JEDDAH, 12 November 2004 — For 12 years, people in the Kingdom have watched the television sitcom “Tash Ma Tash,” and for 12 years, viewers have sparred, either defending or attacking the program.
Last year, the sitcom triggered loud protests from conservatives because an episode examined the problems male guardians can create in women’s lives.
The program again is generating strong reactions from viewers, notably angry responses from “Islamists,” after an episode probed how some Saudi schoolteachers spread religious intolerance among their students.
That episode prompted angry demands to ban the show.
Some imams have vented their anger in sermons condemning what they called “making fun of religious people.”
Another episode, “Life Goes On,” sparked interest, not only in Saudi Arabia but also in neighboring countries, as it dealt with terrorist attacks against civilians.
Now some terrorist websites are carrying death threats against the two stars of the sitcom, Nasser Al-Qasbi and Abdullah Al-Sadan.
In an interview with Al-Arabiya satellite station, the actors denounced what they called the “alienating the other” attitude. “I welcome all sort of comments, and I am ready for debates and discussions, but I refuse this attitude of alienation” Al-Qasbi said, pointing to the poison of narrow-minded intolerance.
The duo refuse to give in to attacks from some “religious” people, saying there is no sense in awarding a halo to anyone who claims to be religious.
“Those people are human,” Al-Qasbi said, “and they make mistakes just like everyone else.”
He recounted praying in a Riyadh mosque when the imam started verbally attacking him in person. The imam was fully aware that Al-Qasbi was sitting in front of him.
Al-Qasbi chose not to respond.
Confronted by accusations that the sitcom criticizes certain areas of the Kingdom and makes fun of regional dialects, the actors refuse to cave into what they term “hateful racism.”
“We all live in this country,” Al-Qasbi said. “I consider people everywhere as part of my family.”
Al-Sadan dispelled rumors that the program gets official support.
“That is not true — or else we would have been able to air all the episodes we shot,” Al-Sadan said.
Al-Qasbi also lamented the lack of respect Saudi actors face. In his view, Saudi society does not appreciate actors; they come under intense attack on the Internet.
After studying engineering, Al-Qasbi and Al-Sadan decided to go into acting after some successes at the university theater. They started producing and writing “Tash Ma Tash” in 1990.
The program has become popular throughout Gulf region. This year, broadcast rights were purchased by eight Arabic satellite channels.
As for the future, they hope to get more creative freedom. “It is always good to have different opinions,” Al-Qasbi said. “People are entitled to their views.”
