50-member Constitution Committee Chief Amr Moussa said the decision to suspend the Al-Bernameg show presented by the satirist Bassem Youssef was unwise and that the decision sparked skepticism toward freedoms.
Moussa posted on Twitter on Saturday saying, “We have to trust ourselves and accept opposite opinions, criticism and satire sometimes.”
Moussa also called on CBC channel, which hosts the show, to reconsider the decision, which he said “had offended Egypt as much as it offended the channel administration.” He also said every channel has the right to have its editorial policy that conforms to freedom of expression. “All channels’ administration should achieve that balance without overreacting in taking a decision like what happened with Youssef’s show.”
Media professional Khairy Ramadan, presenter of another show on CBC, announced on Friday minutes before the airing of the Al-Bernameg show that the administration had decided to suspend the show until administrative problems are resolved.
Jama’a al-Islamiyah said the show's suspension clearly reveals the nature of the current regime which does not accept opposition.
In a statement on Sunday, the group said that despite reservations about the show during the rule of deposed President Mohamed Morsy and its way of "spreading hatred" against the Muslim Brotherhood and the president, it believes that all Egyptians have the right to freely express their stances.
“Such an unprecedented anti-freedom stance violates the principles of the 25 January revolution and assures us that policies of satellite TV channels that were founded after the January revolution, including CBC [which hosts the show], were drawn by security services,” the statement added.
Alaa abul Nassr, secretary general of the group’s political arm, the Construction and Development Party, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that suspending the show shows the difference between Morsy’s regime and the current military regime. He added that Youssef mocked the president and Islamists for one year.
Tamarod Founder Mahmoud Badr has expressed solidarity with Youssef and support toward media freedom.
Badr posted on Facebook saying, “If you banned Youssef from TV, how will you ban him from Youtube? How will you prevent him from shooting an episode on street?”
The movement’s spokesperson Hassan Shahin described the decision as a "political tumble" and that it would promote oppression of freedom. He said that "only the terrorist groups will take advantage."
Mohamed abul Ghar, Social Democratic Egyptian Party chief ad member of the constitution amendment committee, considered the CBC decision an indication of the decline of freedoms and the start of oppression against freedom of expression.
Abul Ghar called on all visual and audio media channels “to unite against attacks on freedoms before Egypt returns back to the ages of dictatorship.”
“Television and media channels' credibility is now at stake. The episode should be displayed on the same channel or another one,” he added, calling on state TV to air the suspended episode.
However, Information Minister Dorreya Sharf Eddin said state TV will not air the show suspended by CBC.
The remarks came amidst requests by several political leaders including Cairo University President Gaber Nassar, member of the 50-member committee, and abul Ghar to air the canceled episode.
Presidential media adviser Ahmed al-Meslemany said in a statement aired on the privately-owned channel ONTV that the presidency respects freedom of expression and that halting any shows by channels is a local issue.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
