Comedy and Humor – War Watch

Bahrain | Comedy and Humor | Haifa Wehbe | Iran | Iran-Israel Proxy Conflict | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel-Gaza War (2023- ) | Israel–Iran War | Kuwait | Lebanon | Middle East | Social Media | Syria | United Arab Emirates | US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026) | War and Armed Conflicts

Gallows Humor Provides Respite From Mideast Wars
ByAbdi Latif Dahir April 29, 2026April 29, 2026

Arab digital creators on social media are turning out edgy material to cope with the conflicts and bring levity to a pain that often feels too raw.

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Coexistence, My Ass! (Movie) | Comedy and Humor | Documentary Films and Programs | Fares, Amber | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel-Gaza War (2023- ) | Israel–Iran War | Noam Shuster Eliassi

‘Coexistence, My Ass!’ Review: Facing Conflict With Comedy
ByBen Kenigsberg October 29, 2025

Noam Shuster Eliassi spreads the message that Palestinians and Israelis should live as equals.

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Ansari, Aziz | Burr, Bill | C K, Louis | Chappelle, Dave | Comedy and Humor | Dillon, Tim (1985- ) | Freedom of Speech and Expression | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Khashoggi, Jamal | Okatsuka, Atsuko | Saudi Arabia

Why Arguments About Free Speech Don’t Apply to the Riyadh Comedy Festival
ByJason Zinoman October 9, 2025October 9, 2025

Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle and others have framed their participation as a matter of open expression. Yet they’re maddeningly vague about how much dissent is possible in Saudi Arabia.

Read More Why Arguments About Free Speech Don’t Apply to the Riyadh Comedy Festival
Ansari, Aziz | Burr, Bill | C K, Louis | Chappelle, Dave | Comedy and Humor | Dillon, Tim (1985- ) | Freedom of Speech and Expression | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Khashoggi, Jamal | Okatsuka, Atsuko | Saudi Arabia

Why Arguments About Free Speech Don’t Apply to the Riyadh Comedy Festival
ByJason Zinoman October 9, 2025

Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle and others have framed their participation as a matter of open expression. Yet they’re maddeningly vague about how much dissent is possible in Saudi Arabia.

Read More Why Arguments About Free Speech Don’t Apply to the Riyadh Comedy Festival
Chappelle, Dave | Comedy and Humor | Freedom of Speech and Expression | Human Rights Watch | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Mohammed bin Salman (1985- ) | Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)

At Saudi Comedy Festival, American Free Speech Becomes the Punchline
ByIsmaeel Naar and Erika Solomon October 2, 2025

American comics used Saudi Arabia’s first global comedy festival to skewer a debate raging at home. Critics said the event was part of Saudi efforts to draw attention away from a political crackdown.

Read More At Saudi Comedy Festival, American Free Speech Becomes the Punchline
Chappelle, Dave | Comedy and Humor | Freedom of Speech and Expression | Human Rights Watch | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Mohammed bin Salman (1985- ) | Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)

At Saudi Comedy Festival, American Free Speech Becomes the Punchline
ByIsmaeel Naar and Erika Solomon October 2, 2025October 2, 2025

American comics used Saudi Arabia’s first global comedy festival to skewer a debate raging at home. Critics said the event was part of Saudi efforts to draw attention away from a political crackdown.

Read More At Saudi Comedy Festival, American Free Speech Becomes the Punchline