Jon Stewart In Awe of ‘The Island President’
Image by Wikimedia Commons
You heard about the new documentary film “The Island President” here in the Forward first. Now Jon Stewart has gotten a hold of the story. More specifically, he invited the film’s star, Mohamed Nasheed, former President of the Maldives, to appear on The Daily Show for an exclusive interview.
On April 2, Stewart questioned Nasheed about his recent forced ouster from the presidency, and about his dramatic fight to save his country from the devastating effects of climate change. Without a serious global effort to significantly cut carbon emissions, the Maldives will sink into the sea before too long.
Stewart employed his usual comedy, but he also seemed to be truly in awe of Nasheed, his struggle for democracy in the Maldives, and his tireless work to get the world to wake up to the climate crisis. Stewart humorously riffed on a few things Nasheed said — like joking about the two men’s short stature and that their being on a high floor would save them should Manhattan start sinking below sea level — but overall, it was clear that Stewart was standing aside a bit more than usual and letting Nasheed eloquently and passionately make his case.
As Stewart closed the segment, he implored people and governments to take heed of Nasheed’s warnings. “Don’t be silly,” he proclaimed to viewers, using a simple yet potent phrase Nasheed had used during their conversation.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
