By Nour El-Miligi
A couple of days ago, Actor Sherif Mouneer posted to his 1.4 million followers Instagram account a picture of two of his daughters; Farida (16 years old) and Camelia (12 years old) that was met with a flow of hateful, hostile, and mean comments showering his feed. The unexpected response thereby pushed Mouneer into deleting his post. However, he decided to repost it again the day after, because he didn’t want the bullies to take away his right to post whatever he wants on his personal account. That the 61-year-old, father of four, posted a video yesterday, with both offended daughters by his side, assertively stating that he will pursue legal actions towards all the accounts involved in the bullying, emotionally abusing incident.
As Mouneer mentioned, he posted the photo just because he was happy with his “little girls”, highlighting the fact that they are “young” multiple times throughout the video. He was shocked to face so much hostility towards a totally harmless picture, showcasing his frustration with a strict tone, affirming that he will defend both his and his daughter’s rights by law. He attempted to empower his followers as well, to do the same, and report to the Public Prosecutor in case of being subjected to similar kinds of abuse or harsh critiques on social media. His frustration and distress were clear, as he said during the video “ I was hitten hard on the head, and my reaction will be much harder.” He further clarified that he took screenshots of all the insulting comments and has already reported them to the general attorney, praising his efforts and notable attention towards the matter.
The purpose of this wasn’t only to express his anger, but also to put a spot on the culture of hate and bullying we’ve been surrounded with everywhere, encouraging everyone who has faced similar bullies not to be passive and report it to the Internet Investigative Authorities. “There is an application now where you can report cyberbullying, by putting your personal information and attachments of screenshots of the attacking accounts and comments,” Mouneer explained to his followers. He was calling for “halting bullies” by taking courageous actions and setting clear boundaries for anyone who tries to control other’s lives and minds by their demeaning words and “sick mindsets” as he named it. That’s why it comes as no surprise that “Against Bullying” was the title he chose for the posted video. It wasn’t just about a photo of his two daughters, but more of a proactive step to address the larger issue we’re facing as a society, aiming to “cut off such toxic people from our worlds” as he noted. In his short, yet powerful video, he wasn’t Sherif Mouneer the actor talking, but the father and human, who represents his resentment towards any hurtful and toxic behavior.
The distressed faces of both girls were noticeable as the elder daughter said “ I’ve been hurt and humiliated.. and I’m currently waiting for law enforcement to stand up for my rights.” Her younger sister delivered the same message, by innocently saying that she never wanted anyone to attack her or her beloved father. Sherif ended his video assuring his daughters that justice is on its way. Ever since the video was posted, hundreds of people and celebrities have been reposting it showing support and respect for the actor’s family.
