Audience Perceptions of Muslim Standup Comedy
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Fear and Laughing in the Occupied Territories: Comedienne Maysoon Zayid Transforms Lives
88 al-raida Issue 122 - 123 | Summer / Fall 2008 Fear and Laughing in the Occupied Territories: Comedienne Maysoon Zayid Transforms Lives Dalila Mahdawi A young woman takes a seat before the microphone, from Arizona State University and to cameos in flicks her hair, and surveys her audience. Shaking television shows like Law & Order and As the slightly, she introduces herself, “My name is World Turns, but it soon became clear that she Maysoon Zayid and I’m a Palestinian Muslim virgin didn’t fit the mold. She turned to comedy, giving with cerebral palsy from New Jersey… and if you free performances throughout New York City. She don’t feel better about yourself, maybe you should!” quickly began receiving positive coverage on the The crowd roars. Maysoon Zayid certainly ticks all comedy scene. the minority boxes in both the Arab and American worlds. She seems to derive strength from these Following the September 11th attacks in New York, apparent weaknesses, however, and successfully negative images of Arabs abounded in the American incorporates them into her career as one of the media. Some of Maysoon’s non-Arab friends best Arab-American stand-up comedians. At a asked if she had known the attacks were going to time when so many of her Arab-American cousins happen, while others stopped talking to her. Her are trying hard to be taken seriously, perhaps sister, a UN employee, even received death threats. Maysoon’s willingness to ridicule her identity In response to the experiences of Arab-Americans, is what makes her so successful. -
Human Rights of Women Wearing the Veil in Western Europe
Human Rights of Women Wearing the Veil in Western Europe Research Paper I. Introduction The present paper analyses legislation, policies, and case-law surrounding religious attire in a number of countries in Western Europe and how they affect the human rights of women and girls who wear the veil in Western Europe. It also more broadly analyses discrimination and violence experienced by women wearing the veil in Europe learning from their own voice. Throughout the paper, the terminology ‘veil’ is used to refer to a variety of religious attire worn mostly, but not exclusively, by Muslim women. There are different types of clothing that cover the body. This research is focused on manifestations of veils that are the subject of regulation in several Western European Countries. They include the hijab (a piece of clothing that covers the head and neck, but not the face), niqab (a piece of clothing that covers the face, where only the eyes are visible), burqa (a piece of clothing that covers both the face and eyes), jilbab (a loose piece of clothing that covers the body from head to toe), or abaya, kaftan, kebaya (a loose, often black, full body cover overcoat). The head and body covers are often combined. In several countries, some of these clothing are based on traditional costumes rather than religion and are often worn by rural communities in the countries of origins. The paper also uses the terminology ‘full-face veil’ or ‘face-covering veil’ to refer to both niqab and burqa. Furthermore, it refers to burkini, a swimsuit that covers the body from head to ankles, completed by a dress. -
'The Muslims Are Coming' Show Featuring Muslim-American Comics Hopes to Foster Laughs and Understanding
'The Muslims Are Coming' Show featuring Muslim-American comics hopes to foster laughs and understanding. By Scott Bernarde July 31, 2011 When the producers of “The Muslims are Coming!” were looking for venues for their tour of free comedy performances, Gwinnett County, particularly Lilburn, caught their eye. The satirical standup comedy tour, which features several top Muslim-American comics, aims to dispel “myths associated with Islamaphobia” in shows scheduled in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida, and later in Midwest states this fall. The tour comes to the Aurora Theatre in Lawrenceville on Aug. 9, beginning at 8 p.m. Reserve the free tickets here. Shows are scheduled in Gainesville, Fla., Aug. 5 and in Columbus, Ga., Aug. 6, before the Lawrenceville show, then in Birmingham, Nashville and Murfreesboro, Tenn., afterward. Muslim-American comedians Negin Farsad and Dean Obeidallah say the shows — and corresponding documentary by the same name — bring a message of understanding and open communication through laughter to the communities they visit. “It’s going to be funny for everyone. It’s not just for Muslims,” said Obeidallah in a phone interview last week. “Our hope is to use the stand-up comedy to bring people of all faiths and backgrounds to laugh and to foster understanding.” The Dar-E-Abbas mosque controversy in Lilburn caught their attention and prompted Farsad and Obeiballah to search for local venues to host the show. Obeidallah read about the controversy online — the city’s denial of a request by the mosque to expand its facilities on Highway 29 at Hood Road, the subsequent lawsuit filed by the mosque, and the Department of Justice investigation into the city’s decision. -
Turkish German Muslims and Comedy Entertainment CURRENT ISSUES in ISLAM
Turkish German Muslims and Comedy Entertainment CURRENT ISSUES IN ISLAM Editiorial Board Baderin, Mashood, SOAS, University of London Fadil, Nadia, KU Leuven Goddeeris, Idesbald, KU Leuven Hashemi, Nader, University of Denver Leman, Johan, GCIS, emeritus, KU Leuven Nicaise, Ides, KU Leuven Pang, Ching Lin, University of Antwerp and KU Leuven Platti, Emilio, emeritus, KU Leuven Tayob, Abdulkader, University of Cape Town Stallaert, Christiane, University of Antwerp and KU Leuven Toğuşlu, Erkan, GCIS, KU Leuven Zemni, Sami, Universiteit Gent Turkish German Muslims and Comedy Entertainment Settling into Mainstream Culture in the 21st Century Benjamin Nickl Leuven University Press Published with the support of the Popular Culture Association of Australia and New Zealand University of Sydney and KU Leuven Fund for Fair Open Access Published in 2020 by Leuven University Press / Presses Universitaires de Louvain / Universitaire Pers Leuven. Minderbroedersstraat 4, B-3000 Leuven (Belgium). © Benjamin Nickl, 2020 This book is published under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Non-Derivative 4.0 Licence. The licence allows you to share, copy, distribute and transmit the work for personal and non- commercial use providing author and publisher attribution is clearly stated. Attribution should include the following information: B. Nickl. 2019. Turkish German Muslims and Comedy Entertainment: Settling into Mainstream Culture in the 21st Century. Leuven, Leuven University Press. (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) Further details about Creative Commons licences -
CULTURAL INGENUITY: STRENGTHENING the MUSLIM AMERICAN IDENTITY a Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the School of Continuing St
CULTURAL INGENUITY: STRENGTHENING THE MUSLIM AMERICAN IDENTITY A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of The School of Continuing Studies and of The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies By Lena Albibi, B.A. Georgetown University Washington, D.C. February 17, 2009 CULTURAL INGENUITY: STRENGTHENING THE MUSLIM AMERICAN IDENTITY Lena Albibi, B.A. Mentor: John L. Esposito, Ph.D. ABSTRACT Muslims in America must move beyond theological discourse and polemics to creating a dynamic apparatus that can promote indigenous and organic Muslim American culture and that accommodates ideological and cultural diversity. Muslims needs to move beyond attempting solely to correct their image and dispel stereotypes. While these are admirable goals, they cannot be the end goal for engaging in the creative arts, because such a narrowly defined, negative vision does not allow for an organic expression of the self. It is imperative that Muslims establish an artistic tradition in America, because to be an American Muslim is a creative process in itself. Laying the foundation for an expressive culture will ensure that Muslims celebrate their humanity and affirm their dignity, and they will then be free from having to define themselves in opposition to something else. A positive self-definition is what Muslims need. ii CONTENTS ABSTRACT ii CHAPTER I: CULTURAL INGENUITY: STRENGTHENING THE MUSLIM AMERICAN IDENTITY 1 CHAPTER II: ISLAM AND CULTURE 5 CHAPTER III: IMAGE OF MUSLIMS IN AMERICA: POST 9/11 22 CHAPTER IV: ISLAM IN AMERICA 30 Music 32 Comedy 35 TV and Film 38 Clothing 58 Muslim American Monuments and Sports Icons 61 Civic Engagement 64 Muslim American Education 66 CHAPTER V: GOALS FOR DEVELOPING A SUCESSFUL MUSLIM AMERICAN CULTURE 71 CHAPTER VI: CONCLUSION 79 BIBLIOGRAPHY 85 iii CHAPTER I CULTURAL INGENUITY: STRENGTHENING THE MUSLIM AMERICAN IDENTITY, AN INTRODUCTION The tragic events of September 11th thrust Islam and Muslims under the eye of public scrutiny. -
Arts, Culture and Media 2010 a Creative Change Report Acknowledgments
Immigration: Arts, Culture and Media 2010 A Creative Change Report Acknowledgments This report was made possible in part by a grant from Unbound Philanthropy. Additional funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Ford Foundation, Four Freedoms Fund, and the Open Society Foundations supports The Opportunity Agenda’s Immigrant Opportunity initiative. Starry Night Fund at Tides Foundation also provides general support for The Opportunity Agenda and our Creative Change initiative. Liz Manne directed the research, and the report was co-authored by Liz Manne and Ruthie Ackerman. Additional assistance was provided by Anike Tourse, Jason P. Drucker, Frances Pollitzer, and Adrian Hopkins. The report’s authors greatly benefited from conversations with Taryn Higashi, executive director of Unbound Philanthropy, and members of the Immigration, Arts, and Culture Working Group. Editing was done by Margo Harris with layout by Element Group, New York. This project was coordinated by Jason P. Drucker for The Opportunity Agenda. We are very grateful to the interviewees for their time and willingness to share their views and opinions. About The Opportunity Agenda The Opportunity Agenda was founded in 2004 with the mission of building the national will to expand opportunity in America. Focused on moving hearts, minds, and policy over time, the organization works closely with social justice organizations, leaders, and movements to advocate for solutions that expand opportunity for everyone. Through active partnerships, The Opportunity Agenda uses communications and media to understand and influence public opinion; synthesizes and translates research on barriers to opportunity and promising solutions; and identifies and advocates for policies that improve people’s lives. -
Performing Arabness in Arab American Stand-Up Comedy
77 Performing Arabness DOI: 10.1515/abcsj-2014-0028 Performing Arabness in Arab American Stand-up Comedy YASSER FOUAD SELIM Sohag University Abstract This article deals with the dramatic art of stand-up comedy. It locates Arab American stand-up comedy within a broader American humorous tradition and investigates the way Arab American performers use this art to negotiate and (re)construct their identity. The main question in this article is the way Arab American stand-up comedians define their relationship to the Arab and the western worlds in the process of establishing their Arab American identity. Three humor theories – the relief theory, the incongruity theory, and the superiority theory – are deployed in the study to examine the representation of Arabness in selected Arab American performances. The study argues that Arab American comics minstrelize their own diasporic origin through reinscribing a range of orientalizing practices in order to claim their Americanness. Keywords: Arab American, stand-up comedy, Maysoon Zayid, Ahmed Ahmed, Dean Obeidallah, Aron Kader, humor, identity The art of stand-up comedy is one of the most scholarly marginalized theatrical forms. There is very little academic and scholarly attention given to the study and analysis of stand-up comedy despite its old history and present popularity. Arab American stand-up comedy is the most marginalized in the tradition. This article is an attempt to fill a gap in the study of stand-up comedy in general and the criticism of Arab American artistic expression in particular. The article starts with defining stand-up comedy and tracing its historical connection to the negotiation and projection of ethnicity. -
Fear and Loathing in America After 9/11: Terrorism, Racism, and the Need for New Beginnings
ઞखഀ Fear and Loathing in America after 9/ 11: Terrorism, Racism, and the Need for New Beginnings Moustafa Bayoumi )Cspplmzo!Dpmmfhf!DVOZ* Every year after the terrorist attacks of 2001, New York City has commemorated its grievous losses from that terrible day with a kind of quiet dignity. Since September 2003, the city has lit the “Tribute in Light,” two powerful spotlight beams that soar into the night air where the World Trade Center once was1) (the “Tribute in Light” was first launched on March 11, 2002, for an initial period of one month).2) On the actual anniversary, New York has hosted a prayer service and public reading of the names of the dead. The simplicity of these gestures has endowed the day with feelings of mourning and loss, and these have been the dominant emotions in New York on 1) David W. Dunlap, “‘Tribute in Light’ Will Keep Shining, This Year and The Next,” Cityroom, The New York Times, September 10, 2001, http://cityroom.blogs. nytimes.com/2010/09/10/tribute-in-light-will-keep-shining-this-year-and-the-next/. 2) Terence Smith, “Tribute in Light,” Online News Hour, PBS.org, March 11, 2002, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/terrorism/jan-june02/light_3-11.html. .PVTUBGB#BZPVNJ the anniversaries of the September 11 attacks, at least until 2010. On September 11, 2010, rage took to the streets in ways that stunned many observers. The New York Times described “heated demonstrations” that illustrated “political and religious tensions and an unmistakable sense that a once-unifying day was now replete with division,” further -
Outline of Annemarie Schimmel's Deciphering the Signs of God: A
Outline of Annemarie Schimmel’s Deciphering the Signs of God: A Phenomenological Approach to Islam 1 I Sacred Aspects of Nature and Culture 2 Inanimate Nature 2 Stones and rocks 3 Gems 4 Mountains 5 Earth and dust 6 Water 6 Springs and fountains 7 Water of life 7 Ocean, waves and foam 8 Rain 9 Deluge (flood) 9 Rivers 10 Fire 10 Burning Bush on Mount Sinai 11 Candles 11 Lightning and thunder 11 Wind 12 Light 13 Sun 14 Moon 15 Stars 16 Planets 16 Sky 16 Colours 17 Plants and Animals 17 Trees 20 Gardens 20 Plants and flowers 20 Wild rue, roses (gul), violets, tulips 21 Animals 21 Animal skin 22 Pigs and pork 22 Gnats 22 Bees 22 Ants 23 Spiders 23 Moths 23 Cows 23 Lions 24 Cats 24 Dogs 24 Camels 24 Donkeys 25 Horses 25 Buraq (from the Mi’raj) 25 Serpents, snakes and dragons 26 Birds 26 Soul birds 26 Nightingales (bulbul) 26 Falcons 26 Doves 26 Storks 27 Roosters 27 Peacocks 27 Parrots 27 Swans and ganders 27 Hoopoe (hudhud) 28 Crows and ravens 28 Mythical birds (Huma, ‘Anqa, Simurgh) 28 Kindness to animals 28 Eschatological peace (the lion and the lamb) 29 Man-made Objects 29 Swords, weapons and armour 30 Rods and wands 30 Flags and banners 31 Mirrors 33 Idols 33 Coins 33 Paintings and pictures 35 Woven fabrics (tomb-covers) 36 Garments, clothes 37 Ihram (pilgrimage dress) 37 Hijab, Burqa (veil) 38 Headgear (taj, turbans) 39 Garments, robes and hems as a metaphor 41 Notes 47 II Sacred Space and Time 48 Sacred Space 48 Caves 49 Houses 50 Thresholds 50 Doors and gates (bab) 51 High and low seats (throne vs. -
AXS TV Schedule for Mon. September 30, 2019 to Sun. October 6, 2019
AXS TV Schedule for Mon. September 30, 2019 to Sun. October 6, 2019 Monday September 30, 2019 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM PT 6:00 AM ET / 3:00 AM PT The Big Interview Tom Green Live Olivia Newton-John - Still with the magical voice, the star of Grease sits down with Dan and we Cheech & Chong - It’s double the funny on Tom Green Live as Tom sits down with one of the go backstage before her sold out Las Vegas performance. premiere comedy duos of all time: Cheech & Chong! Bringing their patented stoned-out humor to best-selling albums and feature films, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong lit up the nation with 4:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM PT laughter, then carved out individual careers as TV actors on dramas and sitcoms. The Top Ten Revealed Epic Songs of ‘78 - Find out which Epic Songs of ‘78 make our list as rock experts like Steven Adler 7:00 AM ET / 4:00 AM PT (Guns ‘N Roses), Eddie Trunk, Clem Burke (Blondie) and Eddie Money, along with his daughter Classic Albums Jesse Money, count us down! Black Sabbath: Paranoid - The second album by Black Sabbath, released in 1970, has long at- tained classic status. Paranoid not only changed the face of rock music forever, but also defined 4:30 PM ET / 1:30 PM PT the sound and style of Heavy Metal more than any other record in rock history. Plain Spoken: John Mellencamp This stunning, cinematic concert film captures John with his full band, along with special guest 8:00 AM ET / 5:00 AM PT Carlene Carter, performing his most cherished songs. -
<I>The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour
Global Posts building CUNY Communities since 2009 http://tags.commons.gc.cuny.edu “Persian Like The Cat”: Crossing Borders with The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour Tamara L. Smith/ In the wake of the attacks of September 11, Americans of Middle Eastern heritage experienced a sudden and dramatic change in how their ethnicities were perceived. As comedian and activist Dean Obeidallah explained, “On September 10, I went to bed white, and woke up Arab.”[1] Once comfortable in their American identities, they now had to contend with new cultural forces that configured them as dangerous outsiders. In the months and years that followed, the supposed existence of a so-called “Axis of Evil” of dangerous, anti-American regimes became the justification for expanding military operations abroad, while domestically it fed into a growing Orientalist sentiment that continues to configure Americans of Middle Eastern descent as potentially dangerous outsiders. In 2005, a group of United States comedians of Middle Eastern heritage adopted the alarmist moniker as a tongue-in-cheek title for their stand-up comedy performances. Part commiseration and part public relations, the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour served both as an expression of solidarity between Middle Eastern-Americans and as an act of cultural diplomacy, recasting Middle Eastern ethnic identities as familiar, patriotic, and safe. In this article, I look back to a 2006 performance by the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour in Santa Ana, California, including sets by tour members Ahmed Ahmed, Maz Jobrani, and Aron Kader as well as their guest, New York Arab-American Comedy Festival founder Dean Obeidallah. -
48 Ruitenberg.Pm7
292 How to Do Things with Headscarves How to Do Things with Headscarves: A Discursive and Meta-Discursive Analysis1 Claudia W. Ruitenberg University of British Columbia I thank Sharon Todd for the opportunity to discuss the important topic of sartorial censorship and, more specifically, the censorship of the wearing of khimars, jilbabs, niqabs, chadors, and burqas by Muslim girls and women in educational contexts. I generally agree with Todd’s arguments that gender is not merely an additional feature, but integral to the debate over religious symbols in the public sphere, and that this debate ought to be approached from an understanding of culture as gendered, ambiguous, unstable, and multiple. The focus of my response, therefore, will be the metadiscourse in which Todd’s paper participates: the discourse about the sartorial discourse of Muslim girls and women in educational contexts. Todd considers gender a cultural construct and positions herself in discursive theories of gender put forward by theorists such as Judith Butler. I will stay within that discursive theoretical perspective, and consider the wearing of head, face, and body covers such as the khimar, niqab, and burqa as discursive acts. Where the wearing of clothing and symbols on the body is perhaps not a language in the narrow sense, it certainly is discourse, where discourse is understood as speech, writing, and other semiotic practices that do not merely represent the world, but also produce effects in the world. A law that makes wearing a khimar, burqa, or other form of head, face, or body cover illegal in the context of public schools is thus a law that makes certain discursive acts illegal in the context of public schools: it is a form of censorship in educational contexts.