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Egypt Ramadan TV Serials Look to Stir Patriotism

[AFP] Riad Abu Awad - Five Ramadan serials on the Arab-Israeli conflict are airing on Egyptian television, two of them portraying the internal struggle of Arab Jews split between integration in Arab countries and the pull of Zionism. "The Spy War" for the first time tells the story of Samia Fahmy, who was arrested and executed along with her fiancee for spying for Israel after the 1967 war. "What we are trying to say is that when you live in a country, your children live in that country, your ancestors live in that country and you should be loyal to it," said producer Hisham Shaaban. "As a Muslim, your loyalty is not to Mecca and Saudi Arabia." Another serial, "If You Forgot," chronicles changes in Egyptian society after the Arab-Israeli wars of 1967 and 1973, while "The Second Gate" tells of a mother whose son is kidnapped and taken to Israel. "My Heart Is My Guide, a biopic of the late Egyptian Jewish singer Layla Murad, tells the story of the Jewish community in the 1920s, 30s and 40s and the split between those who considered Egypt their homeland and refused to migrate and those who did leave. "In recent times, interest in the Palestinian question has been dwindling on the Arab street," said Mahmud Zaki, a media professor who stars in another serial. "There was a move to revive interest in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and re-ignite patriotic feelings."
2009-09-11 08:00:00
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