Ramadan TV serial rouses anger

Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — A TV serial being aired on MBC satellite channel this Ramadan has caused consternation among the people of Jeddah who claim that the production distorts their history and culture, according to Makkah newspaper. “Harat Al-Sheikh”, or "The Sheikh's Neighborhood", is set in Jeddah and the greater Hijaz region under Ottoman suzerainty, but people of Jeddah denounced the TV serial as an unauthentic portrayal of their history and culture. Written by Bandar Bajaba and produced by Al-Muthanna Subh, the serial brings together a number of prominent actors, including Muhammad Bakhsh, Khaled Al-Harbi, Jameel Ali, Yusuf Jarrah and Abdulmuhsin Al-Nimir. Harat Al-Sheikh, adapted from folklore tales, is a social satire that revolves around the obscure events in life of the people in a certain Jeddah neighborhood. A source said a group known as “Markaz of Jeddawis,” which consists of 350 well-known families in the city, lodged an official complaint against the serial with Makkah Emir Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Jeddah Governor Prince Mishal Bin Majed and President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage Prince Sultan Bin Salman. “The people of Jeddah found the sitcom quite offensive. They said the themes discussed in the serial do not reflect the reality about Jeddawis. They believe the themes pertain to a totally different era and culture, probably the Mamelukes in Egypt,” said the source. Historian Ossam Abu Zinadah said the sitcom is an inaccurate portrayal of Jeddah city and the history of its people. “The wardrobe is inaccurate, the accent is inaccurate, the issues and behavior of characters are inaccurate and, above all, the portrayal of Hijazi women is offensive and degrading. It is ethically offensive with its futile themes. Jeddah is known to be the city of forgiveness and acceptance. It used to be the port of arrival for pilgrims and foreign dignitaries. It was a melting pot of cultures,” said Abu Zinadah. Historian Ahmad Badheeb said writing a drama is different from documenting history. “The writer of the show seems to have mixed up the events during the Mameluke era in Egypt and the Ottoman period in Hijaz. What the serial portrayed is completely inaccurate with regard to the customs and traditions of Jeddah,” said Badheeb. There are at least six Egyptian movies that depict the Mameluke empire, he said. He also said Jeddah was known as the "city of nobles", where each family took up a trade and built the city with it. “The women of Jeddah were known for their nobility, high morality and consciousness. Jeddah was never ruled by a group of insurgents as portrayed in the series and it has never experienced tribal vendetta and social feuds,” said Badheeb. He said the Jeddawis are a society that respects brotherly ties and loyalties. “There was no room for such futile feuds. People of Jeddah demand the airing of the serial stopped,” said Badheeb. Actor Khalid Al-Harbi defended the serial, saying it is a cultural fantasy that mixed history with drama. “The plot is based on historical sources. The serial is set in an era that dates back to 250 years. The writer has researched historical sources to accurately reflect the customs and traditions of the time,” said Al-Harbi. Actor Fahd Ghuzouli said the protesters were so quick to oppose the serial that they did not understand that it depicted a period much earlier than what common people know about. “Jeddawis know their history in the 19th and 20th centuries, but the serial depicts a period older than that. They were quick to judge. It is a drama, not a documentary, and everything in a drama is meant be taken as fantasy,” said Ghuzouli.