Conservatives mobilize against Syrian drama

SMN No. 10, October 18, 2010

A number of Syrian netizens launched an online campaign against a Syrian television programmes they accused of “corrupting young minds” and undermining social and religious values. Entitled “Boycott corrupting and corrupted Syrian drama and its supporters and funders,” a Facebook group claimed it wanted to improve the cultural tastes of viewers.

The group’s members, who mostly voiced conservative views, called for the boycott of products which were advertised during the airing of TV series. They said that this was the only efficient way to stop the flow of financial resources to drama.

One member said that this type of boycott was not less important than the boycott of Danish products that Islamist groups called for after the publishing of caricatures depicting the prophet Mohammad in 2005.

The group, created in September and with around 300 members, accused television of “arousing instincts” for profiteering reasons. It said that local drama promotes “ideals strange to our moral standards” adding that their contents negatively affected Syrian youth.

During the recent month of Ramadan, which marks the annual peak viewing period for TV drama, a number of Syrian productions stirred heated debate in Syrian society for tackling sensitive issues like Islamic fundamentalism and sexual relations outside marriage.