From: Sohaib Awan’s Magic and Myth.
How ‘Jinnrise’ aims to unearth Middle Eastern tradition – by pitting genies against aliens
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February 07, 2013
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Sohaib Awan’s Magic and Myth
February 26, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Said Durrah’s “Arab Is Me” Show a Hit
February 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Said Durrah, comedian, brought down the house at his “Arab Is Me” show.
On February 2nd, stand-up comedian and entertainer Said Durrah (see: www.saidsworld.com) performed in front of a sold-out crowd in the IMAX theater at The Artisphere in Arlington, Virginia. The show was attended by a variegated crowd that ranged in ethnicity but all shared in their laughter at the jokes by Mike Ismael and Said Durrah.
Previously having headlined for comedians such as Azhar Usman and Russel Peters, Durrah’s headline performance displayed his multifaceted skills as a well rounded entertainer. Durrah displayed his range of ability in the show, providing a medley of impersonations and jokes that touched on everything from the impersonations he did for his sick niece in the hospital to celebrity impersonations to humor on timely current affairs issues.
Mike Ismael warmed up the crowd for Durrah’s headline performance with his warm style that went down easy like a cup of hearty vegetable soup.
A nice addition to the show was a high quality video that highlighted some of Durrah’s inspiration and abilities, although for his next show some laser lights, smoke and dancing ala Prince Naseem Hamed would add to the effect. Overall, the show was a hit and you can definitely look forward to hearing big things from Said Durrah in the future.
Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet
October 2, 2012 By Leave a Comment
For more information, visit http://muhammadfilm.tv .
For PBS (Public Broadcasting Systems) informational resources on Prophet Muhammad, click here.
Muslim Green Lantern broadens superhero world | Otago Daily Times Online News : Otago, South Island, New Zealand & International News
September 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment
DC Comics has introduced a new Green Lantern – a Muslim from Dearborn, Michigan, who leaves behind street racing to join an intergalactic police force.
Simon Baz, the muscular protagonist in his early 20s with the Arabic word for courage, “al-shuja’a,” tattooed on his arm, is the latest example of superhero diversity in the comic book world. His debut comes after DC Comics unveiled a gay Green Lantern in June and Marvel Comics presented a half-black, half-Latino Spider-Man last year.
“In typical comic books there’s a big handsome white guy and that’s it. But that’s not the world we live in, and comics are reflecting that,” Thor Parker, social marketing and event director at Midtown Comics in New York, told Reuters. Parker’s store was selling the new comic book on Wednesday.
Most comic book fans know the Green Lantern’s alter ego as Hal Jordan, who is Caucasian, a ladies’ man who was played by Ryan Reynolds in the 2011 film.
But GREEN LANTERN #0, released on Wednesday, tells the story of Baz, an American of Arab ancestry raised in a Muslim family. He is chosen to be part of the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic police force.
The original Green Lantern was introduced in 1940 with a character named Alan Scott. DC revived the Green Lantern in 1959 with Jordan.
The new story begins with Baz as a child watching television images of a burning World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, according to a copy of the comic book viewed by Reuters.
As an adult, Baz, with a criminal record for illegal street racing, turns to car theft after he loses his job at an automobile factory. A car he tries to steal lands him in the middle of a terrorism investigation. Later on, he is magically bestowed with a ring that gives him super powers and anoints him a Green Lantern.
Geoff Johns, who writes the Green Lantern series, said Baz’s character was part of an effort to diversify the universe of superheroes.
“There’s no real prominent Arab-American superheroes in DC (Comics) at all,” Johns told Reuters, adding that Baz’s background also dovetailed with the superhero’s story.
“You are chosen to become a Green Lantern because you are of the ability to overcome great fear, and I thought that would be a great (theme) to play with, with a character of this background,” he said.
GREEN LANTERN #0 is part of a collection released in September that tells the back story of famous DC Comics characters. Baz will be the focus of several more comic books, Johns said, but he declined to say for how long.
The next Green Lantern comic book, in which Baz will be the focus, will be released in October.
Emirs of Laugh: The Rise of The Muslim Comedian
April 11, 2012 By 3 Comments
The Roman stoic philosopher Seneca said “If I want to look at a fool, I have only to look in the mirror.” There is a fool in all of us, in the banality of everyday life and the absurdity of some of the actions people do. It is in this sense that the role of the fool takes root in society – as a mirror to ourselves. From Karim Shirei to Stephen Colbert, the jester has played in important role in society, and so too today it is with a new breed of Muslim comedians.
Many Muslims, especially in the West, have at some point or another felt the pang of a derogatory remark or slur. But one person’s feces is another’s fertilizer, and with the right combination of good fertilizer, water and light – one can probably grow some nice herbs. As Mucahit Bilici, assistant professor of sociology at New York‘s John Jay College wrote in the forward to “Islamophobia/Islamophilia: Beyond the Politics of Enemy and Friend” : ”The discrimination, prejudices and stereotypes from which other Muslims suffer are a godsend for the Muslim comedian.”
So without further ado, here is our who’s who list of Muslim comedians. Although this list is not comprehensive, we hope it gives you just enough so that next time you find yourself giggling at that funny guy on t.v. or on stage, you can rest assured your “teehee” was probably orchestrated by a comedian of the Muslim orientation.
Dave Chappelle
Richard Pryor, the man called “the Picasso of [comedy]” by greats such as Jerry Seinfeld for his cutting edge, in-your-face brand of humor, himself counted Dave Chappelle as his his favorite comedian. Dave Chappelle is an American comedian, screenwriter,television/film producer, actor, and artist. Known most for his famous television comedy The Chappelle Show, Chappelle also starred in movies such as Half Baked, Undercover Brother and Dave Chappelle’s Block Party. Although himself a Muslim, Chappelle chooses not to define his comedy by his religion. As he told Time Magazine in 2005, “”I don’t normally talk about my religion publicly because I don’t want people to associate me and my flaws with this beautiful thing. And I believe it is beautiful if you learn it the right way.” The internet has been abuzz with rumors that Dave Chappelle has recently joined twitter – using the handle @chappelledavidk.
Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari is an American actor, stand-up comic and writer who stars as Tom Haverford on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation.” Ansari has acted in many movies, including “Observe and Report” and “Funny People”. He has released a dvd entitled Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening. Ansari is currently engaged in his Buried Alive tour. Ansari enjoys talking about his little cousin Harris alot. His website is here, where you can purchase a copy of his new special: Dangerously Delicious. Watch Aziz Ansari teach Zach Galifikianikis about swag and the “I don’t know” dance here. Find him on twitter @azizansari.
Azhar Usman
Proclaimed “America’s funniest Muslim” by CNN, Azhar Usman is grabbing the proverbial comedy bull by the horns and dancing the salsa with it. An attorney by training, Usman is a stand-up comedian who has been involved in stand-up since 2001. In 2004, Usman, Preacher Moss and Azeem Muhammad (replaced by Mohammed Amer in 2006) started the “Allah Made Me Funny” tour. Most recently, Usman has embarked on his “Citizen of the World“ tour, which has received rave reviews by media outlets such as The New York Times, CNN and ABC. Dave Chappelle of Chappelle Show fame has been quoted as saying “Azhar Usman is untouchable.” Azhar Usman’s website can be seen here, and you can see him talk more about his latest project here, and here he is as Tinku Patel. Find him on twitter @azharusman.
Aasif Mandvi
Aasif Mandvi is an Indian American comedian, writer and actor. He won an Obie Award for his one man show, Sakinah’s Kitchen. He is a regular on the television show The Daily Show with John Stewart. He has had roles in The Proposal, Die Hard With a Vengeance, and The Last Airbender amongst others. Mandvi has participated in charitable events for Pakistani earthquake relief as well as in Haiti, amongst others. His Daily Show bio is here and you can follow him on twitter @aasif.
Preacher Moss
Preacher Moss is an American stand-up comic and writer. Moss, who wrote for other Hollywood acts such as Damon Wayans and George Lopez, also wrote his own show entitled “The End Of Racism.” Post 9/11, Preacher moss tackled the topic of discrimination against Muslims with his cutting edge humor in the “Allah Made Me Funny” tour. As he told Illume magazine: “”I’ve seen all the shows about [Muslims in] sleeper cells,” … “I wanted to be able to do something that’s funny and meaningful.” Most recently, Preacher Moss performed alongside other entertainers such as Junaid Jamshed, Outlandish, Native Deen and Zain Bhika at Islamic Relief’s “Evening of Inspiration”. Check out some videos of Preacher Moss here and here. Find him on twitter @preachermoss.
Maysoon Zayid
Maysoon Zayid is an actress, comedian and activist. Hailing from New Jersey, Zayid is one of the first Muslim American female comedians and the first person to ever perform stand-up comedy in Palestine and Jordan. Most recently, she is a featured comedian on the documentary The Muslims are Coming. She is co-founder of the New York Arab American Comedy Festival and has been featured on Comedy Central and the Arabs Gone Wild comedy tour. She was also in Adam Sandler’s movie Don’t Mess With Zohan. Her website is www.maysoon.com. Find her on twitter @ maysoonzayid.
Mohammed “Mo” Amer
Mohammed “Mo” Amer is a stand-up comedian of Palestinian descent who has worked with Preacher Moss and Azhar Usman in the “Allah Made Me Funny” tour. His website is www.moamer.net and you can check him out doing some funny stuff in Stockholm here and here. Find him on Twitter @realmoamer .
Maz Jobrani
Maz Jobrani is an Iranian American comedian who has worked in film, t.v. and stand-up. He has appeared on shows such as The Colbert Report and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. He has also appeared in films such as The Interpreter and Friday After Next. In stand-up, he is part of the Axis-of-Evil group along with Aron Kader and Ahmed Ahmed, and has toured extensively. His website is here. Watch him here and here. Find him on Twitter @MazJobrani.
Ahmed Ahmed
Ahmed Ahmed is an Egyptian American actor and comedian. He has appeared on television shows such as Swingers, JAG and Punk’d. He is part of the Axis of Evil comedy tour and was featured in the PBS television documentary America at a Crossroads series in “STAND UP: Muslim American Comics Come of Age.” Watch Ahmed Ahmed work a really stiff crowd here. Find him on Twitter @ahmedcomedy .
Dean Obeidallah
Dean Obeidallah is a Palestinian-American/Italian-American comedian. He has appeared on Comedy Central and was featured on the Axis of Evil comedy show. He has been featured by many major news agencies and has been nominated for an Emmy for his work with Comedy Central. His most recent project is the documentary: The Muslims Are Coming, a documentary in which he co-stars with fellow comedian Negin Farsad. Find him on Twitter @Deanofcomedy.
Aron Kader
Aron Kader is Palestinian American comedian who has performed in the Axis of Evil comedy tour. He is featured on an up and coming documentary entitled The Muslims Are Coming, about Muslim comedians in America. Watch him talk about AlKader here. Find him on Twitter @aronkader.
Baba Ali
Baba Ali is a cofounder of UmmahFilms and a comedian. His films are popular on youtube, and he has been featured by NY Times and USA Today. He is also the featured comedian/speaker in the Ask Baba Ali series. These days he’s working on marriage. His website can be seen here. Find him on Twitter @ummahfilms.
Negin Farsad
Negin Farsad is a comedian, actress, producer and director. She co-stars with Dean Obeidallah in the new documentary entitled The Muslims Are Coming. She produced and directed Nerdcore Rising, a documentary about Nerdcore rap. She founded Qualified Productions in 2005. Her website can be seen here. Find her on Twitter @neginfarsad.
Aamer Rahman
Aamer Rahman is half of the comedy duo that comprises Fear of a Brown Planet. The young man of Bengali heritage is also a law graduate and comedian. Together with Nazeem Hussain, Fear of a Brown Planet won the best newcomer award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2008 and achieved great success with their return in Fear of a Brown Planet Returns. You can watch Aamer work his magic here and read more about him here. His website is here. Find him on Twitter @aamer_rahman.
Nazeem Hussain
Nazeem Hussain is the other half of Fear of a Brown Planet. We think he’s pretty rad too. He’s also of Sri Lankan heritage, which puts him in the company of other cool Sri Lankans like Aziz Ansari and M.I.A. His website is also here. Watch a hilarious clip of him here. Find him on Twitter @nazeem_hussain.
Said Durrah
Said Durrah is one of the coolest comedians around. Hailing from Palestinian and Jordanian heritage, Durrah gets crowds rolling with his disarmingly subtle humor. Check out how he got the crowd rolling at the Arab Comedian Big Brown Comedy Hour in 2010 here. As he told Meccastars, “I don’t curse in my shows… I perform as if my family is in front of me.” You can check out his website at http://www.saidsworld.com or his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/saidsworld. Keep your eyes peeled for Said Durrah performing at a comedy show near you soon!
Mohammad “Mo” El-Leissy
Mohammad El-Leissy was doing his thing on The Amazing Race Australia and winning over fans with his buddy, Mostafa Haroun. Of it, he said: ”We’d be role models for obesity.” ‘Eat more doughnuts – but make sure they’re halal’.” We’re not sure if he’s still doing stand-up or promoting halal donuts, but you can still laugh at his jokes here.
New Movie about Islamic Art debuts for 2012
March 26, 2012 By 2 Comments
A new documentary entitled Islamic Art, Mirror of the Invisible World will be broadcast at a date to be decided later this year on PBS (Public Broadcasting Service).
Islamic Art, Mirror of the Invisible World is the latest in a line of quality films such as Muhammad, Legacy of a Prophet and Prince Among Slaves produced by Unity Productions Foundation (UPF). According to the UPF website, the documentary “ takes audiences on an epic journey across nine countries and over 1,400 years of history. It explores themes such as the Word, Space, Ornament, Color and Water and presents the stories behind many great masterworks of Islamic Art and Architecture.”
Unity Productions Foundation film company is a non-profit organization founded in 1999 by Alex Kronemer and Michael Wolfe with the objective of creating “peace through the media.” Kronemer and Michael Wolfe produced the film with Rob Gardner as producer. It features Academy-Award winner Susan Sarandon as the narrator who guides the viewer on a journey towards understanding Islamic art, its origins, inspirations, legacy and transcendental qualities.
Film Image from Islamic Art, Mirror of the Invisible World. Photo Credit: Gardner Films
The viewing experience attempted to be provided to the audience, according to Kronemer, is one which gives justice to ”the whole breadth and depth of Islamic civilization.” As Kronemer stated in an earlier interview, ”When you take such an approach, you’re kind of reminded that the conflicts and the tensions that consume a particular time or place in history tend to be forgotten, and what remains, what endures, are the cultural productions.”
The documentary attempts to give greater awareness of the cultural contributions of an Islamic society whose image has been muddied in the West. According to Kronemer, ”Islam has become a caricature. It is a caricature of [ticked-off] people who are just angry at the West and that’s it, that’s all we need to know. But there are many different colored threads in the tapestry of Islamic identity, which Kronemer believes the film will show: “Besides the fact that there’s so much contemporary evidence to the contrary, the Islamic world is so large and so diverse, and I think that this film really shows the sensitivity and the sensuality that is a very big part of the Islamic story and serves in some ways to rebut the caricatures.”
You can see when Islamic Art, Mirror of the Invisible World will be showing by visiting the UPF website at http://www.islamicart.tv .
Liam Neeson Finds the Call to Prayer to be “The Most Beautiful, Beautiful Thing”
January 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment
While filming Taken 2, Liam Neeson reportedly became interested in Islam.
According to Neeson, who spent time filming in Istanbul:
“The Call to Prayer happens five times a day and for the first week it drives you crazy, and then it just gets into your spirit and it’s the most beautiful, beautiful thing”
He is also reported to have said:
“There are 4,000 mosques in the city. Some are just stunning and it really makes me think about becoming a Muslim.”
Neeson, who was raised Catholic and named after a local priest in Northern Ireland, has always delved deeply into matters of faith. Said Neeson:
“I was reared a Catholic, but I think every day we ask ourselves, not consciously, what are we doing on this planet? What’s it all about?” he has said. “I’m constantly reading books on God or the absence of God and atheism.”
According to UK’s Daily Mail, Neeson had caused a stir by claiming in 2010 that the lion character, Aslan, of C.S. Lewis’ story Chronicles of Narnia, was based on all spiritual leaders – including Muhammad.
Liam Neeson has starred in many movies including Star Wars: Episode I – The Phanton Menace, Michael Collins, Schindler’s List, Batman Begins, and Taken. His latest film, The Grey, was released January 27, 2011 worldwide and has received a 4 out of 5 star rating on Rotten Tomatoes.com
If Mr. Neeson does accept Islam, he will be in the ranks of other famous celebrities such as Muhammad Ali and Yusuf Islam, who was also intrigued by the sound of azhan while on vacation in Marrakech, Morocco. After being told the azhan was music for God, Islam said:
“I thought, music for God? I’d never heard that before – I’d heard of music for money, music for fame, music for personal power, but music for God!”
Since then, Yusuf Islam has contributed much in the way of religious music, charitable work and educational contributions to society. It appears as if Liam Neeson may be seeking out a similar path.
Faiz Safdar
Saleem Safdar
