Saloum Haddad and the Controversy of Classical Arabic .. Egyptian Division Between Supporting and Attacking Him

The statements of the Syrian actor Saloum Haddad, regarding the existence of "a few Egyptian actors who master Classical Arabic", sparked widespread controversy in the Egyptian artistic circles, where stars were divided between those who supported his opinion and those who considered it an insult to Egyptian art.


Actress Hala Sedky believed that Haddad's words carry some truth in light of the absence of works that highlight the skills of actors in Classical Arabic, while Sabry Fawaz called for dealing with the statement critically and without emotional reactions. As for critic Tarek El-Shennawy, he confirmed that Haddad's statement is "accurate in its essence but he erred in generalization".


On the other hand, Ahmed Maher launched a fierce attack, emphasizing Egypt's historical status in leading Arab art. Actress Salwa Ali mocked his statements, while Salah Abdullah used his comedic style to respond, confirming that Egyptians mock themselves but do not accept mockery from others. The head of the actors' syndicate, Ashraf Zaki, also demanded Haddad apologize, to which the Syrian artist promptly responded.


Artist Tamer Abdel Moneim called on his colleagues to close the file after Haddad's apology, affirming that the latter is a friend of Egypt and loves its art, and does not deserve all this attack.


The Syrian actor issued an official apology statement, emphasizing his deep respect for Egyptian art, which he described as "a beacon of Arab culture", confirming that he did not intend to offend and that Egyptian cinema and Syrian drama together form a single Arab artistic scene.

The controversy came at a time when Haddad is preparing to return to the stage through the play "Al-Zeir Salem" in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of October, embodying once again the character "Abu Layla Al-Muhalhal" that has been associated with his name in the famous series in 2000.