Netflix has pulled off Hassan Minhaj’s comedy show Patriot Act’s episode where he criticized Saudi crown prince Muhammad Bin Salman (MBS) over journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder.
The streaming media reportedly took down the episode after complaint by Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Commission.
What Hassan Minhaj Said in Patriot Act Episode Critical of MBS
Hassan Minhaj who now stands in line with one of the top comedians on Netflix, criticized MBS, Saudi human rights violations in Yemen, and Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder in that episode of Patriot Act. According to media reports, the show is unavailable for Saudi audience only.
The show is still there on YouTube and probably Saudis can also watch it.
In this show, Hassan Minhaj has not only slammed Muhammad Bin Salman for his alleged involvement in Khashoggi’s murder but he has also mocked President Trump for not canceling an arms deal with Saudi Arabia in the name of saving jobs.
An Outrage Over Removal of Patriot Act Episode
Netflix’s taking down of Patriot Act episode didn’t go well with the advocates of free speech who expressed their disapproval over it.
Karen Attiah who is editor at Washington Post, US-based newspaper where Jamal Khashoggi used to write op-ed critical of Saudi crown prince Muhammad Bin Salman, called this act outrageous. She also praised Hassan Minhaj for spreading awareness about the cause of Yemen.
More voices came for Hassan Minhaj’s show Patriot Act.
A Background of Khashoggi Murder Case
While Hassan also criticized Saudi atrocities in Yemen he mainly focused upon MBS and his alleged involvement in Khashoggi’s murder. The actor assumed a serious tone while talking about human rights violations in Yemen.
The murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi who was critical of Saudi regime was one of the major events to make headlines in 2018. Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Turkey where he went to get some documents but went missing. According to earlier media reports, Saudi journalist was murdered for criticizing MBS.
Later, CIA also concluded that Muhammad Bin Salman had personally ordered the murdered. The Saudi crown prince has denied the accusations. The investigations for the murder are still underway and Kingdom has reportedly charged 11 people for it.
