This American Life 879: A Christian and a Muslim Walk Into a Bar
24 snips
Jan 18, 2026 
Eamon Ogana, a reporter who traveled with the Syrian comedy troupe Styria, joins stand-up comedian Sharief Homsi and co-founder Maliki Mardonali. They explore the thrill and risk of performing comedy in post-Assad Syria, discussing the challenges of testing boundaries in conservative cities like Hama. Sharief shares his journey from a past in prison to comedy. The troupe faces cancellations, government pressure, and public outcry as they strive for artistic freedom, finding laughter amid a fragile new reality.
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Folder Called 'Lebanon' Held Dangerous Jokes
- Under Assad, Sharief Homsi kept politically risky jokes in a folder labeled 'Lebanon' and only told them abroad to stay safe.
- After the regime fell, he and Styria toured Syria testing how far their comedy could go.
Freedom Without A Rulebook Creates Peril
- The new interim rulers promised freedom but left no clear rules, creating both liberation and uncertainty for artists.
- Comedians worried whether social conservatives or hotheads might violently react despite official tolerance.
Sold-Out Shows, Forbidden Jokes Land Big Laughs
- The early tour stops in liberal towns sold out and produced big laughs, including a bra joke about Asma al-Assad that would have been forbidden before.
- Audiences celebrated the novelty of openly mocking the former regime and asked for even more political material.
