RIYADH, 25 April 2007 — An actor in the popular Saudi comedy “Tash Ma Tash” said his decision to move to the United Arab Emirates was due to concern that he and his family would be attacked because of his work on the program.
“It’s not right to assume that all viewers (of the program) will garland you with flowers,” he said in an interview with Al-Watan yesterday.
“Tash Ma Tash” is a seasonal Saudi comedy program that features sketches and routines that often poke fun at officials and social customs in the Kingdom. In one episode, two actors debate whether the men and women of Riyadh should live in different sides of the city altogether. In another sketch, men debate whether women should be allowed to ride donkeys, a riff on the infamous Saudi ban on women driving.
In yet another sketch, terrorists participate in a reality game show to win the prize: A bomb-laden belt given to them by an attractive Lebanese model.
Al-Qasbi indicated in the interview that one of his biggest concerns is being attacked by members of certain tribes who might take umbrage at the accents he employs in some of his characters. He said that despite the mounting pressures and threats he would maintain his freedom to criticize various social sects, tribes and linguistic practices in the Kingdom. He said that the actors in the program adopted certain tribal dialects not to promote or belittle any tribe or region. But, he also said that part of the purpose of the program — which airs new episodes during Ramadan with re-runs the rest of the year — was to address social issues.
The actor also denied reports that the program was sued by members of the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice for a sketch that showed them berating a group of young men for playing an innocent game of cards and then forcing them to go to the barbershop to get haircuts.
Tash Ma Tash is the Kingdom’s most popular comedy export, which airs on television throughout the Middle East.
