FollowReaders beware: “We are not freedom fighters.”
We all wish to fight for individual pursuits to a certain degree — we go to UC Berkeley. But often we lose sight of what the power of free speech means in real world context. Bassem Youssef exemplifies what free speech has the potential to accomplish. Chancellor Nicholas Dirks’ interview with satirical news show host, Bassem Youssef, this past Wednesday evening as part of the Berkeley Talks series at Cal Performances, reminded us of how compelling words, rather than blind actions, are in evoking change.
Known by many as “the Jon Stewart of Egypt,” Youssef confirmed this nickname with his joking mannerisms and quick-witted humor, especially concerning his personal experience with political oppression in the Middle East.
Bassem Youssef was once a cardiac surgeon. In response to the Egyptian revolution in 2011, Youssef and a couple of his friends began making YouTube videos that resembled Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show to satirize the fluffy local news stories that attempted to cover the chaos. After uploading only three episodes to the world wide web, a television producer called Youssef, asking if he would like to transform the internet sensation into a TV program. Immediately excited by the offer, Youssef agreed, and “Al-Bernameg” was born.
Literally translating to “The Program,” Al-Bernameg gained popularity at an alarming pace. Viewers were captivated by the show’s unique combination of honest news with dry humor—a stark opposition to typical Egyptian television programs that perpetuate “straight up propaganda,” according to Youssef.
After three years of massive success on the air, a warrant was issued for Youssef’s arrest, claiming that he committed several infractions including insulting former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, insulting Islam and Pakistan, instigating community unrest, and encouraging homosexuality. Ironically, during Youssef’s interrogation, his stern perpetrators couldn’t help but laugh as they scrutinized “Al-Bernameg”‘s hilarious scripts.
The success of “Al-Bernameg” was classified by the script’s saturation with satire. Youssef explained that “satire makes people really relaxed. You can judge things better. It’s a powerful weapon.”
Yet instead of utilizing humor to chastise and degrade Egyptian television and furthermore the government, Youssef and his team configured news stories to be palatable and entertaining. Youssef stated that “the easiest thing in the world is to be angry.” Every day, he transformed anger into humor, not by accepting inequality, but by pointing out its prominence with short news clips and hearty laughs. The laughs came via personal experiences in the Arab Spring, “impersonat[ing]” President Morsi’s hat, and even receiving an arrest warrant.
Youssef spoke of his encounter with the law light-heartedly yet realistically. “We are not freedom fighters,” he states. “I have no interest in being in jail.” Due to threats, pressures, and the general danger of continuing the television program, Youssef and his team took “Al-Bernameg” off the air six months ago without any particularly heroic fight. With their outlet for free speech forcibly pulled out from under them, along with their paychecks, the team has been unemployed ever since.
Although the show is no longer on the air, Bassem Youssef’s philosophy of free speech continues to extend beyond the borders of Egypt today. The team of “Al-Bernameg” had no fear in crossing political boundaries when satirizing Egyptian news because they “were just waiting for the decision to be knocked off the air,” Youssef explained. When they finally were “knocked off,” contrary to the radicalism they often discussed on the program, they accepted their fate, looked back on the success of their program in its moment of fame with a smile, and moved on.
Despite the heroic characterization that Youssef developed in the eyes of his supporters throughout the past three years, he never had any intention of encouraging hope in a time of turmoil. In conversation with Chancellor Dirks about the hope of a fairer and more equalized governmental regime in Egypt, Youssef bluntly stated, “I am not optimistic at all.” “Al-Bernameg” never intended to ignite political revolution in Downtown Cairo; instead, it intended to highlight blatant incongruities in Egypt’s political structure and the manipulative way news is presented on Egyptian television. The program did not intend to replace existing petty news with a more accurate version, either. In describing the program’s role Youssef explains, “We are the funny people. We are not the people who report the news.”
The morals that stem from the feat of “Al-Bernameg” are incredibly applicable to students at UC Berkeley in 2014. This was exemplified on Wednesday evening when a student boldly shouted from the center of the lowest section of Zellerbach to ask what Youssef thought of UC Berkeley inviting Bill Maher to speak at this December’s commencement address. Youssef remained composed and succinct with his response, prefacing that the audience would not “like his answer.” In summary, Youssef stated that Maher should be allowed to speak. He might not be warmly welcomed by all students, but treating the issue with angered discontent is the last way to go about evoking change. Although it was anything but radical, the audience received this response with a booming applause.
Youssef has been internationally received with a positive regard, and rightfully so. His trials and tribulations with “Al-Bernameg” should remind us all that free speech is not about organizing enraged rallies or refusing to hear the opinion of the opposition regardless of how thoroughly we disagree. It is about being out of place and not being afraid to be there. On Wednesday evening Youssef claimed, “only fish swim with the current.” Express what you wish. Be a freedom fighter. Or not. But never hesitate to raise an opinion against the current—in that moment, your words can make all the difference in initiating positive change.
Image Sources:techpresident.com, www.behance.net
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