Watan-The phrase “His name is Youssef and his hair is curly” in the Egyptian series “Lunch Box” led to calls for boycotting it on social media platforms, amid accusations against its creators of mocking the suffering of the people of Gaza.

This refers to the story of the Palestinian child martyr Youssef and his mother who was searching for him, saying (his name is Youssef, he’s fair-skinned, and his hair is curly and beautiful), in a heartbreaking scene that the world will never forget, only to finally find him in the morgue.

The series “Lunch Box” is a comedy drama following the lives of three housewives trying to find solutions to their problems, then suddenly turning into a gang practicing various crimes, all with the aim of preserving and defending their families.

“Blonde with curly hair”

The scene that sparked outrage from the series depicted a group of women searching for someone in a store, with one of them saying: “Excuse me, I’m asking about someone named Youssef or Yassin, blonde with curly hair,” accompanied by light laughter from those present.

Mocking a humanitarian catastrophe

As soon as the scene spread, it angered a large segment of viewers, who demanded boycotting the work because they saw it as mocking the tragedy of the Palestinian child “Youssef’s” martyrdom in Gaza last October, turning it into a mere punchline in a comedic work.

Many considered the scene mocking a humanitarian catastrophe and disrespecting the viewers’ feelings after it was linked to the tragedy of the grieving mother searching for her son “Youssef.”

The author responds

In response to the widespread criticism, the author Hisham Al-Rashidi published the original script of the series, and according to the image that was shared, the dialogue did not include that sentence. Instead, according to the text, it was supposed to search for someone named “Saif or Salim.. dark-skinned and wearing glasses.”

It turned out that someone altered the original text of the scene and added words about the late mother of Youssef.