Friday, November 25, 2011

Glory for the Rioters


Translation: "The glory for the rioters" (El Maged Ll Moshagbeen)
This graffiti was created today on the wall of the Mugamma.

This street art is a spoof of the famous Egyptian play (and subsequent film) "The School of the Rioters" (Madrasah Al-Moshagbeen). The play debuted after the 1973 war with a venerable cast- including Adel Imam, Ahmed Zeky, Saed Saleh, Hasan Mostfa and Soher El Bably.
In the play, the principle can't control his students despite his many attempts at disciplining them. The students tirelessly play jokes on their teachers, until the principal hires a new teacher who eventually reforms them by first becoming their friend and earning their trust and respect.

While street art is giving praise to the rioters, does the reference to the play allow that these rioters can eventually be tamed? If so, who is the teacher that will tame them?
Massive demonstrations took place today in Midan Tahrir and in several other cities across Egypt, calling for an end to military and a shift transition to civilian rule lead by a National Salvation Council. Rejecting SCAF's appointment of Kamel El-Ganzouri as the new Prime Minister, representatives of youth & revolutionary movements appointed Mohamed El-Baradei, Nobel Peace Prize winner and former head of the IAEA, as the head of the National Salvation Council. Will Baradei be able to tame the rioters?


Here is a clip of the play (without English subtitles), featuring the actor Adel Imam.

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