http://youtu.be/wQV8fOFXhMI

Syria Inside – The movie, Trailer 2013.

International Political Forum.  “Syria Inside: Black Humour and a Tribute to a Freedom Fighter.”  August 28, 2013.

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From the left, from the right, from the next approximate ground zero to an empty parking lot (“Anti-War Left Protest Rally Over the Current Situation in Syria”) to the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the people are digging deep, no pun intended, to prove that “excess of sorrow laughs“.

Old or new, what follows are just a few links addressing the role of humor in Syria’s agony.

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On the Facebook page of the village’s artists, which bears the name “Posters of Occupied Kafr Nabl,” over 320 posters have been posted from the beginning of the rebellion until now. One, from the beginning of the year portrays Assad standing in pools of blood wearing a visored cap, with outstretched arms declaring “the situation is calm.”

Bar’el, Zvi.  “A new weapon in Syria’s revolt: Black humor and venemous slogans against Assaid.”  Haaretz, October 28, 2012.

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We are keen to catch up, but neither of us wants to attract the attention of Syria’s secret police, so coffee is out of the question (the cafés are thick with mukhabarat). Instead, we keep walking, and as we walk and talk, Amjad tells me the latest checkpoint jokes.

Harkin, James.  “Hard Laughs: Black humor, from Damascus to Homs.”  The Atlantic, June 2012.

Additional Reference

CBS News.  “Syrians face crackdown with satire, black humor.”  February 1, 2012.

Feldman, Josh.  “Stewart Slams Syrian Red Line, Begs Cable News ‘Idiot Parade’ to ‘Shut the F*ck Up’.”  Mediaite, September 3, 2013.

Johnson, Benny.  “The Best of the Internet’s Reaction to Obama’s Plans to Bomb Syria.”  BuzzFeed Politics, August 31, 2013.

Mashi, Marah.  “Syrians Face Prospect of War with Humor.”  Al Akhbar, September 2, 2013.

PA Pundits.  “Obama’s Syria Decision: Humor.”  September 3, 2013.

Peel, Michael (Financial Times).  “Syrians turn to black humor amid misery.”  The Washington Post, December 21, 2012.

Just One More — I Couldn’t Resist

Excerpt from the YouTube page:

But how to face those who film, upload and advertise such videos in the only aim of manipulating innocent children for their personal aims to incite mutual killings?
In our search for an answer to this question, “Bidayyat” came to the conclusion that irony is one of the few means capable to resist violence, hatred and sectarian killing. Irony prevails over hate speech, as it uses the more human impulses of laughter, joy, dancing and sarcasm.

Therefore, we produced this sarcastic video in the aim and hope that the two children of opposite will someday live side by side in dignity and freedom in a new Syria, free of tyrants and sectarian hatred.

We’re coming to slaughter you – بالذبح جيناكم — posted to YouTube June 25, 2013.

France 24.  “Syrians use black humour to undermine extremism on both sides.” February 7, 2013.

Well, along those lines, I recall an old favorite everybody knows

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