Mohamed Sami responds to accusations of insulting society: Indecency is relative

After a wave of controversy surrounding his appearance in last Ramadan's drama season, Egyptian director Mohamed Sami has once again been at the forefront of media discourse, responding to accusations that he portrays Arab society in a negative light. Get the latest celebrity ads directly on the Special app, where we show you everything new from international stars.

Mohamed Sami's statements at the Arab Media Summit 2025

Sami's remarks came during a seminar on the second day of the Arab Media Summit 2025, organized by the Dubai Press Club and currently taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre. During his speech, the director emphasized that the concept of "indecency" is relative and varies from one society to another.

Indecency is a relative matter.

Mohamed Sami said: "There are those who believe that all television is haram, and therefore the ruling on artistic works varies according to culture and belief." He explained that some scenes that some may consider inappropriate may be completely normal to others, noting that censorship remains responsible for supervision, but it cannot satisfy all tastes.

His respect for censorship and the limits of his responsibility as a director

Sami affirmed his full respect for the role of censorship over artistic content, but emphasized that his responsibility as a director does not include monitoring what everyone in the Arab world watches. He added clearly, "We are 300 million Arabs, and I am not required to know what everyone is watching."

Freedom to watch and choose channels

Sami explained that viewers have absolute freedom to watch the channel they want, and if they don't like certain content, they can simply change it, saying, "Everyone is free within their own home, and no one is forced to watch a specific channel."

The truth about his retirement from drama: a break, not the end

Regarding his sudden decision to retire from directing drama, Mohamed Sami explained that every creative person needs a period of "rest" from work to reflect and consider their next step. He said, "I need to reflect on what I've presented and what I aspire to present in the future."

His last works before retirement

Last Ramadan season, Sami presented two prominent series: "Esh Esh" starring his wife Mai Omar

"Sayed El Nas" starring Amr Saad Despite the success of his work, Sami surprised audiences by announcing his retirement from television after a career that spanned more than 15 years. Enjoy interesting and useful content with an exclusive podcast that provides you with everything you need to know in just a few minutes via the Special app.

The decision to retire was not made suddenly.

Sami revealed that his decision to retire didn't come as a surprise to him, but rather, he had thought about it for a long time before announcing it in a lengthy post on his official Facebook account. He explained in the post, "I've been considering this decision for a while, but I decided to postpone it until I could fulfill my commitments to production companies and stars."