Comedian Shaden Fakih on stage. (Credit: X/@SK_Eyes)
Comedian Shaden Fakih has once again been at the heart of controversy since Wednesday, following the online broadcast of a performance in which she evokes Islam. On Thursday, Dar al-Fatwa, Lebanon's highest Sunni religious authority, submitted a request for the opening of a judicial investigation against the young woman, accusing her of “blasphemy against God and the Prophet Mohammad, undermining religion and its symbols, inciting religious and sectarian conflict and undermining national unity,” according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
Known for her outspokenness and criticism of the political and religious establishment, in an excerpt filmed recently during a show in Beirut, the comedian compares certain Muslims to the “nouveau riche” and criticizes the way prayer is conducted as well as the behavior of certain religious dignitaries. “You get the impression that the Prophet took classes with [the Lebanese dance troupe] Caracalla,” said Shaden, who also recites passages from the Quran.
Contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour, the actress's family declined to comment on the matter. Fakih could not be immediately reached and is currently on tour in Canada.
Attack 'on civil peace'
In its letter to the courts, Dar al-Fatwa stated that it acted “at the request of the Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian, and with a view to preserving civil peace.” The religious body went on to say that it had sent a recording of the controversial passage to the public prosecutor's office.
Many Internet users have taken up the video and accused Shaden Fakih of undermining Islamic values. Among them is Sheikh Hassan Merheb, a Dar al-Fatwa leader with almost 44,000 subscribers on the X network. He described the comedian as “a woman who seeks fame and money, even if it is through blasphemy, immorality and disobedience,” while calling for her to be prosecuted.
Reacting to Sheikh Merheb's publications, an Internet user called on the Shiite High Council to lodge a complaint against the comedian, “because this video harms all Muslims.”
Dozens of accounts on X also shared the sketch in question and insulted the comedian for her stance and sexual orientation. An Internet user who identifies herself as a supporter of Hezbollah accused “those who defend Shaden Fakih of dragging the country towards greater immorality.” Another user denounced the comedian's “diabolical thinking” and her “promotion of deviance” and “atheism.” A demonstration was even organized on Wednesday evening in Tripoli in protest against the content of the sketch.
In 2022, the artist was fined by the military court for “humiliating and damaging the reputation of the Internal Security Forces.” The young woman had been prosecuted after publishing a comedy video in which she is seen calling the ISF and asking if they could deliver sanitary towels to her due to the restrictions imposed during the lockdown in the midst of the coronavirus in Lebanon.
'Premeditated' campaign?
“This campaign against Shaden Fakih seems to have been premeditated,” said Jad Chahrour, media manager at the SKeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom. “The sketch was filmed in secret because it is normally forbidden to film in the hall where Shaden performs. The video was then published online by suspicious accounts, then widely circulated,” he added. According to Chahrour, this controversy could serve as a diversion at a time when the country is reeling from the revelation of a vast pedophilia network operating on TikTok. “This story comes at a time when everyone is preoccupied with the case of the online pedophile ring. Could this be a way of covering up a case that involves children and numerous suspects?” he asked.
For Chahrour, this controversy is reminiscent of last year's prosecution of comedian Nour Hajjar. In August 2023, Hajjar was interrogated for 11 hours by the military police for a sketch evoking the army and mocking his parents' behavior on religious occasions. Dar al-Fatwa also called for the opening of a judicial investigation against the comedian.
The feminist NGO Sharika wa Laken denounced Thursday on X “a campaign of incitement to hatred ... that goes as far as calling for the murder” of Shaden Fakih. She also criticized the “ever-present patriarchal organizations.”
The online media Daraj also came to Fakih's defense. “Once again, the successive crises the country is experiencing are being glossed over ... in favor of restricting freedom of expression for religious and sectarian reasons,” denounced Daraj on X.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.
