Comedian and host of “The Daily Show” Jon Stewart threw barbs at Egypt’s new president Monday night while lamenting that Bassem Youssef, Stewart’s counterpart there, has canceled his show.
Youssef hosted a satirical news show, "Al Bernameg," inspired by "The Daily Show." He announced on Monday that the program has been canceled because of the additional pressure on him and concerns about his family following the election of Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi as president.
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Youssef has reportedly said Egypt is no longer "suitable for a political satire program," as the show makes fun of the Middle Eastern country’s political and social elites.
"I am tired of struggling and worrying and fearing for my personal safety and the safety of my family,"
Youssef told The New York Times. "When we are censored and harmed,” he said, people will show solidarity only through "hashtags and retweets."
After making his own jokes about el-Sisi, Stewart expressed his respect for Youssef’s work and congratulated him on "a job very well done" having created an immensely popular television program in just three years.
"The point is, Bassem Youssef and his team did a tremendous show under harrowing conditions and while they are not on the air for now, their work will continue to inspire us all here on this show."
According to the New York Times article, President Sisi has made it clear that his sense of humor has limits. During a television interview when he announced he was a presidential candidate, he said he would “endure” respectful criticism but not if it was “offensive.”
“There is a law” against insulting the president, he said, and “it will be enforced.”
Youssef, who was trained as a heart surgeon, began making fun of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011 with a YouTube show he called “The B+ Show,” a reference to his blood type.
In March, “60 Minutes” aired a segment that showcased the friendship between Stewart and Youssef. The two have appeared on each other’s shows and Youssef credited Stewart for giving him advice about what to talk about when Egypt’s political tensions were high.
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