American media company, Netflix, has aired the trailer of a four-part documentary series about Queen Cleopatra.
The documentary, it says, will be aired as of May 10.
Nevertheless, the trailer was met with a massive wave of vitriol on social media, with Egyptians expressing objection against Queen Cleopatra’s complexion and origins.
Those speaking accused Netflix of falsifying Egyptian history.
Some people on the streets in Egypt even ridiculed the series for showing a dark-skinned Queen Cleopatra who ruled Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC.
Some people also linked the way the documentary was produced with Afrocentric trends rampant in some parts of the US now.
The Afrocentric movement attempts to falsify Egyptian history, prompting public uproar in Egypt.
A concert by American stand-up comedian, Kevin Hart, was cancelled in Egypt a few months ago after it met opposition from Egyptians.
Hart is known for propagating false connections between black Africans and the Egyptian civilization, especially the pyramids.
He once said: “We must teach our children the true history of black Africans when they were kings in Egypt, and not just the era of slavery, which is entrenched in education in America”.
The Queen Cleopatra trailer matched Hart’s trend, especially with Jada Smith, wife of Hollywood actor, Will Smith, producing it.
Some people accused Smith of supporting the Afrocentric movement, particularly with her selection of a black actress to play the role of Queen Cleopatra.
Smith, these people said, works tooth and nail to prove that the ancient Egyptian civilization belonged to Africans.
Netflix’s subsequent deletion of a petition by thousands of Egyptians to prevent the airing of the documentary series instigated more anger.
The petition was backed by over 60,000 people who also called for boycotting Netflix in Egypt.
“I believe the Afrocentric dream of conquering the world is a natural product of oppression,” Magdy Shaker, chief archaeologist at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, said. “Some people experienced this oppression, which also gave rise to Eurocentrism.”
Leading Egyptologist, Zahi Hawass, criticized Netflix for casting Queen Cleopatra with a black actress.
“Queen Cleopatra was Greek, not African,” Hawass said. “Netflix is falsifying facts and trying to attract illustrious historical names, such as Queen Cleopatra, to show that the Egyptian civilization is black,” he told a local television channel.
Lies and deceit shown in the trailer prompted Egyptian lawyer, Mahmud el-Semary, to file a case against Netflix, in which he called on the Egyptian attorney general to block the American media company in Egypt and take action against what he called ‘fake docuseries’.
Hawass listed several evidences that Queen Cleopatra was white.
None of the statues, coins or temple facades, depicting Queen Cleopatra, that were discovered shows her to be black.
“Nobody can take the series seriously or be deceived by this fake representation, even the least educated,” Hawass said.
