By Joseph El-Khoury
I had vaguely heard of Suzanne Tamim prior to the news of her murder. Unless you follow closely the world of Arab showbiz, the succession of divas on your TV screen is akin to background elevator music: repetitive and barely distinctive. Working the necessary recipe of commercial blandness and traditional feminine sex appeal, Suzanne easily found her spot under the spotlights in the wake of her success at the 1996 edition of the Lebanese talent show ‘Studio El fan’. I had heard even less of the man who allegedly ordered her cold blood ‘execution’ in Dubai this last July. Judging from the news reports his, was a crime of passion...by proxy.
The loyal employee, Mohsen El-Sukkary, who carried out the attack, translated the passion of his ‘Beyk’ for the victim into multiple stab wounds, a slit throat and extensive disfigurement. It didn’t take much investigative work from the Emirati police to build the picture of a revenge crime involving sex, love and money. Arab audiences need look no further for drama and tragedy. This classic one, an Egyptian and Lebanese production, trumps the best Mexican Telenovela as it moves between Cairo, London and Dubai. The ‘Beyk’, Mr Hisham Talaat Mustafa motivated by anger and frustration chooses to ‘terminate’ his ex-lover. A rich businessman and public figure, he probably felt that his position as a close protégé of the Mubarak clan would confer on him immunity well beyond Egyptian borders. And not long ago it would probably have, but two factors made that difficult in 2008.
Dubai having become an international financial and societal hub had to remain an oasis of safety in the turbulent Middle East. On the other hand, the Egyptian regime has been on the defensive for a few years in the face of growing opposition to its economical policies and accusations of corruption. Not a day goes by without further revelations of succession of events and conflicts leading to the death of Suzanne. In a way this is a tragedy for all those involved and foremost for a society living in constant denial, which behaves as if ‘these things happen elsewhere’ in Hollywood, Bollywood or Mexico city while their ruling elite mixes traditional attitudes, religious piety and extravagant lifestyle in an explosive recipe. This time, Mustafa had gone too far, although it is doubtful that remorse is on the agenda.
Few Arab men endowed with money and power will accept that no amount of humiliation is worth a murder charge, especially when the humiliation is carried out by a lover. We are still a long way from the trial and as in every soap opera; the producers might have a few more surprises in their sleeve.
The loyal employee, Mohsen El-Sukkary, who carried out the attack, translated the passion of his ‘Beyk’ for the victim into multiple stab wounds, a slit throat and extensive disfigurement. It didn’t take much investigative work from the Emirati police to build the picture of a revenge crime involving sex, love and money. Arab audiences need look no further for drama and tragedy. This classic one, an Egyptian and Lebanese production, trumps the best Mexican Telenovela as it moves between Cairo, London and Dubai. The ‘Beyk’, Mr Hisham Talaat Mustafa motivated by anger and frustration chooses to ‘terminate’ his ex-lover. A rich businessman and public figure, he probably felt that his position as a close protégé of the Mubarak clan would confer on him immunity well beyond Egyptian borders. And not long ago it would probably have, but two factors made that difficult in 2008.
Dubai having become an international financial and societal hub had to remain an oasis of safety in the turbulent Middle East. On the other hand, the Egyptian regime has been on the defensive for a few years in the face of growing opposition to its economical policies and accusations of corruption. Not a day goes by without further revelations of succession of events and conflicts leading to the death of Suzanne. In a way this is a tragedy for all those involved and foremost for a society living in constant denial, which behaves as if ‘these things happen elsewhere’ in Hollywood, Bollywood or Mexico city while their ruling elite mixes traditional attitudes, religious piety and extravagant lifestyle in an explosive recipe. This time, Mustafa had gone too far, although it is doubtful that remorse is on the agenda.
Few Arab men endowed with money and power will accept that no amount of humiliation is worth a murder charge, especially when the humiliation is carried out by a lover. We are still a long way from the trial and as in every soap opera; the producers might have a few more surprises in their sleeve.
3 comments:
I just came across ur blog and been reading it for the past hour. Re this particular post, I guess you'd want to reconsider part of what you said given the advantage of hindsight: we were not that far off from not only a trial but a capital verdict as well. Whatever the real (political as you'd say) reasons behind it, I really hope it is carried out soon, the strong cxns to the Mubarak clan all considering!
I just came across ur blog and been reading it for the past hour. Re this particular post, I guess you'd want to reconsider part of what you said given the advantage of hindsight: we were not that far off from not only a trial but a capital verdict as well. Whatever the real (political as you'd say) reasons behind it, I really hope it is carried out soon, the strong cxns to the Mubarak clan all considering!
Talaat went too farm, even for the regime. He was also reckless: in choosing his proxy killer and in choosing Dubai as the backdrop.
But you are correct, it could have been a whitewash. And it's not over yet :)
Joseph
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