The BBC is reporting that Afghanistan premiered their first ever satirical comedy television show last week, titled ‘The Ministry’. The show draws its origins from the multi-award winning British series ‘The Office’ that has been re-invented in over four countries world-wide, most famously in the USA where the misanthropic office manager was played by funny man Steve Carell. 

The Afghan version is set in the fictional ‘Ministry of Garbage’, and the Minister is played by well known Afghan actor Qadir Farhouk. The aim of the show is to humorously point out the corruption and ineptitude rife in Afhanistan’s government.

The Afghan’s need a laugh- this year they nearly came seriously afoul of the United States military when it emerged their government may have been knowingly sheltering the late Osama Bin Laden. Add to that the US and UK armed forces have been deployed in the war-torn state since 2001, trying to eradicate the once-governing Taliban, while also trying to protect and support the ‘democratic government’ installed the very year the foreign forces took up arms.

The producers of the show hope it will allow Afghans to have a chuckle at the serious corruption and efficiency issues plaguing their decade-old government, where it’s alleged most top positions are obtained through family connections.

You can see the trailer for the show below, with handy subtitles for those of us with non-existent Arabic

[Source: BBC News; News Daily]