The Lebanese comedian Mario Moubarak during a stand-up show, broadcast on May 18, 2025. (Credit: Screenshot of the performance published by the Awk.word Comedy Club on its YouTube channel)
BEIRUT — Lebanese General Security (GS) detained comedian Mario Moubarak upon his arrival at Beirut airport and released him after confiscating his passport and phone, it was learned Friday evening.
Since late November, a segment from the Lebanese comedian's sketch — originally posted in full on May 18 by the Awk.word Comedy Club (the stand-up platform where the artist performs) — has stirred controversy on social media.
Conservative Christian circles have particularly objected to its dissemination ahead of the pope's scheduled visit to Lebanon, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2.
According to a source close to the comedian, the Christian group Soldiers of the Lord was the first to reshare this excerpt "for malicious reasons, implying Mario himself had just posted it."
The comedian has also received "numerous death threats" after his phone number was shared online, the source said. Yet, the 32-year-old comedian has been performing this joke on stage "for a year."
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