Egypt's Jon Stewart Says He Won't Back Down Amid Charges
It's 9:30 p.m. on a Friday night, and Bassem Youssef's show is on TV screens at cafes throughout downtown Cairo.
It's the Egyptian political satirist's first show since he was summoned to the prosecutor general's office to answer questions about the jokes he makes on TV. After the interrogation, he was released on about $2,200 bail.
On this night, the show opens with a joke about Youssef himself.
It may seem like fun and games, but Youssef, whose show is inspired by Jon Stewart's Daily Show, has become the voice of the many frustrated Egyptians.
Show's Impact
While opposition political figures have little traction among Egyptians, Youssef's show reaches 30 million viewers a week. It is a cross section of society that watches him: from the religious to the secular; from the young to the old. He spends a lot of time making fun of the government, of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi and the Islamists in general. He thinks they distort his religion.
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