Egyptian TV soap “Al-Tawoos” has become the first Ramadan series to be investigated by Egypt’s media regulatory body for its alleged use “of language offensive to family values.”
The Supreme Media Council issued a statement Sunday saying it had launched an urgent investigation with those who produced the show and the television channel airing it, Al Nahar TV.
The council said it had received “numerous complaints” about “the use of language that does not agree with the council codes.”
The regulatory body added that while it respects freedom of expression, it insisted that Egyptian family values must remain “a priority for purposeful art” in order “to preserve the identity and cohesion of families and move away from any image that distorts it.”
“Al-Tawoos” – Arabic for The Peacock — is set in a social context dominated by mystery and suspense, and stars Syrian actor Gamal Soliman, Egyptian veteran Samiha Ayoub, Sahar Al Sayegh, Khaled Alish, among others.
Soliman plays the role of a veteran lawyer Kamal El Ostoul who specializes in compensation cases, but circumstances force him to investigate a rape case that turns his life upside down.
When the promo of the series first came out, it started trending among social media users who said they saw a huge resemblance between the show and the infamous Fairmont rape crime.
The notorious case involved a group of men accused of drugging a girl and raping her as she lay unconscious at a private after party at the five-star Fairmont Nile City hotel.
The crime has become a case of public opinion and has received international criticism. Some preparators remain outside Egypt and some others who were under arrest were released on bail.
Though in the TV series has changed the occupation and socio-economic class of the survivor, yet the show still appears strongly inspired by the hotel gang rape case.