Bassem Youssef continues to face backlash for comeback episode

The aftermath of Bassem Youssef’s comeback episode continues with a fresh complaint filed against the show Sunday, calling for its suspension.

Legal adviser to Ahrar Party, made of up Mubarak-era figures, Mahmoud Bastaweesy filed a complaint against Youssef and the show, claiming it is adopting the ideologies of the United States and the Muslim Brotherhood and challenges the legitimacy of the June 30 revolution, state-owned daily Al-Akhbar reported.

Late Saturday, the show’s host channel CBC issued a statement distancing itself from the episode’s content.

On her show “Hona al-Asema,” prominent talk show host Lamis al-Hadidy read CBC’s statement in which it assured that it stands by the public will.

“[The channel] is committed to avoiding innuendos or scenes that mock the people’s feelings or state symbols,” the statement read.

CBC also pointed out that it practices freedom of expression and underlined its support the January 25 and June 30 revolutions.

Meanwhile, on Sunday morning, presidential media adviser Ahmed al-Moslemany denied reports that he had met with Youssef to steer the episode in a certain direction and to attack certain media personalities.

Moslemany said these are rumors propagated by the Muslim Brotherhood about state interference that aim at creating confusion by wrongly implicating him in current political and media struggles.

Only two days after the comeback episode and Youssef is already facing four complaints accusing him of insulting the Armed Forces and its leaders, privately-owned daily Al-Masry Al-Youm reported.

Three of the complaints were filed by the Sisi for President campaign, accusing Youssef of insulting the military and its leaders who sacrificed their lives in the events that followed the June 30 uprising. The complaints also accuse Youssef of employing sexual innuendos

Ahmed al-Fidaly, general coordinator of the pro-Sisi and pro-military Independence Current, also filed a complaint accusing Youssef of spreading chaos and threatening security by insulting the June 30 revolution.

Reports circulated claiming that in response to Youssef’s episode, Sisi said that tolerance for criticism will be greater and that it is a guaranteed right. Sisi was also quoted as saying that “We are not above criticism since we are not angels…and we will not deny people laughter even if it is on our expense.”

A statement posted on the official Facebook page of Armed Forces’ spokesperson, however, denied statements attributed to Sisi about Youssef’s episode, saying that neither the Armed Forces nor Sisi have issued statements on the matter.

In his heavily anticipated comeback episode Friday, Youssef did not hold back; mocking ousted President Mohamed Morsi and those who still speak of his return, as well as the pro-military government and those who idolize the army, although he did not criticize Abdel Fattah al-Sisi directly.

Taking this position comes with a clear price, however, as the episode has already triggered a wave of negative reactions from supporters of the commander-in-chief, much like the wave of attacks to which Youssef was subjected from Morsi’s supporters in the past.

A few minutes after the episode ended, Youssef tweeted, “The legend goes that the Egyptian people are funny and accept sarcasm. This is true, but you have to add ‘only according to their whims.’”