Egypt’s cleric ruffles feathers with advert
Khalid grilled by critics for linking spiritualism to eating chicken of a particular brand
Influential Egyptian TV preacher Amr Khalid has drawn sharp criticism and mockery for suggesting in an online advertisement that eating a particular type of chicken can bring about spiritual purity. The 50-yearold preacher, who has a wide following across the Arab region, recently posted a video on his Facebook page promoting the Saudi chicken product. In the contested ad, Khalid appears with Moroccan chef Asia Othman.
“The soul will not be sublime unless your body and stomach feel right,” Khalid said in the commercial, addressing potential customers. “God willing, you’ll come closer to Allah after the iftar meal with Asia’s recipes,” he added. Critics have accused Khalid of manipulating religious feelings and his clerical influence to promote the product.
“His exploitation of religion to tout a commodity does not differ from terrorist groups’ exploitation of Islam to promote their objectives in destroying societies,” famous Egyptian TV anchor Wael Al Ebrashi has said on Dream television. Al Ebrashi called Khalid’s ad appearance “sinful” and “misleading”.
Private newspaper Al Youm Al Saba yesterday carried a front-page headline: Amr Khalid from trade in religion to chicken trade.
Khalid’s video drew fire on social media too. “I want an apology from Amr Khalid because he made me one day trust him,” said a woman in a Facebook post.