By: Louisa Loveluck
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Egypt’s prosecutors have questioned officials from the country’s largest telecoms provider over accusations that a recent advertisement used puppets to convey a secret message to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The accusations against Vodafone Egypt come a week after the country’s military-backed government formally designated the Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation, following an attack on a police headquarters that left 16 people dead.
The advert features a mother and daughter puppet duo, named Abla Fahita and Karkoura, as they search for the sim card of a deceased relative. As Fahita chats away on her mobile, a radio anchor explains how to make “stuffed turkey” for Christmas.
According to the instigator of the lawsuit – a self-styled youth activist known as “Ahmed Spider” – both props and script are laden with references to a forthcoming bomb plot by the Brotherhood. A staunch supporter of ousted president Mubarak, “Spider” has previously accused revolutionary activists of being members of a secret masonic cult.
The accusations come at a time of deep polarisation in Egypt, where state and private media outlets have led a witch hunt against members of the Brotherhood. On Boxing Day, citizens were encouraged to phone state security hotlines if they suspect their neighbours to be members of the movement.