Articles
December 2011, Page 52
Arab-American Activism
Comedian Discusses U.S. Islamophobia, Comedy in Arab World
Dean Obeidallah, who performs regularly at comedy clubs in New York City, spoke on Sept. 23 at Georgetown University's Mortara Center for International Studies. The award-winning comedian, who has appeared on television's Comedy Central and CNN networks, explained how he uses comedy to spread peace and freedom in both the U.S. and the Arab world.
Born and raised in northern New Jersey, Obeidallah is the son of a Sicilian mother and a Palestinian father. Growing up in a predominantly Italian-American community, he always self-identified as a white American, he said, and was not in touch with his Arab heritage. However, like many other Americans, Obeidallah's life changed dramatically on Sept. 11, 2001. Despite the fact that he spoke with a distinct New Jersey accent and lived a typical American lifestyle, Obeidallah's Arab heritage suddenly became his distinctive feature in a hypersensitive post-9/11 America. Rather than running away from his heritage, Obeidallah, who described September 2001 as a converting experience, embraced his Arab roots.
The post-9/11 Obeidallah has used his platform as a comedian to promote a greater understanding of Islam in America. Citing Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, he noted that America has a tradition of using comedy to address social and racial issues. Seeking to continue this tradition, Obeidallah has organized comedy events such as his recent tour of the southern U.S., titled "The Muslims are Coming," to educate, and in many cases introduce individuals to Islam.
Describing his recent tour as an "eye-opening" experience for both himself and the local audiences, Obeidallah observed that he "met so many people who have never met a Muslim in their life." As he engaged audience members before and after shows, Obeidallah recalled, he fielded an array of questions and comments from individuals who were both curious and critical of Islam. The most frequent comments he receives, Obeidallah said, are from individuals who say that they "do not think Muslims are denouncing terrorists and radicals enough." Shocked by the number of times he heard this, Obeidallah blamed such views on those "peddling hate" in the media, and strongly urged that such voices be marginalized.
Nevertheless, Obeidallah described the tour as "a lot of fun" and optimistically commented that he "really feels like something [positive] is happening."
Perhaps the most intriguing work Obeidallah has done post-9/11 has been in the Arab world. As a member of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour, which has performed in countries such as Jordan and Saudi Arabia since 2005, Obeidallah has been a leader in bringing stand-up comedy to the Arab world. In addition to performing in these countries, Obeidallah and other comedians offer free workshops in stand-up comedy. While that new form of expression did not come naturally for Arabs at first, Obeidallah said, the progress it has made in the region has far surpassed his expectations. In analyzing comedic skills, Obeidallah classified Egyptians as "by far the funniest" and Omani comedians as "not funny" at first. Surprisingly, Obeidallah described Saudi Arabia as "by far the most vibrant" comedy scene in the region.
—Dale Sprusansky
