Cleopatra film heats up debate over differences between fact and fiction

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Updated 05 May 2023
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Cleopatra film heats up debate over differences between fact and fiction

Cleopatra film heats up debate over differences between fact and fiction

CHICAGO: A controversial Netflix film that casts an African American actress as the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra has pulled the curtain off of a simmering Hollywood drama on the blurred line that often exists between fact and fiction in movies.  

The docu-drama “Queen Cleopatra,” produced by Jada Pinkett-Smith, has drawn the ire of Egyptians and Arabs who are insistent that their history be accurately reflected in Hollywood films, while riling many black people who say they have been victims of generations of racism on a global level.  

During interviews on “The Ray Hanania Radio Show” on Wednesday, renowned Egyptologist Zahi Hawass and African American radio talk show host Perri Small debated whether fact or fiction is driving the Cleopatra story, and the impact the production has on the public perceptions of Arabs, Egyptians and black people.   

Hawass, who this month launches a 26-city US tour where he will reveal more discoveries from Egyptian history, said the casting of an African American actress, Adele James, to play Cleopatra is intended to reinforce assertions that black Africans are the origins of Egyptian history.  

“If you do a documentary, you have to be strict with history and you have to consult an Egyptologist. If the film is drama, you have to write it as fiction and you can do what you want. And therefore, if you look at history, we have statues of Cleopatra,” Hawass said, arguing that there is significant evidence in unearthed ancient relics that point to Cleopatra’s white lineage.  

“Cleopatra was a Macedonian. All the queens and princesses of Macedonia were not black. Also, she was the daughter of Ptolemy XII,” he said. 

“I really think that the reason this film is shown now (is) because some people want to say that the origins of Ancient Egypt were black.”   

Hawass argued that if Pinkett-Smith wanted to cast Cleopatra with a black actress, she should redefine the project as fiction rather than as a documentary.  

“I don’t think it is fair to make a documentary to show that Cleopatra was black. This is changing history,” Hawass said.  

Small, the morning host on America’s oldest black radio station, WVON AM 1690 in Chicago, said the Cleopatra controversy has been a major topic of discussion on her radio show and among America’s black community. 

“I would not even begin to argue with a scholar that Cleopatra VII was (of) Macedonian, Greek descent. I wouldn’t even argue that. I am not a scholar in that. But Egyptians are arguing that the documentary requires those in charge of its production to investigate accuracy and rely on historical and scientific facts, and I get that. Can we please do that? Does anybody have Cleopatra’s DNA?” Perri said.  

“It seems to us that it is more of an anti-blackness. I do respect the (Egyptian) culture. They say it is not racism. They say it is not ethnicity. But let’s face it, there is an anti-blackness globally. It is an anti-blackness, and I don’t think that people of your community and other communities even understand that.

Small explained that many African Americans look at the Cleopatra controversy through the eyes of their experiences, which has been dominated by racism and discrimination and cultural denial over many centuries.  

But Hawass insisted that, despite feelings that viewers may have for or against the casting of a black actress to represent Cleopatra, the debate is not about race or racism but is rather an issue of accuracy.  

 

“This has nothing to do with race at all. I said if this documentary showed Cleopatra as blonde, I would object. Cleopatra was not black. Cleopatra was not blonde,” Hawass said.  

 “If she (Pinkett-Smith) writes at the beginning of the film, that this movie is fiction and has nothing to do with history, I would accept that.” 

Hawass said that Pinkett-Smith’s intent may have been to create a controversy all along in order to generate attention for the film.  

“It is actually the purpose, in my opinion, of this movie … to show that the black (Africans) were the origins of ancient Egypt, but this is not true,” Hawass insisted.  

“The Ray Hanania Radio Show” is broadcast on the US Arab Radio Network every Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Detroit, Michigan on WNZK AM 690 and in Washington, D.C. on WDMV AM 700.  

You can listen to the radio show’s podcast by visiting ArabNews.com/rayradioshow.


Israel’s former justice minister walks out during RT interview

Israel’s former justice minister walks out during RT interview
Updated 09 December 2023
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Israel’s former justice minister walks out during RT interview

Israel’s former justice minister walks out during RT interview
  • The host later asked Beilin about dubious evidence surrounding the events of Oct. 7 and evidence of Israeli friendly fire on the same day
  • Beilin became furious with the direction of the interview before deciding to walk away

DUBAI: Former Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin walked out of a televised interview after being challenged by the presenter to respond to reports on the Israel-Hamas war.

During an interview with Russia Today presenter Afshin Rattansi, Beilin was asked about the mass slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza and the parallels between the Palestinian resistance and Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress resistance.

A heated exchange took place when the presenter challenged the ex-Israeli minister to respond to unverified accounts regarding the rape of Israeli women hostages captured by Hamas.

Beilin said: “I don’t want even to argue about it. If people don’t believe these poor women were hit and raped and whatever, I’m not in the situation to prove them that they are wrong.”

Rattansi said the claims had never been proven. 

The host later asked Beilin about dubious evidence surrounding the events of Oct. 7, as well as evidence of Israeli friendly fire on the same day, published in a report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz. 

He sarcastically responded, saying: “Maybe it is true, and all the 1,200 people who were killed on Oct. 7 were killed by Israelis … Are you crazy? … We killed ourselves and raped ourselves.”

The presenter replied that it was not a matter of believing whether this truly happened, but rather a matter of presenting evidence to verify or dispute such claims.   

As Beilin became furious with the direction of the interview, the presenter moved on to the topic of Israel’s support for Daesh fighters in Syria.

Beilin, however, refused to comment on the matter before abruptly ending the interview.


EU reaches a deal on the world’s first comprehensive AI rules

EU reaches a deal on the world’s first comprehensive AI rules
Updated 09 December 2023
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EU reaches a deal on the world’s first comprehensive AI rules

EU reaches a deal on the world’s first comprehensive AI rules
  • Under the deal, the most advanced foundation models that pose the biggest “systemic risks” will get extra scrutiny
  • Researchers have warned that these powerful foundation models could be used to supercharge online disinformation and manipulation, cyberattacks or creation of bioweapons

LONDON: European Union negotiators clinched a deal Friday on the world’s first comprehensive artificial intelligence rules, paving the way for legal oversight of technology used in popular generative AI services like ChatGPT that has promised to transform everyday life and spurred warnings of existential dangers to humanity.
Negotiators from the European Parliament and the bloc’s 27 member countries overcame big differences on controversial points including generative AI and police use of facial recognition surveillance to sign a tentative political agreement for the Artificial Intelligence Act.
“Deal!” tweeted European Commissioner Thierry Breton, just before midnight. “The EU becomes the very first continent to set clear rules for the use of AI.”
The result came after marathon closed-door talks this week, with the initial session lasting 22 hours before a second round kicked off Friday morning.
Officials were under the gun to secure a political victory for the flagship legislation but were expected to leave the door open to further talks to work out the fine print, likely to bring more backroom lobbying.
The EU took an early lead in the global race to draw up AI guardrails when it unveiled the first draft of its rulebook in 2021. The recent boom in generative AI, however, sent European officials scrambling to update a proposal poised to serve as a blueprint for the world.
The European Parliament will still need to vote on it early next year, but with the deal done that’s a formality, Brando Benifei, an Italian lawmaker co-leading the body’s negotiating efforts, told The Associated Press late Friday.
“It’s very very good,” he said by text message after being asked if it included everything he wanted. “Obviously we had to accept some compromises but overall very good.” The eventual law wouldn’t fully take effect until 2025 at the earliest, and threatens stiff financial penalties for violations of up to 35 million euros ($38 million) or 7 percent of a company’s global turnover.
Generative AI systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT have exploded into the world’s consciousness, dazzling users with the ability to produce human-like text, photos and songs but raising fears about the risks the rapidly developing technology poses to jobs, privacy and copyright protection and even human life itself.
Now, the US, UK, China and global coalitions like the Group of 7 major democracies have jumped in with their own proposals to regulate AI, though they’re still catching up to Europe.
Strong and comprehensive regulation from the EU “can set a powerful example for many governments considering regulation,” said Anu Bradford, a Columbia Law School professor who’s an expert on EU and digital regulation. Other countries “may not copy every provision but will likely emulate many aspects of it.”
AI companies who will have to obey the EU’s rules will also likely extend some of those obligations to markets outside the continent, she said. “After all, it is not efficient to re-train separate models for different markets,” she said.
Others are worried that the agreement was rushed through.
“Today’s political deal marks the beginning of important and necessary technical work on crucial details of the AI Act, which are still missing,” said Daniel Friedlaender, head of the European office of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, a tech industry lobby group.
The AI Act was originally designed to mitigate the dangers from specific AI functions based on their level of risk, from low to unacceptable. But lawmakers pushed to expand it to foundation models, the advanced systems that underpin general purpose AI services like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard chatbot.
Foundation models looked set to be one of the biggest sticking points for Europe. However, negotiators managed to reach a tentative compromise early in the talks, despite opposition led by France, which called instead for self-regulation to help homegrown European generative AI companies competing with big USrivals including OpenAI’s backer Microsoft.
Also known as large language models, these systems are trained on vast troves of written works and images scraped off the Internet. They give generative AI systems the ability to create something new, unlike traditional AI, which processes data and completes tasks using predetermined rules.
Under the deal, the most advanced foundation models that pose the biggest “systemic risks” will get extra scrutiny, including requirements to disclose more information such as how much computing power was used to train the systems.
Researchers have warned that these powerful foundation models, built by a handful of big tech companies, could be used to supercharge online disinformation and manipulation, cyberattacks or creation of bioweapons.
Rights groups also caution that the lack of transparency about data used to train the models poses risks to daily life because they act as basic structures for software developers building AI-powered services.
What became the thorniest topic was AI-powered facial recognition surveillance systems, and negotiators found a compromise after intensive bargaining.
European lawmakers wanted a full ban on public use of facial scanning and other “remote biometric identification” systems because of privacy concerns while governments of member countries wanted exemptions so law enforcement could use them to tackle serious crimes like child sexual exploitation or terrorist attacks.
Civil society groups were more skeptical.
“Whatever the victories may have been in these final negotiations, the fact remains that huge flaws will remain in this final text,” said Daniel Leufer, a senior policy analyst at the digital rights group Access Now. Along with the law enforcement exemptions, he also cited a lack of protection for AI systems used in migration and border control, and “big gaps in the bans on the most dangerous AI systems”
 


‘Four Daughters’ wins inaugural Asharq Documentary Award

‘Four Daughters’ wins inaugural Asharq Documentary Award
Updated 08 December 2023
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‘Four Daughters’ wins inaugural Asharq Documentary Award

‘Four Daughters’ wins inaugural Asharq Documentary Award
  • Prize marks company’s commitment to film industry, nurturing talent
  • Winner announced at Red Sea International Film Festival 2023

DUBAI: Kawthar Ben Haniyeh’s portrait of a Tunisian mother and her four daughters living in a society wracked by extremism has won the inaugural Asharq Documentary Award.

The awards are named after Saudi Research and Media Group’s Arabic free-to-air channel Asharq Documentary. The winning entry was announced during this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Jeddah.

“Four Daughters” uses interviews and reenactments to tell the story of Olfa Hamrouni and her daughters, the two eldest of whom were radicalized and went missing.

“This award marks the beginning of several initiatives we have planned to recognize and reward filmmaking talent, while supporting the regional film industry,” Mohammed Al-Yousei, general manager of Asharq Documentary, said.

“A defining aspect of Asharq Documentary is its dedicated, in-house production capabilities, offering exclusive access to regional documentary films for our audiences.”

The new channel aims to provide a platform for creators to showcase their stories and productions, the company said in a statement.

Seven other films were in the running for the award. They were: Iraq’s “Hiding Saddam Hussein,” “Iraq’s Invisible Beauty” and “The Dalkurd Story,” Morocco’s “The Mother of All Lies,” Libya’s “Donga,” the UK’s “Copa 71” and Ireland’s “In the Shadow of Beirut.”

Shivani Pandya Malhotra, managing director of the Red Sea International Film Festival, said the Asharq Documentary Award was an important addition to the festival as the two organizations were committed to supporting storytelling and filmmaking.

Asharq Documentary is available through its dedicated TV channel and social media accounts, as well as live streaming and on-demand services via Asharq NOW.


Media watchdog calls for release of Gaza correspondent amid growing press safety concerns

Media watchdog calls for release of Gaza correspondent amid growing press safety concerns
Updated 08 December 2023
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Media watchdog calls for release of Gaza correspondent amid growing press safety concerns

Media watchdog calls for release of Gaza correspondent amid growing press safety concerns
  • Diaa Al-Kahlout detained at gunpoint on Thursday along with family members
  • News follows claim that Israeli killing of Reuters journalist was part of a ‘deliberate assault on civilians’

LONDON: The Committee to Protect Journalists has urged Israeli authorities to release Palestinian journalist Diaa Al-Kahlout, who was detained in northern Gaza on Dec. 7.

Al-Kahlout, the chief bureau correspondent for the Qatari-funded, London-based Arab newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, was detained along with family members.

CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator, Sherif Mansour, expressed “deep concern” about the incident and called for Al-Kahlout’s immediate release.

“The Israeli army should disclose his location, release him immediately, and take steps to ensure the safety of all journalists covering this war, especially those in Gaza who face imminent harm,” he said.

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, one of the few pan-Arab news outlets that still has a physical presence in northern Gaza, said it had lost contact with Al-Kahlout at around noon on Thursday, and later discovered that he and his family were detained at gunpoint.

Reports suggest that Israeli soldiers detained Al-Kahlout, leaving his disabled daughter behind, and subjected him and others to alleged mistreatment, including physical assault.

Hussam Kanafani, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed’s editor-in-chief, said the outlet was working to determine Al-Kahlout’s whereabouts and secure his release.

Kanafani claimed that Israel deliberately “arrests, targets, and kills journalists” to prevent documentation of crimes.

Since the conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out last Oct. 7, CPJ has reported the arrest of 19 journalists, most based in the West Bank.

According to the media watchdog, at least 63 journalists and media workers have been killed since the beginning of the conflict, the highest casualty count in over 30 years of record-keeping.

Israel has faced persistent allegations of harassing, detaining and obstructing journalists, along with accusations of deliberate targeting.

On Thursday, Reuters published an investigation into the death of reporter Issam Abdallah in an Israeli attack near the Lebanese border on Oct. 13.

Aya Majzoub, Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, previously said that the organization’s inquiry into the incident suggested it was a “direct attack on civilians.”

He added that such attacks are “absolutely prohibited by international humanitarian law and can amount to war crimes.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that it was important that an Israeli inquiry into the incident reached a conclusion and that its findings were transparent.


Axel Springer to close Upday in shift towards AI-based news

Axel Springer to close Upday in shift towards AI-based news
Updated 08 December 2023
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Axel Springer to close Upday in shift towards AI-based news

Axel Springer to close Upday in shift towards AI-based news
  • Upday to close at end of the year, relaunch expected for summer 2024
  • More than half of jobs to be eliminated, company said

BERLIN: Axel Springer is shutting down the news outlet Upday, the German publishing giant said on Friday, in plans to revive the brand as a “trend news generator” driven by artificial intelligence.

Upday will close by the end of the year in its current form, with the new service scheduled to launch in the summer of 2024.

A spokesperson said jobs at Upday are being eliminated during the transformation process, adding that the company would examine whether staff can continue to work elsewhere in the group.

Of a one-time workforce of 150, 70 staff members remain, the spokesperson said.

The aim of the transformation is to explore “the opportunities that (artificial intelligence) presents for journalism and the news industry”, the company said.

Upday has been pre-installed on Samsung cell phones and other devices under a deal between Axel Springer and the South Korean company in 2015. It expanded into 34 European countries.

Axel Springer owns top-selling German tabloids Bild and Welt, as well as US political news website Politico. The company plans to transition from print media to digital news.