contents
The Muslim fasting month of Ramadan is over and with it the most important television month of the year in the region. But one Ramadan series reverberates: “Bitlou al Rouh” – an Egyptian drama series about IS.
Such drama series produced specifically for this month are called musalsalat, and they often deal with sensitive political and social issues in the region. This is also the case with “Bitlou al Rouh”, a series about the terrorist organization IS.
A family gets sucked into the IS
The title of the drama series about IS is gloomy: “Bitlou al Rouh” – the soul moves out of the body. The series tells of people who get sucked into the IS – based on true stories and journalistic research.
The focus is on a successful career couple from Cairo. Akram is an advertising man who listens to the fanatical messages of IS and one day joins the extremists. He kidnapped their son to Syria and thus lured his wife Rouh there as well – and thus also to the IS, where Rouh is to be trained as a fighter.
Legend:
The male lead: advertising executive Akram falls for the fanatical ideology of the IS.
Shaheed
Strong female figures are in the center
During her training, Rouh meets the hateful Um Jihad, played by Egyptian acting legend Elham Shahin, known for her daring roles.
“When you aim, you have to have the person you hate the most in mind,” explains IS leader Um Jihad. The dynamic between the two leading actresses has depth: it shows the perversion of religion into the cruel and inhuman with an almost unbearable clarity.
Rouh is also played by a famous Egyptian actress: Menna Shalaby. She is the first Arab actress ever to be nominated for an Emmy TV award in the US (2021).
The drama was directed by Kamlah Abu-Zikri. Earlier films by the Egyptian director have been shown at the Venice and Cannes film festivals, among others. Her great strength in the drama series about IS is the staging of dialogues between IS women.
Legend:
The main character Rouh defends himself against the IS ideology.
Shaheed
de-tabooing and debate
The series is a confrontation with the IS that has never been seen in this region. And it triggers countless discussions on radio and TV talk shows as well as on social media. At the heart of the discussions is a dilemma: IS uses all the symbols of Islam – and turns them into its own murderous ideology. This is repugnant and embarrassing to the Muslim mainstream, and has brought Islam into disrepute, particularly in the western world.
Numerous Muslim clerics are clearly distancing themselves from IS: at the same time, however, many in the Arab world are distancing themselves from the West. At least since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, this has no longer been a role model in the region. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis were killed in the wake of this invasion, the USA operated a torture prison in Abu Ghraib, and the Guantanamo penal camp still exists today. One way of distancing oneself from the West is by emphasizing religion as part of one’s identity in the Middle East. But fundamentalists and fanatics like IS take advantage of this: “If you’re not religious, then you’re western and therefore a traitor.”
This series about ISIS clearly shows: distancing oneself from the West and being religious can never justify the cruelty of ISIS. This discussion triggered this series – especially in Egypt, where the makers of the series come from. And the Ramadan period is the time when TV productions like to draw attention to sensitive political and social issues.
TV series are booming during Ramadan
Because at no other time in the Middle East are more fictional TV series consumed than during Ramadan. And one of the largest and most well-known production locations for Ramadan TV series is Egypt. “The top shows come from here and are distributed throughout the region,” Egyptian film critic Joseph Fahim explained in an interview. He describes Egypt’s film industry as “the Arab world’s former Hollywood”, which once broke taboos and whose content caused a sensation across the region.
Legend:
After the iftar, we watch TV together.
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Today, however, the Egyptian film industry is characterized above all by harsh censorship and intervention by the state apparatus in content and production processes. Along with the general evening entertainment, propagandistic content is also making its way into viewers’ living rooms throughout the year. The ongoing threat from the IS and its fanatical ideology are probably also the reason why the series didn’t fall victim to the otherwise rigid censorship.
Legend:
Ramadan drama series are particularly popular with women.
key stone
The Muslim fasting month of Ramadan is not only a holy month of fasting, prayer and abstinence, it is also considered the “Oscar” week of Arabic television and is the most important time in the Muslim TV calendar year.
Traditionally, after the “iftar” (that meal after sunset), the whole family sits in front of the television and enjoys TV series and films produced specifically for this time. Origin of this tradition are the Hakawatis. These storytellers told stories after iftar, acting out the characters themselves.
Women especially love the Ramadan shows
How important Ramadan is for the film industry is also shown by the prices for commercials, which I multiply during Ramadan. No wonder: during this time the absolute top shows reach an audience of up to 50 million viewers, 23% of all Egyptians state that they consume more television during Ramadan.
And: the TV series are particularly popular with women. 6 out of 10 viewers are female. For this audience, the production companies therefore rely more on fictional drama series. Religious shows, news formats and talk shows usually dominate television, fictional TV series are more modest. During the Ramadan period, however, the number of such series is almost tripled.
“Bitlou al Rouh” combines fiction with a topical, threatening and very real topic and thus caused an intensive discussion throughout Egypt.
Fight against terrorism in Egypt
IS remains a threat to Egypt, even though the Egyptian regime is fighting extreme ideologies with all its might. But there is also a problem here: the Egyptian government is widespread and brutally repressive. It has imprisoned tens of thousands, including those who have nothing whatsoever to do with IS. The country’s overcrowded prisons, with their humiliating and inhumane conditions of detention, are ideal recruitment centers for IS.
The series about IS did not trigger a fundamental discussion about human rights. However, she broke the IS taboo to a certain extent. Since Ramadan, instead of remaining embarrassedly silent, many have been talking about religion, bigotry, and their own horrific experiences of terrorism being waged in the name of an entire religion.
Legend:
Bitlou al Rouh
The series causes an uproar.
Shahid MBC
The Egyptian streaming platform MBC Shahid showed a multi-part drama about IS from the middle of Ramadan. Watch in Arabic/English subtitles:
Here is the series.
(The first part is free, after that a subscription is required).