Tawfik Okasha

Tawfiq Okasha (Arabic: توفيق عكاشة‎), is an Egyptian television presenter as owner and principal anchor of the satellite political-commentary channel Faraeen (also Al Fara'een).[4] He has been called an opponent of Egyptian liberals and revolutionary youth activists, and until late June 2012 was considered "a staunch supporter" of Egypt's ruling military council (SCAF).[5]

Tawfiq Okasha
توفيق عكاشة
Born
Tawfiq Yahya Ibrahim Okasha[1]

(1967-01-24) 24 January 1967[2]
Nabaruh, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt
Years active1990–present
Political partyNational Democratic Party (until 2011)
National Party[3]
"Talk show host Tawfiq Okasha", by Carlos Latuff, 2011

Following Egypt's 2012 presidential election Okasha claimed that the United States government and Egypt's ruling military council had rigged the election in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi as part of a plot to seize Egyptian oil fields and turn them over to Israel, and that the true winner of the election was Ahmed Shafik, a former general who was Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister.[6] The claim was called "wildly counterintuitive"[7] as both the United States and ruling military are enemies of the Brotherhood, and members of the council appeared on television to deny the report.[6] The claim was seen as fueling a 15 July 2012 attack of tomatoes and shoes by Egyptian Copt protestors on the motorcade of the visiting US Secretary of State[7][8][9]

A former member of parliament for the former ruling National Democratic Party, Okasha has also been called "Egypt's Glenn Beck" (after the right-wing American television host) for his "embrace of conspiratorial thinking and hatred of political Islam".[10] In March 2012, he was found guilty of defamation and libel in lawsuit filed against him for insulting the mother of Egyptian torture victim Khaled Saeed and sentenced in absentia.[5]

On his channel, Okasha co-hosts a popular TV show called "Egypt Today". According to Egypt Independent, "Okasha claims that "Egypt Today" was watched by more than 300 million viewers throughout the Arab world, a figure impossible to verify". Okasha's political opponents accused him of using the show to "spread lies and fantasy" about them. In July 2012, a court ordered Al-Faraeen to be shut down for 45 days.[11]

On 22 October 2012, Okasha was convicted of insulting President Mohamed Morsi and sentenced to a four-month jail term and a fine of 100 Egyptian pounds (US$16.39). Okasha remained free while appealing the sentence.[12] Amnesty International protested the conviction, calling it "a further blow to freedom of expression" and noting that the organization would consider Okasha a prisoner of conscience were he imprisoned on this basis.[13]

See also

References
  1. Who is Tawfik Okasha ?
  2. Who is Tawfik Okasha ?
  3. "NDP Offshoots". Ahram Online. 18 November 2011. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  4. Tawfiq Okasha and the amazingly appalling atrociousness of the fellahin
  5. Tawfiq Okasha sentenced to six months imprisonment for insulting Khaled Saeed's family
  6. Military Rulers Fixed Presidential Vote to Install Islamist, 'Egypt's Glenn Beck' Says By ROBERT MACKEY| 28 June 2012
  7. Egypt's New President Is Being Undercut by State-Run Media by DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and MAYY EL SHEIKH| nytimes.com| 13 July 2012
  8. US: We did not support particular Egyptian presidential candidate| Egypt Independent| 16 July 2012
  9. The Global Reach of Conservative Conspiracy Theories Amy Sullivan| 17 July 2012
  10. Behind Jeers for Clinton in Egypt, a Conspiracy Theory With U.S. Roots By ROBERT MACKEY| nytimes.com| 16 July 2012
  11. Sarah Carr, Mohamad Adam (3 Sep 2012) An audience with Okasha, Egypt Independent
  12. "Egypt TV host gets jail term for insulting president". The Chicago Tribune. Reuters. 22 October 2012. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  13. "Egypt: Broadcaster's conviction another blow to freedom of expression". Amnesty International. 25 October 2012. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
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