Comedy

Topic: Comedy

Arabic cultural cafe Naqsh (photo: Hakim Khatib/MPC Journal)

″Naqsh″ – the Arabic cultural cafe

Amman's bridge builders

Cultural cafes like Naqsh in the centre of Amman are prime examples of innovative grassroots projects that help promote cultural dialogue between east and west. Hakim Khatib visited the Jordanian cultural cafe and spoke to its initiatorsMore

Art and Design in Jordan: A facelift for Amman's artisanal businesses The Hakawati bookshop for children and young people in Amman: Huge appetite for exciting stories Amjad Nasser on the role of Arab writers in Arab society: Speaking out in societies without words

Firas Alshater, Syrian film-maker (photo: Wikipedia)

Interview with Firas Alshater

″Being a refugee is not my dream job″

″Who are these Germans?″ That′s the question Firas Alshater asks on his YouTube channel Zukar. Ula Brunner interviewed the Berlin-based Syrian filmmaker and refugee on acceptance and on what home and humour mean to himMore

Syrian refugee Nather Henafe Alali: Part II: ″Why I am here″Rafik Schami on integration: ″To the haters, they′re all faceless Muslims″ Germany′s refugee policy: Four words for humanity

Royal comedy

An Ottoman without an empire

Naz Osmanoglu makes crowds roar with laughter on Britain's comedy circuit. But not everyone realises that he is an Ottoman prince. By Sertan SandersonMore

Bassem Youssef: All the world's a stage for Egyptian satire star Interview with comedian Mona Shaikh: "Being able to create a dialogue is a very important step for me"Stand-up comedy in Dubai: Clean humour for the Arab world

Bassem Youssef

All the world's a stage for Egyptian satire star

Half the country was glued to the screen whenever Egypt's political satirist Bassem Youssef was on TV. But in May of last year he cancelled his show – out of fear for his family's safety. Now he'll be performing to a huge international audience, presenting the International Emmy Awards. By Paul-Anton KrugerMore

TV Satirist Bassem Youssef: "People should be able to listen to different opinions"Portrait of the Egyptian TV satirist Bassem Youssef: Fighting over the ''Pantie Revolution''Photo gallery: Satire in the service of democracy

Mona Shaikh (photo: Ash Gupta/838 Media Group)

Interview with comedian Mona Shaikh

"Being able to create a dialogue is a very important step for me"

Mona Shaikh is a naughty Muslim comedian who does not shy away from breaking taboos. Shaikh deploys comedy as a weapon to criticise religious leaders and politicians who use Islam and the Koran as an excuse to impose restrictions on women. Roma Rajpal Weiß spoke to her on growing up a Muslim in the United States in the aftermath of 9/11 and her unusual choice of profession as a Pakistani womanMore

Radical comedian Serdar Somuncu: The right to give offence Interview with Omid Djalili: Jokes about the Jewish–Muslim love-hate relationship Female genital mutilation in Egypt: Using comedy to combat a cruel tradition Stand-up comedy in Dubai: Clean humour for the Arab world

Ahmed, Sherin and Samy (from left) play a variety of roles in their play about FGM (photo: Elisabeth Lehrmann)

Female genital mutilation in Egypt

Using comedy to combat a cruel tradition

The group "HaraTV" in Egypt uses theatre to try to enlighten people about female genital mutilation. Elisabeth Lehmann attended one of their performancesMore

Genital mutilation in Egypt: Control over female sexuality Debate about female genital mutilation in Egypt: The ongoing battle for the female body Virginity in Egypt: Double standards and hypocrisy Swedish study on circumcision: The correlation of genital mutilation and infertility

Scene from the comic strip about Abu A and Abu B by Karl Sharro (source: karlremarks.com 2014)

Fighting Islamic State with satire and black humour

Terribly funny

Reports and videos of Islamic State's horrendous deeds have left many people around the world speechless with shock. But for many Arabs – both in the countries affected by IS and elsewhere around the globe – the only way to fight IS is to satirise and ridicule it. Elisabeth Lehmann has the details More

Humour in the West Bank: "I laugh, therefore I am"Humour in the Islamic world: Digging at the despots Bassem Youssef: Satire in the Service of Democracy The Lebanese satirical magazine "Ad-Dabbour": Hornets' nest in Beirut Creative Protest against Syria's Regime: The Puppet Rebellion

Caricatures of Lebanese politicians (including Saad Hariri, Samir Geagea, Walid Jumblatt, President Michel Sulaiman) celebrating New Year and looking ahead to an explosive 2014 (photo: Facebook Ad-Dabbour Magazine/Eliot)

The Lebanese satirical magazine "Ad-Dabbour"

Hornets' nest in Beirut

The satirical magazine ''Ad-Dabbour'' (the hornet) is one of the oldest magazines in Beirut. Björn Zimprich spoke to Joseph Moukarzel, editor-in-chief of the magazine, about the purpose of satire, freedom of expression in the Arab world and the caricatures of the prophet Mohammed in western magazines in recent years More

Creative Protest against Syria's Regime: The Puppet Rebellion Portrait of the Egyptian TV Satirist Bassem Youssef: Fighting over the ''Pantie Revolution''Mohammed Caricatures in "Charlie Hebdo": Provocation as a Marketing Strategy

Afghan Comedian Asif Jalali

Wit at a Time of War

According to Afghan comedian and TV star Asif Jalali, it is much easier to make people in Afghanistan cry than it is to make them laugh. In his TV show he sets out to do the latter, with great success. By Tobias MaternMore

Stand-up Comedy in Dubai: Clean Humour for the Arab World Interview with Omid Djalili: Jokes about the Jewish Muslim Love-Hate Relationship Humour in the West Bank: "I Laugh, Therefore I Am"The Iranian Filmmaker Kamal Tabrizi: Should One Be Allowed to Laugh at Mullahs?Humour in the Islamic World: Digging at the Despots Kaya Yanar: "What you lookin' at?"

Bassem Youssef (photo: © Bassem Youssef Fan Page)

Portrait of the Egyptian TV Satirist Bassem Youssef

Fighting over the ''Pantie Revolution''

The Egyptian TV satirist Bassem Youssef has cult status in his country thanks to his wit and biting criticism. Nothing is sacred for him, and so his enemies are always trying to drag him before the courts. By Joseph CroitoruMore

Prison Sentence for Egyptian Actor Adel Imam: Curbing Cultural Expression Maria TV in Egypt: Fully Veiled and on Air Remarks on Sherif Arafa's ''Terrorism and Kebab'': Conformist Provocations

Stephane Charbonnier, cartoonist at and director of Charlie Hebdo (photo: dapd)

Mohammed Caricatures in "Charlie Hebdo"

Provocation as a Marketing Strategy

The publication of Mohammed caricatures in the French satirical newspaper "Charlie Hebdo" has created quite a stir. In recent times, the newspaper has deliberately and frequently attempted to pick fights with devout Muslims. Bernhard Schmid with a portrait of Charlie Hebdo from ParisMore

Anti-Islamic Film Riots: A Culture of Religious Fanaticism Anti-Islam Film ''Innocence of Muslims'': Social Values, Not religion, at the Heart of Protests Arson Attack on the Satirical Magazine ''Charlie Hebdo'': Heated Debate over Sharia Law

Adel Imam at the opening of the Dubai Film Festival (photo: AP)

Prison Sentence for Egyptian Actor Adel Imam

Curbing Cultural Expression

The sentencing of the famous Egyptian actor Adel Imam for allegedly offending Islam in one of his films spotlights the latest bout of power posturing by Muslim hardliners and the increasing threat to freedom of expression on the Nile. A report by Amira El Ahl in CairoMore

Remarks on Sherif Arafa's ''Terrorism and Kebab'': Conformist Provocations Egyptian Cinema: Enormous Creative Energy The Role of Film-Makers in the New Egypt: Revolution on Screen

Assad puppet in "Diary of a Little Dictator" (image: Masasit Mati/YoutTube)

Creative Protest against Syria's Regime

The Puppet Rebellion

With sketches from the "Diary of a Little Dictator", the puppet theatre group "Masasit Mati" is one of the many creative forms of protest to emerge on the Internet and on social networking sites in Syria. Mohamed Ali Atassi takes a closer look at how this particular brand of political satire rails against the Assad regimeMore

Syrian Artists Caught between Censorship and Criticism: The Art of Ambiguity Uprising against the Assad Regime in Syria: What Support for the Protest Movement?

Stand-up Comedy in Dubai

Clean Humour for the Arab World

Stand-up comedians have a reputation for using provocative and often political jokes. Not to be daunted by this apparent obstacle to success, an American and an Emirati are trying to create a stand-up scene in the conservative Arab Gulf states. Through their Dubai comedy school, they promote a clean brand of humour. Christoph Dreyer reportsMore

Humour in the West Bank: ''I Laugh, Therefore I Am''Humour in Arab Culture: The Prophet's Candid Camera

Omid Djalili in "The Infidel" (image: Central Fim)

Interview with Omid Djalili

Jokes about the Jewish–Muslim love-hate relationship

Omid Djalili started his stand-up comedy career with "Short, Fat Kebab Shop Owner's Son" in 1996. Now a successful Hollywood actor, the British-Iranian entertainer talks to Julia Grosse about his role in "The Infidel", British humour and jokes about Muslims and JewsMore

Radical Comedian Serdar Somuncu: The Right to Give Offence Humour in the West Bank: "I Laugh, Therefore I Am"