Hasan Minhaj Responds To Netflix Removing His Episode In Saudi Arabia

Hasan Minhaj responded to Netflix complying with Saudi Arabias demands that the streaming service block an episode of his talk show, saying on Wednesday that the move has only made the episode more popular.

Clearly, the best way to stop people from watching something is to ban it, make it trend online, and then leave it up on YouTube.

Lets not forget that the worlds largest humanitarian crisis is happening in Yemen right now. Please donate: https://t.co/znMP8vyJma https://t.co/t2VUDhhIdB

Hasan Minhaj (@hasanminhaj) January 2, 2019","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Hasan Minhaj","author_url":"https://twitter.com/hasanminhaj","cache_age":86400,"description":"Clearly, the best way to stop people from watching something is to ban it, make it trend online, and then leave it up on YouTube.Lets not forget that the worlds largest humanitarian crisis is happening in Yemen right now. Please donate: https://t.co/znMP8vyJma https://t.co/t2VUDhhIdB Hasan Minhaj (@hasanminhaj) January 2, 2019\n\n","provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Hasan Minhaj on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/hasanminhaj/status/1080540270092005379","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5c2cf80be4b0407e90875e85","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/hasan-minhaj-responds-netflix-saudi-arabia_n_5c2cf80be4b0407e90875e85","entryTagsList":"netflix,saudi-arabia,hasan-minhaj,patriot-act-with-hasan-minhaj,@health_depression,@health_ibs,@health_models","sectionSlug":"entertainment","deptSlug":"entertainment","sectionRedirectUrl":"https://action.news/entertainment","subcategories":"media","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.entertainment","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/568da0fc-4350-47b1-9f98-e874ec1c038d/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":5},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5c2cf80be4b0407e90875e85","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Netflix","slug":"netflix","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/netflix","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/netflix","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/netflix"},"relegenceId":3173032,"department":{"name":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"section":{"title":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"topic":{"title":"TV Rewind","slug":"tv-rewind","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/entertainment/topic/tv-rewind"},{"name":"Saudi Arabia","slug":"saudi-arabia","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/saudi-arabia","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/saudi-arabia","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/saudi-arabia"},"relegenceId":3544611,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"World News","slug":"world-news"},"topic":{"title":"Saudi Arabia","slug":"saudi-arabia","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/saudi-arabia"},{"name":" hasan minhaj","slug":"hasan-minhaj","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/hasan-minhaj","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/hasan-minhaj","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/hasan-minhaj"},"relegenceId":6428116,"department":{"name":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"section":{"title":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"topic":{"title":"Hasan Minhaj","slug":"hasan-minhaj","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/entertainment/topic/hasan-minhaj"},{"name":"Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj","slug":"patriot-act-with-hasan-minhaj","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/patriot-act-with-hasan-minhaj","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/patriot-act-with-hasan-minhaj","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/patriot-act-with-hasan-minhaj"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/patriot-act-with-hasan-minhaj"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">

Clearly, the best way to stop people from watching something is to ban it, make it trend online, and then leave it up on YouTube.

Lets not forget that the worlds largest humanitarian crisis is happening in Yemen right now. Please donate: https://t.co/znMP8vyJma https://t.co/t2VUDhhIdB
Hasan Minhaj (@hasanminhaj) January 2, 2019

The comments from the host of Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj come after Netflix took down an episode in which Minhaj criticized Saudi Arabia, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the United States for maintaining relations. The episode is still viewable outside Saudi Arabia and was still viewable through YouTube in the country within the last 24 hours.

Minhajs criticism came after the CIA determined that the crown prince, whom he refers to as MBS in the episode, ordered the October assassination of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul, despite the Saudi governments claims to the contrary.

MBS asked, Why the outrage? and frankly, MBS confusion is completely understandable, Minhaj said in the episode. He has been getting away with autocratic shit like [Khashoggis killing] for years with almost no blowback from the international community.

He also implored his followers on Wednesday to donate to Yemen, where airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition have come under intense scrutiny since Khashoggi was slain, through the International Rescue Committee.

Netflix said the Saudi government claimed the episode violated the kingdoms anti-cyber crime law and that it took the episode down only after it received a valid legal request and to comply with local law.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

Ironically, Minhaj dedicated his last episode of 2018 to discussing content moderation by tech companies.