How Lam Shamseya Exposes Parental Dynamics & Child Sexual Abuse

Originally Published on March 20th, 2025

"I’m so glad this is happening, but I can’t watch it."

"Thank you for shedding light on such an important topic."

"How can I protect my child?"

These are some of the most frequent responses online to the first four episodes of the Egyptian Ramadan series Lam Shamseya. Directed by Karim El Shennawy and written by Mariam Naoum—a duo known for tackling taboo topics—this year marks their boldest project yet.

Lam Shamseya follows the story of Nelly, portrayed by Amina Khalil, and her stepson Youssef. In the first episode, Nelly accuses her husband’s best friend of sexually harassing Youssef.

Behind the scenes, ensuring the sensitive subject was handled with care, was Sara Aziz—founder of the sexual health and awareness organization Safe—who served as the series’ Children's Scientific and Psychological Content Reviewer. This level of hands-on involvement is unprecedented in an Egyptian production of this scale. Aziz was present for all scenes involving Youssef, training the cast and crew on child safety and emphasizing their responsibility to protect each other—most importantly, Ali Beialy, the young actor portraying Youssef.

Following the fourth episode, Sara Aziz spoke to me about what she sees as a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of the public discourse surrounding the show: the foundation of the parent-child relationship.

While she welcomes the long-overdue conversation—a discussion she has been pushing for since founding Safe Organization in 2012—Aziz has also been receiving concerns from parents who, in a misguided attempt at education, have been making their children watch the series. She urgently kicked off our conversation by emphasizing how counterproductive and unintuitive that decision is.

“Parents need to ask themselves: What is my relationship with my child? What does it look like?” says Aziz. “Am I just here, or am I present? Do I ask questions, do I notice the changes, am I sharing my life?” questions Aziz.

“Parents shouldn’t be giving instructions; they should be living with their children, that’s the foundation,” she adds.

She emphasises the importance of educating children and teaching them how to protect themselves. In cases of sexual abuse or any threat they face, children should ideally turn to their parents for help—not run away in fear of their reaction. She explains that, regardless of the alleged abuse in the series, Youssef did not feel safe enough to either deny or confirm it, which is the core issue.

“If my parents taught me to protect myself and we have a strong relationship, I can turn to them. Awareness is empowerment. When I feel empowered, not threatened, I can protect myself. And when I am empowered and loved, I can stand up for myself,” she adds.

Even before the show’s release, the trailer sparked discussions about its subject matter, with audiences labelling it as a series about paedophilia—a characterization director Karim El Shennawy has rejected. He clarified that Lam Shamseya cannot be reduced to a single issue.