Comedy
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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 Sanderson
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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 him
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Fighting extremism through the medium of comics
"We needed to do more than just attend candlelight vigils"
"Paasban" (The Guardian) is a series of Pakistani comic books that seeks to fight extremism by raising awareness among young people. The books tell the story of a group of college friends who become worried when one of their number disappears. They later find out that he was recruited by an extremist organisation. Mustafa Hasnain, Gauhar Aftab and Yahya Ehsan came together to create "Paasban". Roma Rajpal Weiß spoke to Hasnain and Aftab about the series and the inspiration behind it
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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 Kruger
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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 woman
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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 performances
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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
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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
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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 Matern
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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 Croitoru
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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 Paris
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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 Cairo