Will Funnyman Nasser Al Qasabi have the last laugh?
The popular Saudi TV personality and comedian set social media on fire with his new Ramadan TV series 'Selfie', where he mocks Daesh and is shown poking fun of Saudi imams smashing musical instruments. The show has been a massive hit, hailed for its humor and bravery.
No laughing matter? Daesh fail to see the humor in Nasser al Qasabi's 'Selfie'. (Screenshot)
However, his portrayal has drawn the ire of imam Saeed al-Farwa, who accused the comedian of apostasy, as well as death threats from Islamic State (Daesh) supporters.
The BBC reports that the Islamic affairs ministry has ordered the investigation into the accusations made by Mr al-Farwa, who has been forced to backtrack and apologize on Twitter.
Prominent Saudi journalist Khaled al-Maeena has come to al-Qasabi's defense, saying that "for too long, we have kept quiet... We have allowed these imams a free rein to spew hatred and falsehood".
Al-Qasabi is undeterred and used to such attacks. He is already well known for his series Tash ma Tash which ran for 18 seasons and satirizes a number of societal taboos in Saudi Arabia. For that show alone he has been labelled as blasphemous.
"Allah will protect us. It is the job of the artist to say the truth, even if that is at his own expense. This is the price we have to pay," Qasabi posted on MBC's website.
