Dahlan, UAE hang images of Khamenei in Cairo

Large billboards displaying Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, have been placed around the streets of Cairo to advertise dismissed Fatah leader, Mohammed Dahlan’s television station Al Ghad.

The billboards show Khamenei taking a selfie with the Gulf’s most prominent skyscrapers and towers in the background, in reference to his dominance over the Gulf countries.

Media activists in the Egyptian government said that the channel was prohibited from handing all of its advertisements due to the fact that one contained a picture of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, due to the sour relationship between Cairo and Istanbul.

Journalist Gamal Sultan, chief editor of Almesryoon newspaper said: “In Egypt, Al Ghad is known as Dahlan’s television channel. This is what makes these advertisements both complex and confusing.”

Activist Abdullah Al-Blagi said: “Al-Sisi’s treachery is a given, but the question is what is the UAE’s justification, as it funds the channel, for hanging pictures of Khamenei taking a selfie with the Gulf capitals behind him?”

On Twitter, Saudi Khaled Al-Alkami called the move “an immature provocation. This stupid advertisement by Al Ghad in Cairo’s streets (Khamenei taking a selfie with Gulf towers) announced Egypt’s future identity.”

According to sources from Al Ghad: “The advertisements are part of an commercial campaign for a film titled ‘The Terrorist’ broadcast by one of the channel’s programmes.”

The sources say that the programme is “addressing the policies of the Persian state in the Arab region.”

Al Ghad has also erected billboards with images of US President Barack Obama and presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

الاعلام الطائفي مسيطر بدليل انتشار اعلان القناة الدحلانية في القاهرة الذي يظهر فيه خامنئي واختفاء ما يظهر فيه أردوغان pic.twitter.com/ivAhLDIwkO

— سي سلامة عبد الحميد (@salamah) October 20, 2016