Egypt's Bassem Youssef included in Time's 100 most influential people
Popular Egyptian TV satirist is
chosen for Time magazine's '100
most influential people in the
world' list for 2013, along with US
President Barak Obama, North
Korea's Kim Jong Un:Egyptian television satirist Bassem
Youssef has been included in Time
magazine's '100 most influential
people in the world' for 2013, it
was announced on Thursday.
Every year, the prominent US news
magazine draws its list of what it
sees as the 100 most influential
people in the world from among
political leaders, artists and
'pioneers.' This year, the magazine
chose Youssef for its pioneers
category.
"I am honoured to be included on
the Time 100 list of the most
influential people in the world,"
said the Egyptian heart surgeon
turned television host.
Youssef's personal entry on Time's
official website was written by
famous American television satirist
Jon Stewart.
"Bassem Youssef does my job in
Egypt," Stewart wrote of his
Egyptian counterpart. "The only
real difference between him and
me is that he performs his satire in
a country still testing the limits of
its hard-earned freedom, where
those who speak out against the
powerful still have much to fear."
Stewart added, "I am an American
satirist, and Bassem Youssef is my
hero."
This year's Time list also includes
Pakistani student Malala Youssef,
who was shot by Pakistani Taliban
for supporting girls' education; US
president Barak Obama; Turkish
thinker Fethullah Gulan; Kurdish
leader Abdullah Ocalan; and North
Korea's supreme leader, Kim Jong
Un.
Youssef will travel to New York to
attend a gala party for those
included on Time's list, along with
celebrities from all over the world.
In March, Youssef was questioned
by Egypt's prosecutor-general after
he was accused of insulting the
president and making blasphemous
comments on his weekly show -
Al-Bernamig - on Egyptian
television channel CBC.
The TV host, who began his career
on YouTube, faces a barrage of
complaints from conservatives and
Islamists, who accuse him of
insulting religion, disturbing the
peace, insulting the president and
blasphemy.
