Egyptian actress Ilham Shaheen has expressed her thanks to all who supported her after an offensive was launched against her following her recent comments. In a video posted on her Instagram account, she thanked her supporters and went on to say that religion teaches us to not backbite one another. Despite campaigns launched against her by some proponents of religion she would continue to love life, art, her country and all its people, including enemies, she said. Shaheen sparked controversy after recent comments in which she described a director with whom she had worked as “normal and ordinary” until he suddenly started practicing religion in a strange way. During filming, he would stop and ask all cast and crew to pray with him, causing delays, she said.