Comedy in the Muslim Word

[cbd2cai 0]

I posted something about Al Brooks new movie awhile back and it didn't generated too much interest, LOL. I guess there are other more controversial topics to discuss . . . like Britney being pregnant again.

OK, so this isn't a review of the movie, it is an article written by this guy living in Chicago that was published this morning in the religion section of The Dallas Morning News (of all places). Just some additional food for thought . . . but trying to get past the more ugly aspects of a different topic.

Here is the Link: DMN - Religion: Muslim Comedy.

I am posting the full text too, because links disappear quickly:

Brooks' 'Comedy' unveils absurdity

12:38 PM CST on Friday, February 3, 2006

By AZHAR USMAN / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

As a full-time standup comedian – and a practicing Muslim – I have been keeping a close eye on Albert Brooks' new film, Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, since I first heard about it months ago.

Imagine my delight when I was invited to the Los Angeles premiere. The movie has some funny moments, but a generally uninspiring plot and an abrupt ending. I give it 2 ½ to 3 stars.

But as one of few American Muslims comics, let me tell you why I think it's an important film – and why Mr. Brooks' effort (hopefully) signals a step in the right direction.

GuideLive.com: Read the review of Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World

If you've missed the reviews, here's the plot: The U.S. State Department sends Mr. Brooks – who plays a comedian, "Albert Brooks" – to India and Pakistan to produce a 500-page study of what makes Muslims laugh. The State Department officials – and Mr. Brooks' character – make some odd assumptions about Muslims: that they don't laugh much; that they are not very funny; and that Americans couldn't possibly understand what there is of Muslim humor without extensive research.

All of this, unfortunately, is built upon the presupposition – perhaps unintentional or unconscious – that Muslims are not really human (or at least not human the way "real" Americans are).

I do not believe that Mr. Brooks had any ill intent. In fact, he's said that he was trying to make fun of the real government's attitudes toward Muslims. Here's how he put it at a screening of the film in the United Arab Emirates:

"One of the things I'm trying to say is that all these countries look the same to the U.S. State Department. America has programmed us to think that everyone who looks or sounds different is the enemy."

I met Mr. Brooks at the L.A. premiere and shared with him my thoughts on the film. He even thanked me for the quote I gave The New York Times : "The notion that a Muslim audience wouldn't have the vaguest notion of what stand-up comedy or improvisation was is utterly false."

Mr. Brooks has courageously acknowledged that Muslims are dehumanized by our government. And his movie is an attempt to correct that.

On another level, however, the movie's title probes a more fundamentally important question: What has happened to Muslim art? The very notion that we must go searching "for comedy in the Muslim world" indicates that it is not readily apparent or accessible in our times.

Muslim art in the contemporary world has all but vanished, certainly relative to its historical legacy. Muslims today are seen as artistically straightjacketed by their religion, aesthetically dead, culturally backward. Yet, these are the same people who gave the world the Taj Mahal (featured in the film, incidentally); the Alhambra Palace of Granada, Spain; the Blue Mosque of Istanbul, Turkey; the intoxicating poetry of the whirling dervish Rumi (the best-selling spiritual poet in America); the shadow puppet theater and gamelan orchestra of the Southeast Asian Sufi saints ...

The list can go on indefinitely.

Why don't modern Muslims produce great art? In fact, why are so many contemporary Muslims opposed even to having great art as a goal? I'd say that such resistance betrays Islam's rich history of artistic expression, cultural relevance, and, indeed, even the comedic arts.

Many Muslims – let alone non-Muslims – are unaware that the Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and keep him) had a generally lighthearted and even (at times) humorous disposition.

We have books of sacred sayings of the Prophet – hadiths – that include chapters with titles such as "The Book on The Laughter of the Prophet," and perhaps even more interestingly, "The Book on the Joking of the Prophet." He once told an old woman, "There will be no old women in paradise." Seeing her crestfallen, he told her: "That's because they will all be young again!"

History records one of his favorite companions, a man named Nu'ayman ibn 'Amr, as "the Jester of the Prophet," because he was known far and wide for his practical jokes, gags, and physical comedy and for providing comic relief to the Prophet. In fact, the Prophet recalled laughing for over a year at an elaborate prank of Nu'ayman's – he sold a freeman into slavery, and tribal chieftains had to intervene to resolve the situation. (Think of a seventh-century version of Punk'd.)

This humor tradition is, contrary to popular belief, alive and well in the Muslim world – though many Muslims probably can't tell you about it. And that means that Mr. Brooks' film asks a question that has more truth than even many Muslims might want to admit.

For all his searching in the film, Albert Brooks' character does not seem to find out what makes Muslims laugh.

And perhaps therein lies the answer – sometimes the answer to an absurd question is simply to recognize the absurdity of the question.

Azhar Usman, who lives in suburban Chicago, helped create "Allah Made Me Funny – The Official Muslim Comedy Tour" in 2004. His work has been featured on ABC-TV's Nightline and National Public Radio. He is a regular contributor to MTV Desi, a music and entertainment station geared toward viewers of Indian heritage.

Edited February 4, 2006 by cbarrosmostafa

[daisy16 0]

hmmm, much food for thought. thanks for the post

[cbd2cai 0]

Well, I guess it is not too conducive towards discussion, but I thought it was an interesting read.

[Aymerlu 3]

Interesting.....that's for sharing Catherine!

[mercuryroad 0]

Comedy is one of those universal truths. It can be used to bring people closer together or to drive them apart. I remember playing basketball in middle school.....it was always whites against the Mexicans. They would call me cracker, saltine, white lightning, and I would call them names too. It wasn't a racial thing, it was actually a bonding thing because we all got along really well. Making fun of and awknowleding our differences actually brought us closer together and allowed us to talk about many things. If you can laugh at yourself, then you can open up to the world.

I think the problem right now is media image and a whole lot of bad blood. You just get the impression that if you tried to make some jokes in the muslim world that there would be protests, your embassy would be burned down, and you would have mobs calling for jihad. I think the general perception out there is that any action at all that might be perceived as somewhat negative is returned in the muslim world with threats of brutal violence and that nothing in this world is acceptable other than what they think. I'm not saying I personally believe that, but I'm just saying that is what I think the general belief is.

[cbd2cai 0]

Totally understand about that. When I first heard about this movie, I did cringe a bit because I was wondering what the reaction would be. The previews actually make it seem a bit funny with some major faux pas type things on the part of the main character played by Albert Brooks (one being a joke about Ghandi which isn't Muslim anyway).

Just thought that a Muslim giving his take on the movie was interesting particularly in light of the current drama over the "cartoons" . Sometimes it is hard to know when something will be perceived as funny and when something has crossed the line to being offensive. I don't know if the movie will actually make it past the United States . . . not even sure it is good enough to export, considering the remarks the author made. I do plan on going to see it as it is still playing here in Dallas. I wonder if any of the Muslims resident in Dallas will go???

Edited February 5, 2006 by cbarrosmostafa

[Fischkoepfin 1]

Thanks for posting the article. That's a really interesting view, and I do think there's some truth to the idea that if you claim Muslims don't have humor, you basically make them less human which then again allows you to justify war against them as a group.

It also reminds me of the fact that people used to think that Germans lack humor or can't understand it, a perception stemming from WW2. Remember the German attempt at the "Deadly Joke" in Monty Python's Flying Circus?

It's also interesting that the writer associates humor with art and then goes on to claim that there is no (great) art in the Muslim world. This statement echoes the claim that there is no humor; art is another marker of humaness. And while I can't speak to the existence of humor in the Muslim world although I'm sure it exists, I do know that there is a lot of art in the Muslim world even though it might not be "great." But there are awesome movies coming out of the Muslim world, novels that immediately are considered world literature, and awesome buildings that are designed and realized by Muslim architects. And then there's pop music, rap, and rock by Muslim musicians which is also art.

The article clearly points at gaps in our perception of the Muslim world; there's so much we don't know and there's so much we don't want to know. It's much easier to assume that the stereotypical Muslim has no sense of humor, no interest in art, and instead only cares about jihad, the prophet, and Allah. And I'm certain if we read a similar article from some Muslim country in which an American or European would try to explain that Americans/ Europeans actually do have humor if not art, we would shake our heads and probably use our sense of humor by laughing about it...

[cbd2cai 0]

Yes, there are movies, music, etc, which we very much consider art. And there is some very good music and movies coming from various countries.

I was thinking that he was talking about what might be considered more enduring art since he mentioned things like the Blue Mosque (beautiful . . . I have seen it), Rumi, etc. I think he feels that nothing like that is coming from the muslim countries now. I hear in classes and lectures the accomplishments of the muslim word, but it is all in the past. Which is a shame because there are some brilliant people there like everywhere else. But I think maybe that things can be very repressive there in many ways . . . and face it, if you are working very hard just to make a living, sometimes art falls by the wayside as a luxury and a waste of time/money/resources.

[Jaylen Brit 0]

The problem, as I see it, is when we will get to see the images of art, culture and fun that muslims no doubt hold as dear as everyone else does in their hearts? The tv is awash with images of flag burning ranting extremists who seem to think spreading the Holy word includes lots of violence and intolerance.

I honestly believe that Mohammed would be spinning in his grave at the way they portray his people to the rest of the world - just Im sure as Jesus probably did when the crusades and the Spanish Inquisition were going on.

I really really wish the non-fascist peaceful happy and joyful muslims would rise up and tell these others to put a sock in it and THEn they can get a better press for everything all muslims hold dear - including comedy - and actuall spread the word instead of feeding the fires of hatred (and prevent the press from claiming that the entire world of Islam just wants the rest of the world to die by fire...)

[ladyspotthedog 0]

At the Edinburgh Fringe last summer there were a few muslim comedians, they really broke down boundaries and prejudices with their humour and insight......here's an article from The Independant about it>>>>>>

The Independant

[cbd2cai 0]

At the Edinburgh Fringe last summer there were a few muslim comedians, they really broke down boundaries and prejudices with their humour and insight......here's an article from The Independant about it>>>>>>

The Independant

Oh, this is good . . there are comments from an American in London about Bush, etc. This Fringe sounds like a free-for-all . . . equal time to get everyone going!!

I loved this part . . . Being a woman and having thought alot about women in the Middle East/Egypt/etc and how their lives are . . .

Begin snip from article: But the best Muslim stand-up - and perhaps the best stand-up on the fringe - is Shazia Mirza. A tinder-dry woman from Birmingham, she lives trapped in a pincer movement between two prejudices: those of the wider society against Muslims, and those of many Muslim men against an independent, brilliant woman who earns her living by daring to stand in front of clumps of white men, unveiled and laughing. Her breakthrough set last year toyed with the first set of prejudices. She would introduce herself with the words, "My name is Shazia Mirza. At least, that's what it says on my pilot's license." Later, she would ask, "Does my bomb look big in this?" But this year - in an even more powerful show - she delivers a long comedic howl against the way Muslim women are treated as second-class citizens, both within their own community and by many well-meaning liberals deferring to what they think of as a fixed and unchanging Muslim culture.

She explains how, as a girl, she was taught by her parents to fear and dread sex. "My mother would constantly say, 'Don't go out after 4pm - you will be raped.' Do all rapists come out a 4.01pm? Do they say, 'Oy, Ahmed, let's get her before Countdown?' And she would say, 'Don't have a parting in your hair.' As if men go, 'Phwoar, look at the parting on that.' I always wanted to be like my white friends, who had abortions, herpes and chlamydia. And my mother would say, 'Wait until you are married, your husband will give you all of that.'" Mirza tells us about scores of disastrous "arranged dates", in which educated Muslim men who have always lived in the West express their contempt for a woman who fails to show them "respect". One man says simply, "do you realise if we were still in Pakistan, you would be beheaded?" Another writes to her father saying, "in a lesser family, she would be killed." But Mirza refuses to submit to this militant misogyny. "If men are the ones with no self-control, why do we have to be covered head to toe?" she demands. "Surely it's them who should be covered up - or, better yet, chained."

Mirza takes her audience on a tour of the sexual dysfunctions that are thrown up by her community's conservative morality. One joke runs: "My dad has sex with prostitutes. It's OK - my mum pays. She hates sex." She has a Turkish friend who has been told constantly that she must have her hymen intact on her wedding night, so she only has ####### sex on dates. "'I'll be a virgin on my honeymoon,' she says. Yeah, a virgin with haemorrhoids." She was constantly being told that any hint of a nipple through a woman's top can "bring a devout Muslim man crumbling into a state of total moral collapse." "So," she says, "these tough suicide-bombers can strike fear into the heart of London - so long as nobody opens a copy of the Sun newspaper." She explains softly, "I'm terrified I'll die a virgin. Not because I'm obsessed with sex. I'm not, I don't think it's that big a deal. But I don't want to get to Paradise and have to sleep with one of the suicide bombers." - end snip from article.

Notice that her comments even point out the confusion of Eastern men raised in the West . . . they don't know where they fit in when it comes to Eastern women raised in the West . . .who have found more freedom to be who they are.

Oh, BTW, I noticed you filed in Ft. Smith, Arkansas??? Do you live there??? That is my hometown, LOL!! The place I escaped from . . . to live in TEXAS, LOL!!! I am trying to figure out how to escape from here now . . .

Edited February 5, 2006 by cbarrosmostafa