A Saudi TV star has earned death threats for deploying a new weapon against Islamic State: laughter.
“Selfie”, a sketch comedy show which debuted last week on Saudi-owned pan-Arab satellite channel MBC, has won praise from influential voices in the Middle East for daring to mock the hardline militant group.
In one scene, a group of buffoonish holy warriors at a “girl market” picks concubines from a line of chained women abducted from the battlefield.
“Come on guys!” interjects a naive character played by the show’s Saudi star, Nasser Al Qasabi. “This is forbidden by Islam, these are just children!”
“God forgives!” the ringleader snapped back.
As one fighter picks a slave “wife” of a moustachioed man in a woman’s black robe, a friend points out the apparent mistake.
“No problem!” the first fighter says. “If he’s an infidel, he deserves this!” [Reuters] Read more
