Khaberni - Attention turns to artist Yasser Jalal, following news of his readiness to join the Egyptian Senate, after being nominated as part of the list of personalities to be appointed in the new session.
Creators in Parliament
However, this is not the first time, as many Egyptian artists preceded Jalal and were members of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Among the most prominent is the artist Mahmoud El-Meligy, who was appointed by the late President Anwar Sadat as a member of the Shura Council three years before his death in 1980, representing the creators throughout that period.
After the death of Mahmoud El-Meligy, the former President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak selected the musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab as part of the list appointed to the Shura Council, and he remained in this position for many years until his death.
In 1991, the list of appointees to the Shura Council included the late star Amina Rizk, who held the position for a parliamentary session lasting four years.
Years later, the artist Madiha Yousry was chosen to join the same council, and she only learned about the news through the Egyptian television news bulletin.
Artist Madiha Yousry, in one of her interviews, revealed her first day at the Shura Council, confirming her overwhelming fear and anxiety.
She expressed this during her first speech in front of her fellow members, saying: "I have presented 120 artistic works and stood many times in front of the cinema camera and radio microphone without feeling any fear; however, I now declare my extreme terror as I stand for the first time in front of the microphone of the Shura Council hall."
Among the stars who joined the House of the People was the late artist Hamdi Ahmed, who won a seat in the council in 1979 representing the Boulaq Dakrur district for the Socialist Labor Party, from 1979 to 1984.
Actress Faida Kamel preceded artist Hamdi Ahmed when she ran for the House of the People in 1971 and won a council seat representing the Khalifa district in Cairo, after she stopped singing.
She chaired the Committee on Culture, Information, and Tourism in the council, and remained a parliament member for 34 years, representing the Khalifa district from her win in 1971 until 2005. She then entered the Guinness World Records as the most prominent artistic figure to win consecutive election terms in the council.
El Fakharani and Samira Abdel Aziz
In 2020, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi appointed artist Yahia El Fakharani as a member of the Senate.
At the time, El Fakharani expressed his great happiness at being chosen to represent the artistic community and the creators, emphasizing that selecting someone to represent the artistic community in the council affirms support for freedom of art and expression and enhances the role of culture in building society.
Actress Samira Abdel Aziz was also appointed as a member of the Senate alongside Yahia El Fakharani.
