Egypt's Ramadan television soaps

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/8263316.stm

Version 0 of 1.

People often get together with family and friends for an 'Iftar' meal to break the Ramadan fast By Eva Dadrian BBC News, Cairo

If Ramadan requires abstinence by day, many Muslims in Egypt are in festive mood by night.

Every year during the holy month, hotels and resorts put on Ramadan programmes that attract hundreds of revellers and where Egypt's superstars entertain guests until the early hours of the morning under specially designed Ramadan tents.

But, the main Ramadan entertainment in Egypt remains the Musalsalat, the television soaps.

Traditional Egyptian TV soaps are comic entertainments, but some are designed to convey a message.

Asma Nadeem has been following soaps with her friends

This could be social, religious and even political with a nationalistic or patriotic twist.

Often it is through TV serials that Egyptians discover pages of their history or sympathise with past political figures.

Two years ago, a Ramadan TV serial on King Farouk revealed the Egyptian king torn between his loyalty to his country and the intrigues and corruption of the courtiers around him.

"This was a real revelation for the young under-30 people of my generation," says Asma Nadeem.

"In our history books King Farouk was represented as a corrupt tyrant who did not care about the people and sold the country to the British."

Egyptians are very fond of TV serials and would watch them eagerly throughout the year.

Newspaper columnists even refer to the plot of a particular TV soap to comment and analyse social, religious or political issues and veteran movies actors, the likes of Mahmoud Yassine, Leila Elwy, Samira Ayoub or Nour al-Sherif, have turned to the TV soaps to maintain their presence in the entertainment business and revive a declining career.

In our history books King Farouk was represented as a corrupt tyrant who did not care about the people and sold the country to the British Asma Nadeem

Though the TV soaps may be successful throughout the year, it is during Ramadan, that the Musalsalat become a raving success with the large majority of Egyptians.

Their production starts early in the year with each production company vying to secure the best post-breaking-of-the-fast prime-time slot, the most popular actors and of course the most lucrative commercials.

With some 50 soaps being screened this Ramadan, Egyptians can pick and chose.

30 days

Without wasting time and as soon as the fast is broken, entire families gather around the TV set and nibbling syrup-saturated pastries and drinking mint tea, they partake in the ritual of watching their favourite Ramadan Musalsal.

This year, the Egyptian authorities have encouraged producers to go for patriotic themes and issues related to the conflict in the Middle East.

Coffee shops are packed after sundown during Ramadan

A serial Ana Qalbi Dalily (My Heart is My Guide) about Laila Mourad, the Egyptian diva of years long gone, portrays the psychological and emotional struggle of Arab Jews split between remaining in the Arab countries where they lived for centuries and the call of Zionism to settle in the newly created State of Israel.

Laila Mourad, who came from an Egyptian Jewish home and converted to Islam, was a singing star in 1940s and 1950s.

"She was so much loved by the Egyptian public that in 1953 she was selected as the official singer of the Egyptian revolution," admits 65-year-old Hassan Abdel Fattah, who has been eagerly watching the serial since the beginning.

Ramadan will soon be coming to an end and Egyptians will return to their normal daily routine.

But for some Ramadan soaps there will not be any let-down.

While the more successful ones will be repeated throughout the year, bringing further cash to the production companies, those which have more episodes than the 30 days of the Muslim holy month will run on.