Comedian Bassem Youssef on the Israel-Gaza war, the Arab Spring, and why we can’t change the world

Ways to Change the World with Krishnan Guru-Murthy

Channel 4 News

Society & Culture, News, Politics

4.6 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 11 April 2024

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Bassem Youssef thinks that he’s come on the wrong podcast. “People in power don't really care about any of our suggestions to change the world”, he tells Krishnan Guru-Murthy, “because if our ways to change the world affect their interests, they will stop you.”

And he knows what he’s talking about, having fled his home country of Egypt after his TV comedy became no longer acceptable to the authorities there.

Bassem started his career as a heart surgeon, then moved to political comedy in response to the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, taking on the ruling elite in his country. His political satire show, ‘Al-Bernameg’ was the most watched show in Egyptian TV history, but soon became a thorn in the side of the authorities there, forcing him into exile.

In this episode of Ways to Change the World, Bassem Youssef talks about his view that Israel should be held accountable for the war in Gaza, how the Egyptian revolution was a turning point in his life, and why he feels disillusioned with the West's "lecturing" on human rights and international law. Produced by Shaheen Sattar, Silvia Maresca, Hila May and Alice Wagstaffe.

Transcript

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0:00.0	to remember when 3,000 people killed in October was too much?
0:04.0	Now it's 30,000. It doesn't matter now.
0:07.0	100,000, it doesn't matter, 300,000, it doesn't matter.
0:10.0	We've been lectured by the West for so long about the values of humanity and the
0:15.5	Clerish of human rights and then we just see that doesn't apply to us so kind of
0:19.2	like you feel that maybe our people are very cheap and they don't matter.
0:26.0	Hello and welcome two ways to change the world. I'm Christian Guiru Murphy and this is the
0:30.2	podcast in which we talk to extraordinary people about the big ideas in their lives in the event. is a stand-up comedian,
0:33.0	about the big ideas and their lives and the events
0:35.0	that have helped shape them.
0:36.6	My guest this week is a stand-up comedian
0:39.6	from Egypt originally a
0:43.0	or Egyptian American and he was originally a doctor but during the Arab Spring he
0:49.0	transitioned if that's the right word and became a sort of a television satirist in Egypt
0:58.8	until his show was no longer acceptable to the new Egyptian authorities and he had to leave the country
1:06.8	in a hurry.
1:07.8	Basam Youssef, thank you very much Steve coming in.
1:09.8	What an introduction.
1:10.8	Yeah, well I mean look, you know you spent a lot of your life trying to change the world, the world in different ways.
1:16.2	No, I spend most of the time trying to get people off my back.
1:20.4	Like, you know, my parents wanted me to go to medicine, so I want to medicine to get them off my back
1:23.8	You know I I get into comedy people want me to do something so I do them so I get up
	...

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