CAIRO — For years, intellectuals have debated the Egyptian regime's belief in the importance of art and culture in the fight against terrorism. Now, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has launched the National Council to Fight Terrorism and chosen prominent theater and television actor Mohamed Sobhi as one of its members.
The decision came July 26, and by Aug. 2, the Zahma news website cited intellectuals who questioned Sobhi’s membership and the government’s seriousness in activating the role of culture and art in fighting terrorism, claiming that Sobhi’s presence on the council or the council as a whole are only public relations moves.