TV series “Khefat Yad” (Light Hand) has been accused of insulting the Christian clergy due to a scene in which actor Mohamed Tharwat disguises as a priest, committing acts of fraud and smoking contrary to the sanctity of his uniform.
Angered reactions by Coptic Christians went viral across social media, with Facebook pages calling for a boycott of the series and demanding that its broadcast is stopped.
Responding to the controversy, scriptwriter and actor Mufid Mounir told Al-Masry Al-Youm that they meant no offense and that respect towards the clergy is obligatory, even in a comedy series aiming for fun.
Mounir stated that “masquerading as priests is unacceptable.”
In the series Khefat Yad, there is a fraudulent character wearing a priest’s cassock. Mounir, however, stressed that this does not intend, by any means, to underestimate the sanctity of a religious man or of his outfit.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm