Kuwaiti actor Daoud Hussein expressed his delight that his program Erhabiyyat aired by Abu Dhabi TV during last Ramadan, has miffed the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, according to the London-based daily Al Hayat.
“As long as the Israeli officials think that the program is ugly and terrible, don’t you think that what goes on in Palestine by Sharon is ugly and terrible. I as a comedy artist who tackles a just Arab and Muslim issue through comedy. Islam taught us to respect other religions and our program does not attack any religion,” Hussein told the daily.
“Sharon committed massacres and killed many people and what we portray is very little compared to he has done. Where is the democracy they are calling for? Hollywood produces films against Arabs and Muslims and what we portray is nothing but a drop of water in an ocean,” added Hussein.
The Kuwaiti actor indicates that the program is a medallion on his chest as long as it has affected the Zionist regime. He added that he is proud of it as long as he lives and that he is happy to perform in such a program. “In Belgium there are many cases against Sharon for his massacres in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatilla in Lebanon,” Hussein added.
The director general of the UAE Media corporation, Ahmed Ali Al Baloushi, told the UAE daily Al Bayan, “As the program has miffed the Israeli government, it will continue, yet, we won’t hesitate to produce a second part if necessary,” Baloushi told the daily.
Earlier, the program has sparked an Israeli protest, which reached its climax, when the Israeli foreign minister, Shimon Peres, labeled the program as “ugly and terrible”, in an interview with the Israeli army radio.
Peres accused the channel of airing a comedy program, which portrays the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as a vampire. He said that he would send a protest memorandum to the UN against the channel.
The Israeli radio said that the government decided to lunch a campaign against Abu Dhabi TV channel through sending versions of this program to foreign embassies.
Among the screenshots aired, Hussein plays Sharon carrying a bottle full of blood from Arab children and expressing his delight with drinking this blood in front of another delighted character representing an extremist Jew.
Another episode portrayed a cartoon for a donkey rubbing a magic lantern from which a giant emerges asking the donkey what he wants. The donkey responds that he wants to be transformed into a human being. The giant tells him I shall transform you into a human being called Sharon. The donkey shouted with regrets preferring to stay as a donkey rather than to become Sharon.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Radio and TV director, Ismael Abdulla said, “Peres seems to have lost the spirit of fun,” adding that “Israel should seriously review its policy and stop shooting and killing the Palestinians instead of blasting the media.” He noted the Arab poet Al Mutanabbi who said, “if a deficient person condemns me, this is a testimony that I am perfect.” -- Albawaba.com
