Ahmed Mostafa
It’s an opportunity to talk about lighter matters during Ramadan, based on our observations of the Egyptian media.
The first day of Ramadan, yesterday, Monday, March 11, 2024, corresponding to the first of Ramadan 1445 AH, had a special impact on our ears. Naturally, like other Egyptians, I follow the Holy Quran Radio, especially for two hours before Iftar.
The first thing that caught my attention was the presence of one of the Arab banks as an official sponsor of a competition called (Economics in the Qur’an). A daily competition that deals with one of the economic matters in Islamic Sharia, through a daily question that links the listener to the Holy Qur’an, and addresses it to solve this issue, such as zakat, etc., and the effects. As well as the social and economic issues that this matter addresses, and in which surahs are mentioned in the texts of the Qur’an.
The nice thing is that the value of the daily prize reaches (5000 EGP), which is approximately ($100), which is a fair value, and better than the prizes in previous years, which in no way exceeded (500 EGP), or ($10). Thus as per this competition, a greater competitive value is achieved, and high listening and follow-up rates are recorded for the Holy Quran Radio, and good publicity for the sponsor at the same time.
Oppositely, the disrespectful thing is that there are Egyptian businessmen who have billions of pounds, who monopolistically control basic goods and services, and satellite channels. They spend hundreds of millions in the month of Ramadan on advertising their products and services through satellite channels, and through first-class actors/actresses, and with exaggerated promotional methods, which appear as if Egypt, for example, is one of the first economic countries in the world. Or we are in a luxury and service economy, and we never have any problems.
If they had followed the same method as the Holy Qur’an Radio, for example, they would have been the reason for the joy and happiness of thousands of Egyptians – instead of the hatred and frustration that will afflict millions of viewers from following a foolish and superficial publicity/commercials that has no role except to show lies and social hypocrisy, and an extraordinary standard of living that only represents 5% of our society, who enjoy this – and creates a kind of hatred and disrespect against this cast.
At Five o’clock in the afternoon – it was the beginning of the dialogue sessions with his Holiness Sheikh Al-Azhar Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, who was the boldest in his support of the Palestinian cause and his blatant criticism of the Zionist entity. His statements came in contrast to the majority of those personas, who work in Al-Azhar and the Ministry of Awqaf, what the resistance achieved with the enemy was a kind of victory. The occupier failed to achieve any of the goals he announced after the Al-Aqsa flood on October 7. He called on our people in Gaza and Rafah to be patient and steadfast, and that every person of conscience in the world, not just Muslims, must support the right of the Palestinians to obtain their independent state, and that stability in the region will not be achieved without resolving the Palestinian issue.
In truth, I was very proud of Sheikh Al-Tayeb, and of his testimony before God and the millions of listeners in Egypt and the Islamic world regarding what his conscience and humanity approved of him in this regard.
See you in another Qatayef, Inshallah
