A Saudi TV star has earned death threats for deploying a new weapon against Islamic State: laughter.
Selfie, a sketch 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.
“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 snaps back.
Saudi Arabia observes a strict form of Sunni Islam but is opposed to Islamic State, the group also known as ISIS or ISIL which has seized much of Syria and Iraq and declared a "caliphate" to rule over all Muslims.
Al-Qasabi says his show’s message, though presented in the form of satire, is deadly serious. He says he has been unfazed by threats he has received from the militants’ supporters since the broadcast.
In a typical response from a supporter of the militants, a Twitter user wrote to al-Qasabi: “I swear to god you will regret what you did, you apostate.” – (Reuters)