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Journalism of Courage
Sick of endlessly being taken for a possible terrorist just because of the way he looks, Arab American Ahmed Ahmed has fought back with an unconventional weapon: comedy.
He conveys his anger through jokes about airport security ordeals he faces every time he boards a plane—the fate of many Arabs and Muslims as a result of Western fears since the September 11 attacks.
“My name is Ahmed Ahmed and I can’t fly,” he says as he starts his stand-up comedy show. “When I get to the airport the security woman at the check-in desk asks ‘Did you pack the bags yourself?’ (Ahmed) ‘Yes.’ (security woman) ‘You’re under arrest’.”
The 35-year-old Egyptian-American is one of a small group of Arab American comics who use humour to highlight the plight of their community.
Born in Egypt, Ahmed moved to the US when he was just one-month old and headed to Hollywood to become an actor at age 19. He says he soon tired of being typecast as an Arab guerrilla or taxi driver, so moved to comedy where he had control over his material.
He says the Hollywood film industry was predominantly Jewish and had little insight into Middle Eastern culture and the Muslim faith, making life as an Arab entertainer hard.
His shows with a Jewish rabbi at synagogues across the US has raised the ire of some Muslims in the West who object to his performing in front of Jewish audiences.
Many Arabs and Muslims say Israel’s occupation of Arab land makes interaction between Muslims and Jews difficult if not impossible. But Ahmed says, “When a movie comes out in Hollywood that depicts Arabs in a bad way, the first thing Arabs would do is protest. And I always say don’t do that. Go make a movie or a play or anything to counteract what people are depicting us as.
“You can’t fight fire with fire. In this situation you have to fight fire with art and humour.”
—Reuters
