Official step to prevent any potential damage to the reputation of Egyptian art The penalty may include expulsion or a fine, according to the applicable laws

The crisis escalated following the controversial statements of musician Hany Mahna during an interview on a program, as the Federation of Artistic Syndicates, headed by director Omar Abdel Aziz, decided to refer Mahna to a disciplinary council at the Musicians’ Syndicate, chaired by artist Mostafa Kamel, on charges of insulting symbols of Egyptian art.

Said Mahmoud, advisor to the three Artistic Syndicates, clarified that a meeting was held including director Omar Abdel Aziz, Dr. Ashraf Zaki, Mosaad Fouda, and Mostafa Kamel to discuss Mahna’s statements. The meeting concluded with referring the musician to the disciplinary council to determine the appropriate penalty, which may include expulsion or a fine, according to the laws applied in the syndicate.

Hany Mahna banned from media appearances

Simultaneously, the Supreme Council for Media issued a decision banning Hany Mahna from appearing in media outlets, confirming in an official statement: “The Supreme Council for Media Regulation, headed by engineer Khaled Abdel Aziz, referred musician Hany Mahna to the Federation of Artistic Syndicates to handle his statements, which included insults and attacks on several Egyptian art icons during his appearance on the program.”

The council also decided to delete all videos containing Mahna’s statements that sparked the crisis, which focused on stars of singing in Egypt and the Arab world, including Amr Diab and Sherine Abdel Wahab, in addition to his remarks about Abdel Halim Hafez’s marriages to Soad Hosny, Shadia, and Faten Hamama, which caused widespread anger in the artistic community.

These measures come as an official step to prevent any potential damage to the reputation of Egyptian art, with expectations that the coming days will witness further disciplinary decisions regarding the musician, following the wave of widespread controversy triggered by his statements.