after its theatrical release in 1973. Additionally, the film "Al-Asfour" addressed corruption in the public sector, but the most famous film was "Al-Karnak." The film "Awdat Al-Ibn Al-Dhal" directed by Youssef Chahine transformed the poet Salah Jahin from a supporter of the July movement to a critic of it with all his might. Other notable films included "Wara'a Al-Shams," "Ehna Betu' Al-Atobees," and "Al-Rosasa La Tazal Fi Jibi" (The Bullet Is Still in My Pocket).
Drama in the Mubarak Era
The films produced during Sadat’s rule successfully stripped away the layers of paint and makeup that concealed the realities of Nasserism, launching a discussion that criticized the Nasserite approach, grounded in human and moral values of critique, most notably its rejection of torture, corruption, power centers, and the repression of freedoms.
With the era of Mubarak, drama initially addressed the effects of economic openness, the enormity of corruption, the growth of parasitic classes, the multiplication of living and class crises, and the rise of imports and consumer spirit. Notable films from this period include "The Bus Driver" in 1982, and "The Innocent," which tackled the brainwashing processes that Central Security soldiers undergo and its impact on their violence against opponents. There was also "The Wife of a Important Man," which addressed the authority's stance on the events of the Bread Uprising in 1977, and "The Ghoul" in 1983, which was adapted from a radio series titled "The Saxony Law," written by Wahid Hamid. In 1987, the film "The Era of Atef Zahran" was released. It is notable that some authors and filmmakers were influenced by the Nasserist experience, using drama professionally to take revenge on the Sadat era.
Drama and the Muslim Brotherhood
With the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood politically and socially after the mid-1980s, and then with the state's conflict with some extremist religious groups, drama wove a connection between religiosity, violence, and terrorism. Many films appeared during those years that distorted the image of the religious, bestowing upon them violence, terrorism, narrow-mindedness, and bloodshed, such as "Terrorism" in 1989, "Terrorism and Kebab," "The Terrorist," "Survivors from Fire," and "Birds of Darkness."
Drama and Political Animosity
With the escalation of political animosity in 2010 between Mubarak and the Brotherhood, the series "The Group" was produced at a colossal cost of nearly 10 million dollars, airing during Ramadan. Interestingly, the Associated Press reported that the series brought the group into every home, and instead of distortion, it raised more questions about the Brotherhood, a policy that continued after July 30, 2013. A study titled "National Drama Chasing the Remnants of False Consciousness" confirmed that the Egyptian state found its avenue in drama to purge what it termed "the remnants of false consciousness and the conspiracy discourse." Since that date, drama has been intensively presented to mercilessly distort the regime's opponents, with "The Choice" series, across its three seasons, being the most prominent. In other dramas, distortion went beyond to violate religious values, such as the series "Faten Amal Harbi," which prompted Al-Azhar to denounce its content in a statement issued in April 2022.
The Power of Art
Art possesses a latent power to stir human emotions, the ability to awaken feelings and thoughts, and a driving energy if properly utilized. It also holds a beauty and skill in harnessing energies. As it is said, "True art is a defense of the conscience," and as the great thinker Ali Izzet Begovic noted, "The search for what is human in art is the search for God." It represents a moment of liberation if it breaks free from the claws of politics, which is why dictatorships fear such moments. History reminds us of the Nazis' ban on Charlie Chaplin's film "The Great Dictator" in 1940 for ridiculing Hitler. Even after 80 years, drama has succeeded in embodying the character of the dictator and mocking it.
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