Astrologer on Egypt TV predicts world’s end, chaos ensues
Show with sheikh and shamen descends into mayhem, with host trying to prevent footwear-related assault over apocalyptic prediction
An Egyptian astrologer predicted the end of the world during a TV show, and was promptly attacked by a Muslim cleric who threw a pen at him and tried to beat him with his shoe.
On Egypt’s Alhadas Elyoum chat show last week, Ahmad Shaheen said the world would end in 2037. Fellow guest Sheikh Mohammad Al-Mallah declared Shaheen a charlatan, accused him of claiming that he was a god, threw his pen at him, and tried to attack him with his shoe. The show was broadcast on May 27; the clip was posted and translated Friday by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).
“If you are really clairvoyant, arrange for a car to run over me!” Mallah challenged Shaheen at one point.
“There are certain parties who do not want what I predict to come true,” Shaheen said at the start of the clip. “Many things have been said about me – charlatan, quack, and so on, but I don’t care.”
Mallah lashed out at Shaheen, screaming: “Everybody knows that you have declared yourself a god. You have said: ‘I am thy Lord.’ This is what you said.”
Not true, retorted Shaheen.
“You posted pictures on the internet and wrote that the Quran came down upon you.”
Shaheen remained seated, saying that many people believe him — albeit not Mallah.
“You are insolent! You are insolent!” the sheikh said, before hurling a pen at his adversary.
When his host rebuked him, the cleric replied: “And I’ll beat him with my shoe too.”
Mallah then rose, removed his shoe and tried to hit Shaheen with it, as the host acted as a buffer between the two men.
“I swear by Allah I’m going to beat you with my shoe,” he said, while his host begged him to stop. “I swear by Allah, here is my shoe.”
“This is your idea of an Islamic preacher?” Shaheen asked, remaining seated and calm amid the onslaught. “Call me whatever you like, but he is no Islamic preacher. He is the best example of the distortion of the image of Islam.”
After several more minutes in which a screaming Mallah tried in vain to reach Shaheen, the show came to an end — with an apology from the host.
