Egyptian actor Ahmed Adam’s joke about Aleppo lands him in hot water

CAIRO - Prominent Egyptian actor Ahmed Adam angered viewers over comments he made on his weekly comedy show – “Bani Adam” – about the situation in the Syrian city of Aleppo, which many deemed inappropriate, reports Al-Ahram daily. In the show’s May 4 episode, Adam told viewers that “if you are confused about what is happening in Syria and you do not know who is doing what, open Al-Jazeera channel or BBC and see what they are saying, and know that what is actually happening is the opposite.” “Aleppo has no light, or water, or electricity, or telephones, and then a woman calls and says I’m phoning from Aleppo,” Adam joked to the laughter of the live studio audience. Following the episode, social media users began attacking Adam for his insensitivity in commenting on the people of Aleppo. The discussion hit social media with the hashtag #AhmedAdam, which was among the most trending last week. Some users demanded that Adam apologize for “mocking” the people of Aleppo, a city once-known as Syria’s economic capital. Adam responded to the criticism in his show this week. “Since when do I insult martyrs? I am an artist. I honor every martyr and mother of a martyr in every place in the Arab region,” he stated without directly apologizing. Angry social media users demanded a clear apology and the halting of the show with many posting tweets directing insults at Adam and others calling his humor rude and tasteless.