Controversial Mona Eraky banned from air over incest episode

CAIRO – 15 February 2018: Controversial anchor Mona Eraky was ordered to be tentatively banned from appearing on TV over sexually-charged remarks.

During the episode on February 12 of the program “Entbah” (Attention), which was broadcasted on Mehwar TV channel, Eraky explored the subject of incest, featuring a woman who had her male kids raped by her husband, along with their daughter, who later committed suicide.

Eraky wondered in her program why men are always the ones who are raping, adding that men always show their affection through sex, unlike women, and describing such acts as “animalistic”.

Yahiya El Konaisy, board member of the National Broadcasting Authority, referred Eraky for investigations, while the latter said that she “welcomes” the syndicates’ decision.

Also, Mehwar TV’s board has released a statement condemning Eraky’s remarks, which are at odds with the values of the Egyptian society.

Earlier, in 2016, Eraky experienced a firestorm for a famous episode in which she claimed that Cairo-based Beit El Bahr hammam (traditional steam bath) is a homosexual meeting place.

Moreover, Egypt’s Supreme Media Regulatory Council decided on Sunday to stop the broadcast of the comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL).

The council said in a statement published Sunday that the decision was based on the investigations held by the council’s Complaints Committee, which has stated that the program broadcast on OSN used inappropriate sexual inuendo contravening ethical and professional standards.

The council has also decided to refer TV program “El Nas El Helwa” (Sweet People) for investigations after the program was said to have broadcasted sexually explicit images.