Will she back-out of her decision?
On Friday, Egyptian TV presenter and actress Reham Saeed announced her retirement from appearing in all media outlets. She came to this decision after facing a huge wave of criticism after her recents comments regarding obesity.
The presenter has been accused of body shaming, after she made some controversial comments regarding obesity of her TV programme, . Reham’s statements centered on women who are overweight, saying that women who wear long dresses or ‘Abaya’ does not look nice or feminine enough. “You lose part of your femininity if you are fat,” Saeed said, “they are burdens on their families and on the state, and are an eyesore.”
In retaliation to her remarks, Egypt’s Media Syndicate, headed by Tarek Seada, decided to suspend Reham from practicing any media activity until settling her situation with the syndicate. Last Friday, the Supreme Council for Media Regulation interrogated the presenter after the National Council for Women (NCW) filed a complaint against her. The complaint said that Saeed’s comments humiliated Egyptian women and contained inappropriate words and descriptions, demanding the council to take necessary measures in this regard.
Several public figures took to social media to voice their discontent, including Egyptian actress Engy Wegdan. On her Instagram, the Tela’at Rohy actress replied to Reham’s comments saying: “I am fat now and I was fatter in the past, but I did not have problems. I enjoy my life fully – it is not about your shape or weight.”
In reply to all of this, Reham posted a video on Instagram announcing her retirement. She said: “I am not coming back. You helped me with your choice. I was stopped many times before, but I never said that I am not coming back. I need to get closer to God and take care of myself, my kids and my husband.” She also defended her herself, saying the she did not mean to insult obese people and only wanted to promote good health. Moreover, she said that she has been stressed for 16 year due to her profession and is facing a systematic campaign on social media.
Controversy is not usual for the presenter who has frequently faced backlash for her choice of content. Previous episodes include: interviewing an atheist women and kicking her out, meeting with girls who claimed to be possessed and others inside a prostitution house. Moreover, in October of 2015, Reham came under fire after accusing a woman slapped by a harasser of dressing “indecently.” Not only that, but she also shared stolen photos of the victim in a swimsuit on her show.
