Iraq's 'Jon Stewart' combats jihadists with laughs

Humor is the best way to fight the Islamist Jihadis. They don't fear death but dread humiliation. Make jokes about Islamists, and drop porn and pork on the ISIS.

A very brave man who is risking his life every day. Rather unkind to compare him to an overpaid and coddled American comedian whose biggest daily risk is stepping from the curb into his limo.

Agreed. The western media are a bunch of feckless cowards. Completely unwilling to face the reality that they are ALL at risk from radical jihadism. How many mainstream groups published the much-maligned Muhammed cartoons? None. Only Charlie Hebdo, who took on the risk alone and paid the price. Even after that, how many outlets even bothered to show what Charlie had done to "provoke" such a response? Again, none. If 1,000 newspapers all agreed to publish at the same time, there would be no risk.

Completely unwilling to face the reality that they are ALL at risk from radical jihadism.

Everyone is theoretically at risk for everything. It's not the presence of risk that should drive decision making, but rather the odds of the action occurring.

It's important to remember the difference between being an outsider of a group and laughing at it (and thus appearing to be a mocking enemy) and being an insider of a group and laughing at it (and thus appearing to be a complex human with a mature grasp of life). By being an insider, al-Basheer can do what Americans like Jon Stewart or anyone involved in these absurd Mohammed drawing contests can't.

He's also well aware of the difference between Islamists and Muslims collectively. So he knows how to craft his humor to attack the first without attacking the second, something that most people involved in draw Mohammed cartoons don't comprehend.

A brave man indeed, but this is what comedians, cartoonists, and indeed the rest of us throughout the Wprld should be doing - taking a rise out this bunch of these violent,backward people!

We make fun of everyone who is bad for our country, starting with government officials who make mistakes and fail to do their jobs, then corrupt and bad politicians,

We need someone like that over here...

One can only hope he will be able to go on like this for as long as needed. Bassem Youssef, doing the same in Egypt, finally had to give up to strong political, judicial, etc. pressure. Ahmad al-Basheer is working under even worse conditions... Hurray to him & to all Iraqis trying to resist & laugh against all odds.

A brave man indeed

Yes. But judging from my downvotes, many here think he's not as brave as Jon Stewart. Americans are funny.