92 International Journal of Crisis Communication, 2017, 1, 92-104 Islamophobia and Muslim Comedians in America Wajid Zulqarnain1,2,*, Taimur-ul-Hassan2 and Farzana Kausar1 1Department of Media Sciences, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Islamabad, Pakistan 2School of Media and Mass Communication, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, Pakistan Abstract: The main aim of the study was to analyze the sentiments about Muslim comedians in America. Soon after the attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States, many Muslim American stand-up comedians had to suffer Islamophobia; the stereotype perceptions and hatred remarks about them because of their Muslim Identity. Therefore this study applied the qualitative content analysis technique to investigate the role of Muslim comedians and the sentiments of the viewers about their stand-up comedy videos. The findings showed that Muslim comedians are engaged in dialogue to help the Muslim community deal with the impact of the September 11 attacks and to try reassure the public about Arab and Muslim Americans as being unpatriotic and hostile to the United States. Muslim American stand-up comedy is a unique response to negative social discrimination after 9/11, and social critic’s comedians debate the stereotype and reality of Muslim American life. Analysis of functionalist theory from humor sociology to discern expected social messages of joke intended for entertaining and education. It shows how the American Muslim comedy affects American Muslims. Keywords: Muslim, Comedians, Stand-up comedy, Islomophobia. INTRODUCTION understood that comedy can be utilized as a stage to lightly register the issues influencing Muslim ethnicity It is an obvious fact Muslim American stand-up and religion. Different minorities like Jews and African comedians endured contempt comments and have Americans also used comedy as an instrument to have been victims of stereotyping for being Muslims after the recognition and positive acknowledgment into the incident of September 11, 2001. Nonetheless, American "mixture." If we look into past, the blend of Amarasingam contemplated that Muslim comedians social scrutinize and self-criticism brought have presented such humor dialogues which are accomplishment to various ethnic stand-up entertainers helpful for the Muslims to mend the image in world after in the past Jack Benny, Lenny Bruce, Richard Prior, 9/11 and tried to change the unpatriotic and and lately Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Margaret Cho antagonistic attitude of Muslim world toward United and Sarah Silverman. This study is meant to discover States [1]. Comedy is a noteworthy social power; in any the connection between stand-up comedy of Muslims case, religious scholars have seldom considered the in US and the perception of audience about them, and social significance of comedy important. For instance, a in addition studied the portrayals of Islamophobia by CNN roundtable discourse was carried on whether the Muslim-American comedians. Canadian sitcom “Little Mosque on the Prairie" would be a noticeable hit in the United States, as it was Definitions of Islamophobia noticed by many participants that after 9/11, humor acts could be extremely helpful in battling The term of Islamophobia is something that still obliviousness, narrow mindedness, and negative image needs an appropriate explanation. Researcher found of Muslims [2]. As Andreea investigated comedy acts that the expression "Islamophobia" has been broadly Like Allah Made Me Funny, The Axis of Evil and Arabs used in America and picked up prominence in the Gone Wild; and the comedians, for example, Azhar 1990s and after unfortunate 9/11 terrorists attack [4]. Usman, Mo Amer, Ahmed, Aron Kader, Preacher Nonetheless, the Islamophobia is not only limited to Moss, Dean Obidallah, MazJobrani, and Maysoon American culture and also not just the aftermath of Zayid have been outstanding, due to their specific terrorist attacks. In another research found the blend of self-reasoning funniness and harmless jokes meaning of Islamophobia as an "ideological about Arabs and Muslims surging in American culture arrangement" of abhorrence and hate for Muslims. [3]. Arab and Muslim American entertainers have Sheeni described concept of Islamophobia, "an ideological formation which made by a culture that inherit specific image, investigations and convictions, *Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Media Sciences, on the basis of which legislative policies and social Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST), Islamabad, Pakistan; Tel: 051-4863363-65; Fax: 051-4863367; practices are mounted" [5]. Foucault (1972) discussed E-mail: [email protected] Sheeni's idea that such arrangements are embedded in © 2017 Lifescience Global Truth, Al Jazeera, and Crisis Journalism International Journal of Crisis Communication, 2017, Vol. 1, No. 2 93 settings of institutional, control relations and political comedian stated certain fundamental standards of practices. Foucault further discussed that to uncover in humour in his paper "Världens näst äldsta yrke: stand- all its immaculateness the space in which rambling up entertainer" [6], it was mentioned that, to be a good occasions are conveyed is to abandon oneself allowed comedian, one must be smart, funny, talk without to portray the transaction of relations inside it and hesitation to the viewers, must be confident, must know outside it. The root of Islamophobia indicates an how to use content to make a unique situation and approach against Islam and absurdly religion is the must influence viewers. In any case, he himself said least important dimensions in the fundamentals of that these principles are not authoritative and the Islamophobia. In the most recent decade, a large expression "stand-up comedy" needs much more number of the writers who analyzed Islamophobia clarification. Malmberg in Crispin & Vladica found that a believe that a interpretation toward Islam surpasses an few humorists may perform while taking a seat, for entirely religious aspect. As indicated in ideological example, Irish entertainer Dave Allen [7]. Some use idea, Islamophobia can't be isolated from historical characters for humor and some make use of props to occasions including Western relations with the Muslim make funny situations. Mint an American researcher, and Arab community. Among such occasions, 9/11 looked into American comedy in detail and gave terrorists attack on US, picked up consideration in meaningful understanding of the term comedy and also America. But, 9/11 isn't the core root of Islamophobia, elaborated cultural and social significance of comedy however it was the reaction of Western communities to [8]. His essential definition is in any case very like the genuine or nonexistent risk for fundamentalism of Malmberg's: "A strict, restricting meaning of standup Islamic, numerous socio-political characters may have satire would portray an experience between a solitary, extraordinary interests in supporting the disdain for standing entertainer acting hilariously or potentially Muslims. saying interesting things specifically to viewers, unsupported by especially in the method for outfit, Objective of the Study prop, setting, or sensational vehicle". • To examine the relationship between sentiments Talking about production, stand-up comedy is of the audience about Muslim Comedians and simply a performing art. Props, outfits and view are Islamophobia developed by specific comics despite the fact that these are not the principle center of the execution and To highlight that the stand-up comedy reverses • are utilized regularly. One key decide that is maybe the discourses and representations of disregarded is innovation which is most vital in stand- Islamophobia up comic drama than in some other execution Research Questions workmanship. For instance, in music it is a typical and broadly acknowledged practice to play note by take • Is there any relationship between sentiments of note of crafted by different artists. This training is the audience about Muslim Comedians and known as literary theft with regards to stand-up parody. Islomophobia? In this way, an entertainer needs to think of his or her own particular work material or then again with unique • What is the relationship between sentiments of work material gave by an essayist notwithstanding the audience and soft image of Muslim while tending to comparable subjects with comparative Comedians? perspectives display in the material of other stand-up humorists. A humorist playing out the rehashed jokes LITERATURE REVIEW of another entertainer is unprecedented with regards to hold up. Stand-up comedian is a comical interactive style in which a humorist performs live in front of viewers. In Ronald, an anthropologist examines all the more stand-up comic drama, the comic tries to convey a profoundly that in the event that it has a unique progression of entertaining funny stories and jokes, circumstance, the comic words or jokes do have a commonly known as monolog. Good comedians also superior effect. She contends that exclusive the make use of music and props to make their substance of the joke and method for advising isn't demonstrations outstanding. Stand-up comedy is critically enough to make giggle and the standup drama generally performed in comedy clubs, bars, dance club, [9] additionally has similar guidelines of articulations. schools, colleges, universities and theaters. A Swedish She watches