Comedy
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Freedom of speech in LebanonJail? Don't make me laugh!
In June 2022, Lebanese comedian Shaden Fakih was court-martialled for allegedly humiliating the security forces. She talked to Lena Bopp about coming out on live television, sexism on the comedy scene and the changes in her country
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Patriarchy in PakistanPakistani feminist comedians challenge taboos
Against all the odds and despite social barriers, women in Pakistan are using comedy to break gender stereotypes, share personal experiences and challenge patriarchal practices. Mavra Bari reports
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Shlomit Tripp‘s Puppet Theatre "Bubales“Vibrant, Jewish, intercultural
With her puppet theatre "Bubales“, the artist Shlomit Tripp gives audiences a light-hearted taste of Jewish life in a bid to build bridges between religions and cultures. She was presented with the Obermayer Award for her work in January. Ceyda Nurtsch met her and her cast of colourful characters
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Spotlight on bridge builders: Comedian Idil BaydarCounting up the cliches, Jilet Ayse tells it like it is
Comedian Idil Baydar may have received numerous awards, but she has also been the recipient of death threats from right-wing extremists. Her comic characters Gerda Grischke and Jilet Ayse hold a mirror up to German society and encourage audiences to take a closer look. Ceyda Nurtsch introduces her for Qantara.de
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Islamic popular cultureA match for Bollywood – the rise of Turkey's dizis
Turkey is the second-largest exporter of TV series in the world, boasting a growing presence on international screens from Pakistan to Chile. The "dizis" offer audiences an elaborately staged alternative to Hollywood and Bollywood. Marian Brehmer reports from Istanbul
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Interview with Lebanese-British satirist Karl Sharro"Politicising Muslim identity is counter-productive"
Lebanese-British satirist Karl Sharro, with his alter ego Karl reMarks, is a fast-rising star of online comedy. Now he has published his first book, "And Then God Created the Middle East and Said ʹLet There be Breaking Newsʹ". Interview by Susannah Tarbush
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Turkish actor Baris AtayDefy the dictators!
Turkish actor Baris Atay plays a dictator in a one-man show that is intended to get audiences thinking. The play has been banned in several Turkish cities, but Atay remains defiant. By Gezal Acer
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Egyptian film controversyShams buys a man
Egypt is in uproar over a film: a single woman marries solely in order to have a baby via a sperm donor and then gets divorced. A female television presenter who showcased the film and its controversial theme on her programme has been given a prison sentence. By Dunja Ramadan
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ObituaryActor Abdulhussain Abdulredha: The fourth tower of Kuwait
Much-loved Kuwaiti actor and entertainer Abdulhussain Abdulredha, known across the Arab world for his charisma and comic flair passed away on 11 August 2017. Reem Kelani looks back fondly on his career
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″Naqsh″ – the Arabic cultural cafeAmman's bridge builders
Cultural cafes like Naqsh in the centre of Amman are prime examples of innovative grassroots projects that help promote cultural dialogue between east and west. Hakim Khatib visited the Jordanian cultural cafe and spoke to its initiators
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Interview with Firas Alshater″Being a refugee is not my dream job″
″Who are these Germans?″ That′s the question Firas Alshater asks on his YouTube channel Zukar. Ula Brunner interviewed the Berlin-based Syrian filmmaker and refugee on acceptance and on what home and humour mean to him
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Royal comedyAn Ottoman without an empire
Naz Osmanoglu makes crowds roar with laughter on Britain's comedy circuit. But not everyone realises that he is an Ottoman prince. By Sertan Sanderson