Hala Shiha


Hala Shiha is an Egyptian actress best known for portraying the main roles in The Ladder and The Snake, and Lost in America. She officially retired from the entertainment industry in the 2005, after she decided to start wearing the hijab. The following year, she made a brief comeback to star in a role with her hijab. Her decision to start wearing the hijab and retire from the entertainment industry at such a young age and so soon in her career caused controversy. It sparked a massive debate in Egypt about the veil and the decline of secularism within Egyptian society and among Egyptians.
On August 8, 2018, Shiha announced her return to acting after photos of her were posted in social media without a veil.

Biography

Hala Ahmed Shiha was born in Cairo, Egypt to an Egyptian father the international acclaimed painter Ahmed Shiha and a Lebanese mother who is also an artist. She is the eldest out of four daughters, including Hana Shiha.

Personal life

Hala Shiha was a devout Muslim. She shocked the entertainment world when she announced her resignation for the second time in her career, the first time was in 2003, because she decided to "recommit herself to Islam". Originally, deciding to wear the hijab in 2003 Hala had taken off her Islamic headdress after wearing it for a period of eleven year's amidst objection from family and members of the acting world.
She returned to wearing it in 2005 once she declared she was planning to quit acting. On August 8, 2018, Shiha announced her return to acting and also she removed the veil.

Filmography