Muhammad Ghonaim used statements that were considered offensive.

Muhammad Ghonaim: I did not intend to insult them.

The Board of the Egyptian Actors Syndicate issued a decision to suspend actor Muhammad Ghonaim from artistic work, stop renewing his annual license, and completely ban him from practicing acting. This comes following accusations related to insulting women through posts on social media.

The details of the crisis go back to a series of posts published by Ghonaim on his Facebook account, in which he expressed his rejection of the phenomenon of feeding street dogs, sharply criticizing some women who engage in this behavior. This sparked widespread controversy and strong anger across social media platforms.

In one of his posts, the actor used phrases that were considered offensive, leading to a wave of criticism from users and activists on social media, who believed his remarks crossed the boundaries of personal opinion and insulted a segment of society, especially given the sensitivity of discussions related to stray animals and their rights.

“Not a personal targeting”

For his part, Muhammad Ghonaim stated in media remarks that he did not intend to insult Egyptian women, emphasizing his full respect for women. He explained that what he said was an expression of his objection to what he described as “exaggeration in dealing with street dogs,” and not a personal attack against any party. He also noted that he had not yet received official notification of the suspension decision and learned about it through media outlets.

Ghonaim added that he respects the decisions of the Actors Syndicate and its head, Ashraf Zaki, confirming his readiness to appear before the syndicate board to clarify his position if requested, considering what happened a misunderstanding in the context of expressing his opinion on a controversial issue.

On the other hand, the Actors Syndicate declined to comment in detail on the decision, stating only that the measure is a legal procedure aimed at investigating the incident and determining whether the actor committed a violation.

Muhammad Ghonaim is an Egyptian actor and physician. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Zagazig University and worked as an internal medicine doctor before turning to acting. He has participated in several notable drama works, including “El Ostoura” (The Legend), “El Herob” (The Escape), “Wad’ Amny” (Security Situation), “Ahl Cairo,” and “Jaafar El Omda (Jaafar the Mayor)”, with his latest work being the series “Sayed El Nas.”