March 30, 2013

"The [arrest] warrant against Bassem Youssef is also the latest in a series of legal actions against the comedian, who has come to be known as Egypt's Jon Stewart."

"Youssef's widely-watched weekly show, ElBernameg' or The Program, has become a platform for lampooning the government, opposition, media and clerics."

The fast-paced show has attracted a wide viewership, but has also earned itself its fair share of detractors. Youssef has been a frequent target of lawsuits, most of them brought by Islamist lawyers who have accused him of "corrupting morals" or violating "religious principles."...

In a post on his official Twitter account, Youssef said he will hand himself in to the prosecutor's office Sunday. He then added, with his typical sarcasm: "Unless they kindly send a police van today and save me the transportation hassle."

19 comments:

SteveR said...

If he's the Egyptian Jon Stewart, the first thing he'll say when confronted is "but wait, I'm just a comedian"

pm317 said...

The guilty are always afraid of the person who has the courage to call out "Thief" or "Liar".. be he a comedian or not. There is so much wrong in politics and with politicians everywhere, it is a surprise that there is no collective strength to stand up to them, here or there, everywhere.

Darleen said...

Yeah, how's that Arab Spring workin' out?

virgil xenophon said...

The last we'll ever see or hear from him...bonne chance.

George M. Spencer said...

I recently met an Egyptian graduate student...from a very wealthy and prominent family.

He said the political woes in his country stem from differing interpretations of that nation's constitution.

Oh, really?

Population was 43 million in 1980. Today it is 82 million. Unemployment rate is 13 percent. Illiteracy rate is 30 percent. Inflation rate 15 percent. Fifteen million people live on $1 a day. Foreign reserves of $15B will only cover three months of imports.

The green is soylent.

I told the student that his country should invade and conquer Libya. Lots of oil there.

ricpic said...

Youssef faces torture and he probably knows it. This isn't the United States that leftists get their rocks off accusing of torture in perfect safety; this is Muslim Brotherhood Egypt where torture is standard practice.

Nonapod said...

The difference between Jon Stewart and this guy is that when Jon Stewart tells a controversial joke, the worst that'll happen is perhaps some criticism on Twitter or in Blogs, while this guy could lose his freedom and be tortured. Who's got the bigger balls?

Cedarford said...

Too little religion and morality in a society is a cancer. (See Soviet Union, the NORKs, the old Chicommies)
Too much religion and morality in a society is also a cancer. (See the Inquisition, militant Islam through the ages, the Aztecs)

bagoh20 said...

In the U.S. the crime of dissing the President, has seen a drop of 100% since January 2009. That's how good he is at fighting crime. The dude is like the Lone Ranger, or Superman.

Cedarford said...

St George -

Egypt, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Somalia, Yemen, Pakistan have long since outbred the ability of the land's resources and the people's skills to sustain a viable society without external money and food coming in.
Saudi Arabia would be in that boat as well, 4 times the people the land can sustain due to recklessly high breeding rates - but they have oil.
The days of surplus wealth in the West scooped up by do-gooder Elites to redistribute in overbred 3rd World nations is coming to an end as surplus wealth ends in the West.
The gainers of the jobs and wealth - China in particular - have no tradition of Charity for Non-Chinese. Precious little tradition of it for fellow Chinese, in fact.

traditionalguy said...

Egyptian brains are usually superior in many ways. The ethnic Coptics have survived an Arab Muslim invasion and rule by its brain dead tyrants for 1400 years.

This combination of free speech and courage to challenge rulers being shown by Youssef is a Christian trait.

George M. Spencer said...

Cedarford....

Egypt's been getting about $2 billion a year from the US in foreign aid since it made peace with Israel. (Israel gets more.) Egypt also gets $1b+ in military aid.

When Sadat tried to raise the price of flat bread by something like a penny in 1977, the ensuing riots almost brought down the government.

It's all a mad house of cards....and, yes, predicated on our desire for stability there and our ability print lots and lots of moolah.

edutcher said...

I'm astounded he's still alive.

St. George said...

The green is soylent.

No, the soylent is green.

It used to be blue.

When it goes yellow, run.

bgates said...

If he's the Egyptian Jon Stewart

then why is he critical of the government?

Cedarford said...

traditionalguy said...
"Egyptian brains are usually superior in many ways. The ethnic Coptics have survived an Arab Muslim invasion and rule by its brain dead tyrants for 1400 years.

This combination of free speech and courage to challenge rulers being shown by Youssef is a Christian trait."

======================
The Copts were once 95% of the Egyptian population 1400 year ago, they are now 5% and dwindling further - all from inviting their Muslim conquerers in and not fighting them.

Their brains are not exactly stellar.

As for Christianity, it has always had the problem of sensitive pacifistic "lambs an turn-the-other cheekers" vs. the Christians that are not professional apologists and who will stand up for the faith.
The Muslims tore through and easily slew the milksop variety and dominated the survivors. They were stopped when they met the other part of Christianity - those with backbones, made of sterner stuff.

John Paul II started with a backbone, but became a lickspittle apologist for his own gay pederasts and grovelled on ME "apology tours" as he got senile.
The Euro Protestants are now mainly of the effete PC milksop variety.
And the new Pope making two of his 1st acts kneeling for washing the feet of some Muslim, then a jailbird con - doesn't show humility - it shows he is in "better to be a cheek-turning lamb going to slaughter" faction.

Smilin' Jack said...

Egypt's been getting about $2 billion a year from the US in foreign aid...

This makes me so proud to be an American, and gives me yet another reason to look forward to April 15.

Son Of The Nile said...

Thank you Mrs. Hilary Clinton/Obama administration for your amazing foreign policy ... Thank you for supporting a faction of oppressive terrorists that do not constitute to more than 800,000 sheep in a country of 90 million.. Thank you for sleeping in bed with the devil just because you think you are protecting the interests of your friends ..Israelis are big boys and can protect themselves from Hamas .. Thank you for dumping 7000 years of culture and civilization down the chute ....

The fascinating thing is the US is supporting the same people that give orders to Hamas and were burning US and Israeli flags not too long ago... The narrow vision and constant ignorance in US foreign policy is creating many more haters .. Only this time, the catastrophe is that these haters are secular and highly educated and at point in time used to respect the US and believe in its democratic values...

Sad but true, a little part of me was wishing for Mitt Romney to win ... At least he knows better than to make deals with terrorists who will flip against you in seconds .. And yes, that does mean making alliances with Iran.. The very same people the US has supported in hopes to weaken Iran...

Anonymous said...

1. If this were the "Egyptian Jon Stewart" he'd be praised for being a shill for the ruling party and would be protected by the government for supporting the regime. Lefties really are delusional when a man who defends 95% of his government's/the left's actions is seen by them as EXACTLY THE SAME as a man who criticizes 95% of his government's actions.

2. Every once in a great while when Jon Stewart makes a joke about left, I'm reminded of when the ACLU does it's token Klan case every few years. Gotta have that token fig leaf.

3. And Obama's Arab Spring fails again. Just like everything Obama touches, he destroys it.

Enjoy the decline, fools!

Anonymous said...

He speaks truth to power, or speaks sarcastically to power.

So much superior to Stewart who kisses up to power.