If the poor Ottomans only knew! They could have controlled the Arab lands till this day with just a bunch of dubbed soap operas. But, as history would have it, the world didn’t have satellite TV 100 years ago. Armies, railways and other such “hardware” was still necessary back then.
But the Turks are back. Not just with delicious yoghurt, Labaneh and cookies on our supermarket shelves, but with their good looks and romance, capturing the hearts of the “Arab masses”.
Yesterday, Kivanch Tatiltug, who plays the role “Muhannad” in the outrageously successful “Muhannad and Noor” series, descended on Amman, causing traffic jams and female mobs. Before that, according to press reports over the past weeks, he has been causing everything from Saudi divorces, cases of domestic violence and the issuance of fatwas.
While not in Amman, Muhannad (and Noor) have been said to be a contributing factor to the lack of traffic jams this summer. According to a story in Al-Ghad yesterday, people are staying at home to watch the show instead of going out. For that fact alone, I love this show!
Weighing in on the subject, Jordanian Cartoonist Emad Hajjaj had an interesting “cartoon” in the paper today (see above) that I can’t resist translating for you:
Muhannad: “Noor.. The salvation of the Arab people lays in the resolving of their basic internal struggles, in favor of freedom, justice, equality, religious tolerance, civility, democracy and human rights, and the ending of all forms of totalitarianism and regressive fundamentalism and…”
Noor: “Muhannad.. You’re talking as if you have no idea!! The Arab people are powerless and internally defeated and not up to these things at all.. Leave them in the atmosphere of romance and love stories! Believe me, they are happy this way!!”
Emad oh Emad. You’re a brilliant cartoonist and this one is no exception. But I think you might be missing the deeper point here my friend. Emotional yearning is more powerful than “freedom” and “democracy”. It’s a lesson the Turks have to teach our “masses” it seems.
Comments
33 responses to “Muhannad and Noor and the fate of the Arab Nation!”
Did you read the news item about this show? It seems the role models that this show presents are in not just related to romance but to modern relationships even in traditional marriages and independence for women… interesting and sad to see. I have always said we have dysfunctional relationships because we dont have role models in our lives. Even our parents, they dont always show intimacy and affection in front of their children… maybe the turks are the way to go…
Soap opera shakes customs of Arab married life
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080727/ap_on_re_mi_ea/mideast_subversive_soap
Tatiltug means: Tatly, Ma3oud, Mrabba..
That is realy funny, I’m realy surprised about the Turkis soap operas, I tried to watch a few episodes and I got bored quickly, the show is soooo slow and has nothing happening. But Id like to assure the Arab world that we still got another 900 episodes left!!
But seriously maybe we should look into our relations and who can be our role model
weird! soap operas has been around for a long time. i’m not sure but would not think that the American people said: stop showing Cassandra (or whatever was the name of the show in English) because its ruining the American way!! neither did israelis; they are still showing the Bold and the Beautiful everyday at 4.. why should this kind of shows affect the weaving of society? surely it did not in America and israel but it may in Arabia (did it when Dynasty or Roots were aired?).. oh! that’s the answer right there!!
did you check this out…
http://www.alwatan.com.sa/news/newsdetail.asp?issueno=2858&id=63822&groupID=0.
selam brothers.as one of a grandchild of “poor ottoman empire” i can tell you frankly these tv series cannot be a bridge for insulting (u know when critisizing is depassing the limit it becomes an insult) a respectable history.this tv show is honestly succesful,why you deny dun ya watch it too?
i mean,you shouldn t be ashamed it s succesful and worth to watch.i can understand it.you shoul also not to be afraid turks will be back diffirently!what you talk about “controlled arab lands”is a very big historical mistake,coz you can also not touch a word to the very strong relations since a thousand of year between turks and arabs.untill the day tuks been cheated and sold by our few arab brothers to some english spies,those were lands of a huge civilisation where many of scientists and artists were living…untill we ve been cheated and sold…but the more important is ; untill you put the fire in middle east by opening a door to europeans to come in behind us…you look at history deeper and a bit of self-critic will work for you to get things and not to kid with history.LET
selam brothers.as one of a grandchild of “poor ottoman empire” i can tell you frankly these tv series cannot be a bridge for insulting (u know when critisizing is depassing the limit it becomes an insult) a respectable history.this tv show is honestly succesful,why you deny dun ya watch it too?
i mean,you shouldn t be ashamed it s succesful and worth to watch.i can understand it.you shoul also not to be afraid …u know that turks will be back diffirently!what you talk about “controlled arab lands”is a very big historical mistake,coz you can also not touch a word to the very strong relations since a thousand of year between turks and arabs.untill the day turks been cheated and sold by our few arab brothers to some english spies,those were lands of a huge civilisation where many of scientists and artists were living and full of sources for all the world
,heart of the world,where sun was rising from..untill those wars and
untill been “sold” …untill we ve been cheated and sold…but the more important is ; untill you put the fire in middle east by opening a door to europeans to come in behind us…you look at history deeper and a bit of self-critic will work for you to get things and not to kid with history.LET the people watch something of high quality.they are not as weak as to be infected by a tv serie.it s funny if you charge all the social explosions and influences in arab social life onto a tv serie,then it s me who has to think about why wasting time to write here.if u wanna more about turks untill we are back,you can visit us here in Anatolia to discover more before insulting.
y’all exagerate.should be busy with some more serious stuff.shouldn t disturb people by your ticky words,if they just have only one entertainment per week or whatelse.there s not only one person who is clever,while sitting down on his sofa and critisizing everything which happens.and the rest is not less clever than Mr.Critics.you don t have right to insult and put people in a place of an idiot with just a tv serie.
In fact ,I wonder why the Arab world is so fragile that every attempt at assimilating something new is frowned on;in this case,then the problem lies less in these drama series than in the fabric of our society,and the solution in my opinion is not in insulating ourselves from”foreign”influence,lest should the problem be compunded even more.Our real problem is that the proponents of the “conspiracy theory”abound among us so as to absolve themselves of responsibility
Hi i want tell u that my dream is to see “songul oden” or “noor” i love her very very much. I wish my dream will become.please if anyone have information about “songul oden” or “noor” or if anyone know her email please make for me add on this email
hey young man watch your mouth. what the heck are you thinking when your saying “poor ottomans”. these will be your last words you know
السلام عليكم عايزة اقولكم كي٠Øالكم وانا مش باعر٠تركى كويس لذلك انا هاتكلم عربى Ùˆ يارب Øد ÙŠÙهمنى مسلسل نور ده يعتبر من اشهر المسلسلات عندنا لكن انا شايÙØ© انه مسلسل عادى جدا
noor is very buetefull thank s for this move
j’aime yehya et lamisse et noor
hi noor ow songul oden and kivang tatliug ilove u songul somuch and kivang
i hate him
hi nour w mohanad 2na ma bte2kon la2inkon balla fehim ok
amazing is not a good enough word to describe this soap
!!
HEY LOVE NOOR AND MOUHANED A DONT LIKE FIANS MOHANED
i love noor and mohanad soo much but to kill myself for them its was very romantic film and i like it and its nice but some people kills them selfs i see mohand
slt noor j’aime pas te voir avec mohanned parce’que tu trés belle que lui
i luvv muhannad soo muchh
hello muhanad I’m khansa i’am from in marroco
i lov you and nur my me encante la serie du nour
ay love you noor et mou hanad
i like vry much the turkish drama and i m crazy about you mouhaned for me you are a nic and ………i love you very very very very much my big baby
!!
mohanad i detest you
هاااااااااااااي
يااØلا نور Ùˆ مهند مسلسلكم كان روعة جدا جدا واتمنالكم التوÙيق الدائم
ana bahib nour w mahanad ktir
يااØلا نور Ùˆ مهند مسلسلكم كان روعة جدا جدا واتمنالكم التوÙيق الدائم
Oh Noor en Muhannad i wish ure couples
offffffff mohanade wla noor ktirrrrrrr bakrahkone offff ma bti2kone ya khana2tona lkole ma 3andone sira bi lsanoone ri into imafi rirkoneeeeeee …
hi i love youuuuuuuuuuuu noor very much loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
i hate you mohanad but i love you noor because you’re just like my name