Aziz ansari to Perform in Saudi Arabia, Citing Desire for Open Dialog and Plans Charitable Donation
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Comedian Aziz Ansari is defending his decision to participate in the inaugural Riyadh Comedy Festival, stating he believes performing in the country represents a step towards greater openness and dialogue. Ansari, the Parks and Recreation alum, acknowledged concerns surrounding Saudi ArabiaS human rights record but expressed hope his involvement would contribute to ”pushing things in a positive direction.”
“You kind of have to make a choice of whether you’re going to isolate or engage,” Ansari said. “for me, especially being me and looking the way I do, and being from a Muslim background, it felt like something I should be a part of.” He added he discussed with his team donating a portion of his performance fee to organizations including Reporters Without Borders and Human Rights Watch.
The festival, backed by Saudi Minister of Entertainment Turki Al-Sheikh, has drawn criticism from other comedians and human rights advocates who point to Saudi Arabia’s history of human rights abuses, including its role in the 2001 September 11th attacks and the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. human Rights Watch researcher Joey Shea told CBS News that events like the Riyadh Comedy Festival are “a intentional effort to whitewash the country’s human rights record and deflect from the egregious abuses that continue to happen inside of the country.” Shea further explained the investment in entertainment is part of a strategy to shift focus away from issues like the “soaring number of executions” occurring within Saudi Arabia.
Ansari stated, “I share the concerns that people have brought up, and it’s all valid… It’s a complicated issue, but I felt like it’s something that pushing things in the right direction, I hope.”
The Riyadh Comedy Festival lineup, initially announced in July by Deadline, now includes Ansari alongside a growing roster of prominent comedians such as Kevin Hart, Louis C.K., Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, pete Davidson, Hannibal Buress, Jack Whitehall, Zarna Garg, Gabriel Iglesias, Jim Jefferies, Jo Koy, Bobby Lee, Jeff Ross, Andrew Santino, Tom Segura, and Chris Tucker.
