This American Life 879: A Christian and a Muslim Walk Into a Bar
12 snips
Jan 18, 2026 
Eamon Ogana, a field reporter who traveled with the Syrian comedy troupe Styria, joins comedians Sharif Homsi and Maliki Mardonali. They dive into the challenges of performing comedy in post-Assad Syria, where jokes can have serious repercussions. The trio shares stories from their national tour, discussing the fine line between humor and safety, and how they navigate censorship while testing daring material. As they confront local authorities threatening their shows, their journey highlights the struggle for creative freedom in a changing political landscape.
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Jokes Hidden For Safety
- Sharif kept political jokes in a folder labeled "Lebanon" because he only felt safe telling them abroad.
- He says those jokes would have gotten him killed under Assad, showing past censorship's personal stakes.
Testing Freedom's New Boundaries
- The comedians toured diverse regions to test Syria's new limits of free speech.
- They faced uncertainty because no rulebook existed after the regime's fall.
Latakia Show's Risky Hit
- The Latakia show sold out and the crowd cheered as Sharif joked about Asma al-Assad's bra.
- Audience members described the performance as liberating and unexpectedly political.
