Aziz ansariโฃ toโ Perform in Saudi Arabia, Citing Desireโ for Open โฃDialog and โPlans Charitableโฃ Donation
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Comedian Aziz Ansari is defending โขhis 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, โฃthe Parks andโ Recreation alum, acknowledged concerns โฃsurrounding Saudi โฃArabiaS human rights record but expressed hope his involvement would contribute to โฃ”pushing things in a โฃpositive direction.”
“You kind of have to make a choice of whether you’re goingโ toโข isolate or โขengage,” Ansari said. “for me, especially being me and looking the way I do, and being from a Muslim โขbackground, โit felt like something I should be a part โof.” He added he discussed with his team donating a portion โof โขhis performance fee โto organizations includingโ Reporters Without Borders and Humanโ Rights Watch. โฃ
The festival,โค backed by Saudi Minister of โฃEntertainment Turki Al-Sheikh, has drawn โฃcriticism from other comedians and human rights advocates who point to โSaudi Arabia’s history of human rights abuses, including its โคrole in the 2001 September 11th attacks and the 2018 assassinationโ of journalist Jamal โคKhashoggi. human Rights Watchโ 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 โฃof โขa strategy to shift focus away from issues like the “soaring number of โขexecutions” occurring within โSaudi Arabia.
Ansari stated, “I share the concerns that people have brought up, and it’sโค allโฃ validโฆ โคIt’s a complicated issue, but I felt like it’s something thatโ pushing things in the right direction, I hope.”
The Riyadh Comedyโข Festivalโ lineup,โฃ initially announced in โคJuly by Deadline,โค now includes Ansari alongside a growing roster of prominent comediansโ such โas Kevin Hart, Louis โC.K., Daveโ Chappelle, Billโ Burr, Whitney Cummings,โข pete Davidson, Hannibal Buress, Jack Whitehall, โZarna Garg, Gabriel Iglesias, Jimโฃ Jefferies, Jo Koy, Bobby Lee, Jeff Ross, Andrew Santino,โ Tom Segura,โ and Chris Tucker.
