Egypt is kind of like the Hollywood of the Middle East. I mean, we had cinema maybe decades before the other Arab countries ever got independence.

People say, 'Are you afraid? Are you scared for your life?' and I tell them: If I choose today to tone it down, if I choose today to shut up, tomorrow me, you, and all of us will be forced to.

It is very depressing to see that in the 21st century people are still using the same 1950s and '60s style of propaganda.

I always tell people that a revolution is not an event, it's a process. It is a struggle. And it doesn't usually go smoothly.

People would believe propagate, spread rumors or conspiracy theories in order to protect their own system of denial.

The worst thing ever that you have to explain your joke because I was very disappointed trying to explain why the joke is funny for the interrogator.

Satire has its limits. It is really up to the people to make the change. The satirist's role ends at the screen.

Everybody grows up with comedy. I mean, Egyptian comedy has a very, very old tradition. Our theater and our movies are just, like, amazing.

There are people who believe in Egypt that I - I'm actually - I'm getting paid by external powers and external intelligence entities in order to use satire to bring down the government.

The only the way that you can live and function without seeing the facts in front of you is to put yourself in a constant state of denial.

I think that the religious and the military right wings are just two sides of the same coin if somebody uses God and religion and somebody uses country and security.

Where there is ignorance, sickness will thrive.

The days of hair tonics have long since passed.

I've always seen it to be a privilege to make movies. It's a really expensive, creative medium.

Good-bye is always hello to something else. Good-bye/hello, good-bye/hello, like the sound of a rocking chair.

I don't know why I got so lucky. I have to pinch myself often and say, 'Is this just a dream?'

What medicines do not heal, the lance will; what the lance does not heal, fire will.

We are the only species of mammal that doubts our ability to give birth. It's profitable to scare women about birth. But let's stop it. I tell women: Your body is not a lemon.

I don't think the American people, if you look historically, elect angry candidates.

I'm just content with myself, happy with myself.

I did Showtime at the Apollo when I was 10, and it was the first time that Id ever performed on TV, and it felt great.