Aziz Ansari is the latest comedian to defend to controversial decision to perform at Saudi Arabia’s debut Riyadh Comedy Festival.
The Golden Globe winner said his decision to perform at the festival was “something I put a lot of thought into,” noting his Muslim background and recounting a conversation he had with his aunt who used to live in Saudi Arabia.
“There’s people over there that don’t agree with the stuff that the government’s doing, and to ascribe the worst behavior of the government onto those people, that’s not fair,” said Ansari. “Just like there’s people in America that don’t agree with the things the government is doing.
Ansari said he never dealt with any Saudi leaders directly. “I was just there to do a show for the people,” he explained, recalling a discussion he had with his wife about the decision.
“Whenever there’s repressive societies like this, they try to keep things out, whether it’s rock-and-roll music or blue jeans, because it makes people curious about outside ideas, outside values,” he continued. “And this is a very young country, like half the country is under the age of 25, and things can really change. And to me, a comedy festival felt like something that’s pushing things to be more open and to push a dialogue.”
The Parks and Recreation alum added, “You kind of have to make a choice of whether you’re going to isolate or engage. For me, especially being me and looking the way I do, and being from a Muslim background, it felt like something I should be a part of. And I hope it pushes things in a positive direction.”
Ansari noted that he had a talk with his team about donating part of his fee to organizations like Reporters Without Borders and Human Rights Watch.
“I share the concerns that people have brought up, and it’s all valid,” said Ansari, adding: “It’s a complicated issue, but I felt like it’s something that pushing things in the right direction, I hope.”
Other comedians have recently called out their peers who have agreed to perform, noting Saudi officials’ roles in 9/11 and the 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as well as the human rights abuses committed by Saudi minister of entertainment, Turki Al-Sheikh, who is behind the festival.
Human Rights Watch researcher Joey Shea explained to CBS News, “The Saudi government has invested billions into high profile entertainment events like these in a deliberate effort to whitewash the country’s human rights record and deflect from the egregious abuses that continue to happen inside of the country.
“These investments are a part of the broader strategy to… have people thinking about a comedy event, for example, rather than the soaring number of executions that are happening inside of the country,” added Shea.
Since Deadline exclusively announced the initial lineup in July, the Riyadh Comedy Festival has grown to include Kevin Hart, Louis C.K., Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Pete Davidson, Hannibal Buress, Jack Whitehall, Zarna Garg, Gabriel Iglesias, Jim Jefferies, Jo Koy, Bobby Lee, Jeff Ross, Andrew Santino, Tom Segura, Chris Tucker and more.
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