Mena Massoud: ‘Egyptians Are African’

Egyptian-Canadian actor Mena Massoud has sparked conversations about Egypt’s African identity after speaking about the country’s place within the African continent during his appearance on the One54 Africa Podcast.Massoud, best known for starring as Aladdin in Disney’s Aladdin, discussed his Egyptian roots, his experiences growing up in Canada and how Egypt is sometimes viewed outside the continent.During the conversation, Massoud recalled encountering people and institutions that categorized Egypt as part of the Middle East rather than Africa.“Even growing up, a lot of people didn’t realize Egypt was in Africa,” he said.He continued, recalling his reaction when seeing Egypt categorized as the Middle East in some museums:“They would say in some museums, they’ll say Middle East, Egypt. I go and I would be like, excuse me, because you got to talk like that. I said, yeah, Egypt’s in Africa.”The conversation then turned to whether Egyptians identify themselves as Africans.Massoud responded directly to the discussion, saying:“By the way, Egyptians want to be called Africans.”He further explained that the distinction is largely influenced by how Egypt is categorized outside Africa, adding:“It’s North America that calls it the Middle East.”Massoud also spoke about the diversity he encountered in Egypt, emphasizing that there is a wide range of appearances among Egyptians.“You go to Egypt and there’s people as dark as dark,” he said. “And there’s people as white as, as white as can be, which there is a range.”The actor also described Egypt as a country with a strong connection to the wider African continent, while discussing how Western perceptions can sometimes shape the way Egypt is viewed.The comments have since generated attention online, with Egyptian media reporting renewed discussion around Massoud’s remarks on Egyptian identity, Africa and the debate surrounding how ancient Egyptians are represented.Beyond the identity discussion, Massoud used the podcast appearance to speak positively about Egypt, describing the country as highly hospitable and encouraging people to experience modern Cairo beyond the country’s famous ancient landmarks.His appearance has consequently placed his comments on Egypt and its African identity in the spotlight, with audiences continuing to discuss his perspective.#MenaMassoud #Egypt #Africa #EgyptiansAreAfrican #One54Africa #EntertainmentNews #XanderXO