The Truth Behind Humor

Ahmed Albasheer

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2021 OFF in Oslo
Ahmed Albasheer is an Iraqi comedian and political satirist. During his OFF talk, Ahmed used his own story to talk about how the current state of authoritarianism in Iraq has unfolded over the years. Most importantly, his talk showed the power of humor in challenging corruption, war, repression, and sectarianism, as well as in exposing the truth and overcoming tragedy.

About the Speaker

Ahmed

Albasheer

Iraqi political satirist and comedian

Ahmed Albasheer is an Iraqi comedian, political satirist, and host of “The Albasheer Show,” a weekly program humorizing Iraqi politics. Albasheer began the show in 2014 as a tool to fight corruption, sectarianism, extremism, and terrorism in Iraq and the surrounding region. He was born and raised in Anbar, Iraq, and fled the country in 2011 after suffering injuries from a suicide bomber. He trained as a traditional journalist before switching to political satire, believing the latter to be a more effective tool of communication and influence. He has been named one of the 20 most influential people in the Arab world by the Swiss-based Global Influence Research Centre.

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