Saudi satirical show that mocks the Islamic State group ruffles feathers

The arrival of Ramadan, the holiest month of the Islamic calendar, is also famous for a not so spiritual pastime: an influx of television shows and soap operas.

One show in particular has made headlines for its clever use of satire targeted at one of the bloodiest and most violent groups in the Middle East, the Islamic State.

The 45-minute TV series Selfie, which airs on the Saudi-owned MBC channel, has been the subject of much discussion, praise and denunciation.

The show’s star, Saudi comedian Nasser al-Qasabi, who became a popular figure through a previous comedy show called Tash ma Tash that addressed sensitive topics in Saudi society, has been admired through his daring portrayal of IS fighters, mocking them as clueless, belligerent and lascivious.

Translation: Thank you Nasser al-Qasabi for everything, thank you for drawing a smile on our faces these days, thank you for bringing up Iraq and ISIS in the best way.

Yet he has also received death threats on social media platforms, with accounts linked to IS calling for his beheading.

One such account, which has since been suspended, tweeted: “The Mujahideen will not rest until we separate your head from your body.”

Al Qasabi has brushed off these reactions, underlining that the message from the show was to raise awareness of such morbid subjects.

“Offering something positive that raises awareness of issues, I see this as jihad,” he said in comments to the Al Arabiya channel.

“Jihad is that you raise your children well,” he continued, referring to the term that literally means any struggle in the path to God. “Jihad is that you work and are on a path to doing things well. Jihad is that you are good at work…Life is one great jihad.”

At the same time, Qasabi pointed out that the hilarity and success of his show is derived from the sinister state that the Middle East is currently facing - with the situation possibly worsening.

“What’s coming is darker,” he said. “Maybe I am a bit pessimistic, and I hope that I am wrong, but I don’t think I am.”

In addition to mocking IS, Qasabi and the show’s writer, Khalaf al-Harbi, tackle other contentious and taboo subjects publicly, such as the Sunni-Shia divide, the Muslim clerics, and religious extremism.

Already, one mainstream Saudi cleric, Saeed bin Mohammed bin Farwa, has condemned the show and described it as heresy, for making fun of the country’s powerful and conservative religious establishment.

In one episode, a newly struck relationship between two Saudi men who meet in a European airport takes a turn for the worse once they discover that one is Sunni and the other a Shia. Despite the men not being religious, and their previous bonding over their love of women, alcohol and partying, they start arguing loudly until airport security arrests them. When the security officials find out that the reason for the fight is based on a schism that took place over 1,400 years ago, they send the two men to a mental clinic.

Al-Harbi credited the use of satire on his show to stirring up a debate and sending a message to the Arab people more effectively than state-controlled media.

“I felt this is a weapon that will reach the audience,” he said. “If it was just something comical, we would have focused on easy societal issues that aren’t dangerous and are guaranteed safe.”

The show’s use of parody, Harbi added, succeeded in revealing how extremist groups can manipulate religion.