Information ministry bans \'provocative\' school girl drama

Every Ramadan the television dramas come under the axe. This year, the Ministry of Information has banned Kuwaiti soap opera (Bannat Althanawiya) 'Female High School Students. According to Dubai Electronic Media Company website, the drama received high viewership. The website: http://vod.dmi.ae registered 33.740 visitors that viewed the first three episodes. 'Bannat Althanawiya' was to be aired on the Kuwaiti television channel Al-Watan, until the ban was placed on it. The Al-Watan newspaper published survey results that gauged readers' opinion on telecasting the drama. More than 60 percent voting against its telecast and it was taken off air. Currently it's aired on Dubai TV. Althanawiya is a romantic drama that focuses on the lives of five female students at a girls' high school. It charts the course of the problems they face and the manner in which they are resolved. The soap opera does not contain explicit references or content, but portrays some negative social practices. It's a pity that a Kuwaiti drama is being telecast on channels other than Kuwait's. I really liked it, and I think it has many followers. By banning it, people are now going to be encouraged to watch it on other channels. I don't understand how somebody could vote against it without even watching it," Mohammed, a 24-year-old citizen told Kuwait Times. Some were against showing it, "I voted for pulling the plugs on the show, and I told my friends to do so, and we all voted against it. I think that such soap operas portray Kuwait in aan unflattering light. People from other countries may come to believe that all Kuwaiti girls are like that. Also, teenager viewers in our conservative community will be misled," said Salah, a28-year-old citizen. There are viewers who opposed it at first but changed their opinion later, "I watch Bannat Althanawiya everyday and I like it. I just graduated from high school, and in this soap opera,reality is depicted as it is. I'm watching it with my mother and sister. My sister was against watching it. After watching the first episode, she changed her mind," noted May, an 18-year-old Jordanian.