A NEW TV satire has become a hit in the Arab world by using dark comedy to mock some of the region’s most serious issues, from the Sunni-Shiite divide, to the brutality of the Islamic State group (ISIS).
The show, Selfie, has also brought a backlash. ISIS sympathisers have made death threats against its Saudi star and top writer on social media.
One mainstream Saudi cleric called the show heresy for mocking the country’s ultraconservative religious establishment.
All of which has made it the buzz of the current Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which is the peak television viewing season in the Middle East.
In one of the show’s episodes, lead actor Naser al-Qasabi plays a would-be “caliph” starting his own ISIS-style militia, but he’s surrounded by buffoons and hypocrites. [The Journal.ie] Read more
