Last Thursday afternoon Bassem Youssef, a political satirist with the same style show as Jon Stewart's Daily Show came to our campus to have a debate with an Islamic conservative about the role of political satire and whether it is appropriate.

Here's a link to the Jon Stewart interview for anyone who wants to know: 
 http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-june-21-2012/exclusive---bassem-youssef-extended-interview-pt--1

I was really excited to see it, and it was advertised in English on posters and everything around campus. The whole school started moving from all the courtyard areas toward the auditorium, and it was clear that every one was going. I had told all my American friends to come with me because it was going to be in English or there would be simultaneous translation, so they all came. When we got in the auditorium the Powerpoint background slide was in English and said something like "What is the Role of Satire in the Egyptian Media?" Then the moderator and Bassem Youssef and Nageh Ibrahim walked in and waved and sat down. Then the moderator introduced Bassem Youssef in Arabic and everybody went crazy. I wonder if the children of the Egyptian liberal elite really like one of the strongest critics of the Muslim Brotherhood? Yes, yes they do.

Well anyway the whole thing turned out to be in Arabic, and first the Dr. Ibrahim gave a sermon about how satire didn't belong in politics, and then Bassem Youssef had his bit and everyone loved it, and at that point all the Americans I was with had left. Then after that I left too, because I really didn't understand that much. Pretty cool person to see and he said a few phrases in English that I understood. He said "George Bush, wa Stephen Colbert, wa Jon Stewart"