This week’s podcast features a panel discussion and lecture series on Middle Eastern comedy, sponsored by Levantine Cultural Center AND the Middle East Center at the University of Pennsylvania. (The talk took place in the context of “West Meets East: The Inauguration Tour of the Sultans of Satire” on the occasion of President Obama’s first days in office.)

The conversation explores the landscape of American Middle Eastern ethnic comedy and its intricate relationship with Islamophobia. It was cosponsored by U Penn Jewish Studies, the South Asia Center, and African Studies. Panel members include Mucahit Bilici (Professor of Sociology at John Jay Colege- CUNY), Jordan Elgrably (Founder of Levantine Cultural Center and the Sultans of Satire: Middle East Comic Relief) and Dr. Rahim Armat (of Kodoom Cultural Events Search Engine). Also featuring the Sultans of Satire with Mike Batayeh, Elham Jazab, and Noel Elgrably, speaking before their shows in Philadelphia and Wahsington DC.

The event took place on January 16, 2009 at UPenn.