By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel
CHULA VISTA, California — In the medieval era, jesters played an important role in the courts of kings. Aside from the comic relief that they provided, they pointed out the asymmetrical aspects that existed within society and the rulers’ inner lives. Jesters, like fools and clowns, had a boldness of spirit that did not yield to the norms of conventionality. They confronted the rulers and thier court with the absurdities that they often consciously denied. In modern times, the comic’s sharp acerbic tongue also serves to keep us cynical of leaders who claim to have the country’s best interests at heart.
Throughout all cultures around the world, the comic intrudes upon our perceived notions of order, where business is as usual. By laughing at them, we also laugh at ourselves. The comic forces us to look at the mega issues that we too often consciously deny and refuse to see. Bravely and with impunity, the comic or fool mocks the machinations of religious orders; treating its leaders with an irreverence that makes even the religiously devout aware of the grotesque realities of their religious lives.
With this thought in mind, the comic today plays an extremely important role in the repressed parts of the Arab world, which aims to stifle freedom of speech. One of the most unexpected voice of freedom of speech in Egypt comes from a heart surgeon who has embraced humor and satire as a means of critiquing the Muslim Brotherhood. This man’s name is Dr. Bassem Youseff.
In a free country like the United States, we are used to comics satirizing the antics and hypocrisies of presidents and politicians alike. In Egypt, Bassem Yousseff has emerged as one of the most important champions fighting for the right of free speech. He is known as the Egyptian version of Jon Stewart. Stepping on toes is what Youssef does best in the political arena.Youssef made international headlines recently when an Egyptian court ordered his arrest for insulting Islam and the nation’s president, Mohamed Morsi, as part of a wider crackdown on dissent. Some of the Morsi lawyers tried to ban Yousseff’s show for insulting Morsi and for making sexual innuendos but the chargers were thrown out by a Cairo judge in early April on grounds of free speech.
Surprisingly, Yousseff’s language on the show is unabashedly pedestrian. He tells it exactly the way it is. After he returned home from his arrest, he said that he hoped that they would arrest him every day–“It’s great for the ratings.”
Jon Stewart recommended Youssef for TIME Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people,, praising his counterpart’s ability to find humor in the most dire of situations: “Yet even under these difficult circumstances, he manages to produce an incredible show: a hilarious blend of mimicry, confusion, outrage and bemusement, highlighting the absurdities and hypocrisies of his country’s rebirth.”
His show is the most widely watched television program in Egypt. He has a huge following throughout the Arab world. One young Arab woman, dressed in a very traditional Muslim dress spoke about how Yousseff inspires people like her and others to speak their minds. Another fan from Saudi Arabia, who has his own radio show, thanks Youssef for giving him the courage to speak about the listless spiritual lives of people living in Mecca.
Often times, people ask Youseff, “Aren’t you afraid of what might happen to you or your family?” He boldly answers, “If I show fear today, then I will show fear tomorrow.”
Youseff is convinced that the power of the Internet and YouTube will ultimately win the minds of the people. He said, “YouTube and the Internet are the keys to changing the world . . . You cannot take this away.” Although governments will always try to limit the freedom of speech, arguing that they are trying to act in the moral interest of the public, in reality the solution is simple: “The key is not less speech, it is more speech . . .”
On the subject of religion, Youseff says openly that he is proud to be a Muslim. However, without missing a heartbeat, he points out how the Islamic religion has been hijacked by the religious fanatics. “Indeed,” he adds, “this is not only a problem affecting the Muslim world, we see this same problem in the fundamentalist Christian world, and among the Orthodox Jewish communities, where religious fanatics seek to control the minds of their followers, forcing them to accept their religious tyranny.”
In one show, Bassem Youssef discussed his decision to host an openly gay performer on his “El Bernameg” satirical news program. Of his experience with Mashrou Leila, which is lead by gay frontman Hamed Sinno, Youssef recalled, “I heard their songs and I didn’t ask about his orientation … Did we discuss [his] being openly gay on the show? We didn’t.”
Just in case you did not know, the mad Jihadists and their cohorts stone homosexuals on a daily basis, whenever they have the opportunity to do so. Just ask the Saudis, the Iranians, and the Taliban.
He continues his attacks on the Morsi government with complete impunity. One suspects that the Muslim Brotherhood is terrified of this man–and for good reason.
Youseff’s fearless style of satire is relentless; he uses the words of Morsi and others to remind the Egyptian people that they did not sacrifice so much in order to restore a new dictator or Pharaoh upon the Egyptian people.
After watching numerous shows, I came to realize that the power of One man or woman can shake down the foundations of tyranny. If our State Department had any common sense, it would start investing money in supporting more comics like Bassem Youssef, who has proven that the comical word is mightier than the sword.
For anyone interested in watching Bassem in action, check out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUNT4kzM_G4&feature=endscreen
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Rabbi Samuel is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista. He may be contacted at michael.samuel@sdjewishworld.com