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Kazakhstan to Welcome Borat

A Kazakh official has opted to keep his country’s enemy closer, inviting Sacha Baron Cohen (aka Borat) to come visit. The nation is concerned what kind of image Cohen’s Kazakh reporter character is sending to the rest of the world; Cohen frequently presents the Kazakh people as dabbling in such hobbies as rape and incest.

Deputy Foreign Minister Rakhat Aliyev said that while he understands why the Kazakh people are unhappy about Cohen’s Kazakh reporter character, he hopes they can respect the actor’s form of expression. “We must have a sense of humor and respect other people’s freedom of creativity,” Aliyev said, according to the AP. “I’d like to invite Cohen here. He can discover a lot of things. Women drive cars, wine is made of grapes, and Jews are free to go to synagogues.”

Aliyev added that perhaps threatening Cohen is futile. “It’s useless to offend an artist and threaten to sue him,” he said. “It will only further damage the country’s reputation and make Borat even more popular.”

Talk: Will Cohen take Aliyev up on his offer, and if so, will his visit just give him more material for his character? COMMENT

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