Wall-to-wall Sissi banners inspire satire in Egypt
CAIrO: In a surreal scene from the 2001 film Vanilla Sky, Tom Cruise runs through a deserted Times Square before screaming in despair.
In a satirical version widely shared in Egypt, the square is filled with campaign billboards for President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
Open your eyes anywhere in Egypt these days, and you’ll see billboards, banners and posters hailing the general-turned-president, who will stand for re-election next week against a little-known politician who has made no effort to challenge him.
The outcome of the election is a foregone conclusion, so the advertising blitz appears aimed at encouraging turnout to try and bolster the vote’s legitimacy.
In the meantime, the displays have provoked a wave of grim satire on social media, one of the last remaining avenues for dissent amid a sweeping crackdown that has escalated in the lead-up to the March 26-28 vote.
A still photo cropped from the 1997 blockbuster Titanic shows Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet seated on the doomed ship’s deck with a Sissi banner in the background.
Another shows the stars of hit comedy series Friends gathered at their favourite cafe, with a sign outside saying “Gunther and the rest of the staff at Central Perk support Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi”.
The real banners are paid for by individuals and entities from all walks of life, from private businesses and loyal political groups to lawmakers, trade unions and stateowned companies.
Imad Hussein, the pro-government editor of the independent Al-Shorouk daily, says the proliferation of banners in support of Sissi is part of Egyptian culture.
“It’s like a traditional Egyptian wedding when the guests try to outdo each other with how much money they give the newly-wed couple to help them start their life together,” he said.
Others see the banners, and the election itself, as the latest evidence of Egypt’s slide back into authoritarianism. A string of potentially serious candidates withdrew from the race under pressure or were arrested, and the resulting vote strongly resembles the one-man referendums held by Arab autocrats going back to the 1950s.
“Most of these banners are made by people as a means of self-preservation or as part of their pursuit of personal gain,” said Ibrahim Awad, a political scientist at the American University in Cairo.
“The satire and sarcasm on social media show that a large segment of the population, especially activists, is not taking the elections seriously.”