Fahmy on Egypt's 'fascist' regime

Egyptian actor Hussein Fahmy alleged that Egyptian artists face a fierce campaign to discredit them as a punishment to those who reject the position of a religious state. He demanded that the Ministry of Information be shut down, accusing itsministers of handling issues in an “authoritarian way.” In an interview with Arabstoday Hussein Fahmy said: "I finished filming the comedy series The Edge of Anger in which I play the role of a gynaecologist who is doing his best to help other people. In general, the series calls us to love each other.” Hussein said he hopes the series will be aired before Ramadan. The Edge of Anger stars: Hussein Fahmy, Sawsan Badr, Rania Mahmoud Yasin and Dalia Ibrahim, it is written by Mohamed Suleiman and Mohammed Safty and directed by Hosny Saleh. Regarding his absence from the big screen Fahmy said, "I'm not staying away from cinema, I have received many offers for work but I’ve refused them in order to protect my professional reputation.” He also claimed: “The Egyptian film industry is currently on the brink of collapse,” adding that “there is a fierce campaign to discredit art and artists in Egypt.” However, he expressed his belief that the important role of art will be recognized soon in Egypt because “art is deeply instilled in the consciousness of the Egyptian people." Fahmi added, "We are currently under a dictatorial regime which is on its way to becoming a fascist regime.” He stressed that “the demands of the January 25 revolution weren't met; the economic situation is very difficult and justice is absent. There have been serious violations of freedom of expression, as was evident in the closure of TV channels, as well as the announcement by the Minister of Information that certain movies will not broadcast and that he will consider deleting scenes from other movies." Fahmy described the minster’s statements as "shameful," saying “I demand the closure of the Ministry of Information and the Brotherhood’s TV channel, which used to be the official Egyptian TV channel."