A YouTube video of Pakistani comedian Saad Haroon singing a satirical song about a mysterious woman in a burqa is taking the internet by storm – but it is also strongly dividing opinions among Muslims. The song “Burqa Woman” (a parody of Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman”) is about a man whose love for the mysterious woman grows “everytime I see your toes”.

But is it OK to make fun of burqa-wearing women?

“Yes,” says Saad when asked by RNW. “I’m part of Pakistani society so I see this every day. I’m also a comedian and it’s my job to make fun of our culture and of who we are. I only did it to make people laugh.”

Opinions
He produced the parody video a while ago and posted it on his own website. It soon spread all over the internet, including influential progressive American website The Huffington Post, attracting many opinions from both sides. “Some people think it’s fine to make fun of something that’s so common in our society, and there are some that think you shouldn’t fool around with anything that’s to do with Islam,” says Saad. “But generally, most people reacted very positively.”

“A lot of people in my family wear burqas and they weren’t offended. Interestingly, most people who wrote to me and said they were offended, were men. Many women found it funnier than some men, actually.”

Right
Saad appears to be taking the comments from the ‘offended’ corner lightheartedly. “It’s their right to be offended but I’m not afraid for any backlash. Nobody threatened me or anything.”

Choosing his words cautiously, Saad knows that being a comedian in a strict society like Pakistan’s is not always easy. “But I feel I have enough room to manoeuvre,” Saad says. “There’s some stuff that we can’t touch, such as religion. Our society is not that open yet.”

Edge
“Satirising a burqa wearing woman is on the edge,” admits Saad, who also works on Pakistan’s only satirical TV show, ‘The Real News’. “We can do it because the burqa is not just a religious thing, it’s also a cultural thing. We make fun of the cultural aspect of the burqa, but that’s the limit. Telling jokes about Islam as a religion can be hazardous.”

The line: “I’ll go home and practice flirting / On the living room curtain” falls well within that boundary, Saad thinks.

Pakistani comedy is very often politically driven. “We love political satire and mimicry,” says Saad. “Audiences like to see politicians being made fun of, or other social figures.”

Watch the 'Burqa Woman' video here or click here. Story continues below.

Freedom of speech
Although freedom of speech is explicitly mentioned in Pakistan’s constitution, it is restricted – especially when it comes to religion. Recently, Christian woman Asia Bibi was sentenced to death for allegedly making disparaging comments about prophet Mohammed. In an environment that is this tense, it seems almost impossible to work as a comedian.

But Saad sees plenty of opportunities. “Political satire thrives best in this environment,” he argues. “If you’re in a situation where there’s no freedom of speech, you know that humour is a good vehicle to get your message across. Humour helps to break down barriers and enables you to say things that you normally wouldn’t say.”

“Actually, I think here in Pakistan we can get away with more jokes about people than in a very politically correct environment like the US,” Saad says.

Thin line
While Saad treads a thin line with is Burqa Woman video, he’s not afraid to touch other sensitive issues, such as terrorism and the troubled relationship between Pakistan and  India. “When I started out as a comedian, my first jokes were about cricket and India, “ he says. “Whatever’s dominating our lives, we can’t help but talk about it.”

An example of a skit about terrorism goes as follows: “In Pakistan we have a sugar crisis and a wheat crisis. But what are we importing? Terrorism! They’re coming from England and the US. I wonder if [Taliban leader] mullah Omar is sitting in his chair, saying to his friends: ‘Where do you get your terrorists from? I get mine from England!’.”

“Day-to-day life is already quite depressing here, so comedy is a nice way to take your mind off things. There’s a bright future for comedy here.”

Watch a clip from 'The Real News', Saad Haroon's satirical TV show in Pakistan (or click here):