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Comedians show funny side of Islam


AM - Tuesday, 21 November , 2006  08:26:00

Reporter: Conor Duffy

TONY EASTLEY: For a religion that's often accused of being humourless and extremist, a Muslim comedy show called Allah Made Me Funny might seem more like a satire than reality.

But two American comics have arrived in Australia to spread the message that Islam can produce a good laugh.

AM's Conor Duffy was at the Punchbowl Prayer Room in Western Sydney for a sneak preview of some stand-up comedy with a difference.

PREACHER MOSS: Like a brother asked me, "Are you Muslim?" I said, "Yes". He said "How long?" I said "About 20 years". He said "Do you like it?"

(sound of laughter from audience)

"Nah, I'm going to quit next week man. I can't handle it."

(sound of laughter from audience)

CONOR DUFFY: That's Preacher Moss, a comedy writer with the US show Saturday Night Live.

Preacher Moss and his friend Azhar Usman are in Australia for a Muslim world comedy tour they call Allah Made Me Funny.

PREACHER MOSS: Fantastic to be Australia, really excited. Totally different vibe over here than America.

I walk down the street in America, I get dirty looks for being a Muslim. So sometimes it's kind of nice to be hated just for being an American.

(sound of laughter from audience)

CONOR DUFFY: The laughter, though, wasn't everyone's cup of tea.

In what might be called playing to a tough crowd, a number of worshippers complained that there was no place for humour in Islam.

Azhar Usman though, told the critics there were several chapters in the Koran that showed Allah had a sense of humour.

AZHAR USMAN: And sometimes he would even laugh so loud, so hard, that his blessed molars (sound of Azhar Usman speaking in Arabic), his back teeth they could become visible.

So imagine he must be really having a hearty laugh. So someone who says laughing is laughing is haraam, joking is haraam, these people are idiots. These people are idiots.

CONOR DUFFY: They also told the congregation that the Australian Muslim community needed to engage more with mainstream Australia.

PREACHER MOSS: There has to be a progression within the Muslim community, and I mean a real progression and that progression.

And that progression is that we have to get to the mindset that Islam is not for just the Muslim, Islam like the laughter is for the betterment of the community.

CONOR DUFFY: Preacher Moss said a lot of Muslims, here and in the United States, had become paranoid that they would be spied on by security agencies since September 11.

PREACHER MOSS: Get out of this siege mentality. They're not looking at you, they got other things to do.

People in America like to make money. You can't make money, I'm gonna quit work and just follow Muslims around and see if they do bad stuff.

CONOR DUFFY: And it seemed to win the critics over, many people in the crowd telling AM they hoped humour could bridge the divide between Muslims and the wider community.

VOX POP 1: It covered a lot of misconceptions that people may have about Muslims and comedy, and I think it settled a lot of the questions that I had, and that some people may raise against this type of method that they are using.

VOX POP 2: Absolutely, I think many Muslims walk around with what we call a "chip on their shoulder", and, you know, they're very paranoid, and I think there are some good reasons for that, but we do need to calm down a little bit and realise that not everyone is out to get us.

TONY EASTLEY: A Muslim at the Punchbowl Prayer Room ending that report from Conor Duffy.