Abby Johnston
The Daily Pennsylvanian

Comedy and Islamophobia: panelists Jordan Elgrably, Mike Batayeh, Mucahit Bilici, Noel Elgrably, Elham Jazab and Dr. Armat. Comedians may be more effective than politicians in addressing the tensions surrounding the current conflict in the Middle East.

Noel Elgrably, Elham Jazab and Mike Batayeh, a group of Middle Eastern comedians who call themselves the Sultans of Satire, held a panel discussion Friday, Jan. 16 on the role of comedy in alleviating Islamophobia. The University of Pennsylvania Middle East Center, Levantine Cultural Center an Kodoom Cultural Event Search Engine cosponsored the panel, followed by a live comedy performance that evening at Rosemont College's Lawrence Hall.
In the years following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Muslim comedy changed its form to address the discrimination, stereotypes and prejudices of Islamophobia since Muslim comedians have become the recipients of these negative feelings.

According to Mucahit Bilici, professor of sociology at the City University of New York and a panelist at the event, "Both fear and laughter are reactions to 'otherness.'"

Dr. Armat discussed the role of comedy in fighting Islamophobia during a panel discussion by the Sultans of Satire. For Bilici, each represents a coping mechanism with the harsh realities of prejudice.

Bilici said "groups with a sense of insecurity are the most likely to crack jokes" because in comic situations, humor can lighten tension.

For example, each of the comedians Bilici mentioned in his talk (Ahmed Ahmed, Tissa Hami, Dean Obeidallah) incorporated at least one riff on airport security, which to them epitomizes the meeting of American and Muslim mainstream cultures, into their act.

Dr. Armat, cofounder of Kodoom Cultural Event Search Engine, gave an insightful presentation that traced the development of comedy among Iranians, from its early beginnings in Iran to stand-up comedians in diaspora such as Omid Jalili, Tissa Hami, Maz Jobrani, Maz Amini and Elham Jazab.

Audience members after the Philadelphia performanceJordan Elgrably, cofounder of the Levantine Center and creator of Sultans of Satire, said that, ironically, before Sept. 11, many people of Middle Eastern descent thought of themselves primarily as American, but now their ethnic or religious identity is taking precedence. "Before 9/11, the Middle Eastern comedians we're talking about were Americans first and Arab or Iranian second. Most were born here and grew up in this country, but after 9/11 their Middle Eastern identity became more integral to their comedy."

Later that evening, Elgrably joked in his opening to the comedy performance, "We have an Armenian and a Turk in the same show," he said. "It's a little tense."

Before Sept. 11, the comedians featured in the show centered their humor less on their ethnic identities than on urban comedy. After the attacks, however, each altered his or her focus to incorporate more Arab/Islamic humor. There was also an increase of Muslim comedians in general, Bilici said.

An interfaith couple (American-Saudi) left the Sultans show still mirthful.He added that this change may be attributed both to the increase in material to work with, and the belief that the journey from fear to laughter helps breach the ethnic divide by reaffirming a common humanity. After all, according to Bilici, "Humor often stands for humanity."

In the show itself there was surprisingly little mention of the current events in the Middle East. Instead, the comedians chose to focus on the humorous aspects of their culture.

Noel Elgrably recounted how people, when they find out he's Middle Eastern, often say to him "'it must have been tough for you after 9/11.' Forget after 9/11, how about before 9/11? We were the hairiest kids on the block." 

Elham Jazab riffed on how Persian women over-indulge in plastic surgery, and distinctly dislike sex but love "the bling." She criticized American male dating gambits, mentioning how one guy asked her if she wanted to "hang out and come rock climbing." "Dude," she said, "I'm Middle Eastern. We don't climb rocks, we throw them. Don't you watch the news?"

And Mike Batayeh satirized the way Arab women give back-handed compliments and over-dramatize their grief by screaming and tearing their hair at funerals—"and they don't even like the guy in the coffin."


Sultans DC Performance Included Biracial Comedian Tehran on the Eve of Obama Inauguration

Tehran opens for the Sultans in DCFollowing their show in Philadelphia, the Sultans of Satire went on to the nation’s capital for a performance at George Washington University’s Betts Theatre on January 18. They invited Tehran Ghasri SoParvaz, who is Iranian and black, to open the show with his brand of wry comedy on the nature of being both Middle Eastern and African American. Fluent in Farsi but conversant in American hip hop culture, Tehran’s opening act couldn’t have been more apropos, considering that Obama was on everyone’s mind.

“I thought he was very comfortable on stage,” said the show’s creator, Jordan Elgrably. “I hope we see more of him on the comedy circuit.”

Indeed, Tehran is just getting his feet wet as a comedian but has already opened for more experienced comedians like K-von, Reza Peyk and Maz Jobrani. A grad student at George Mason University, Tehran is something of a figure on the DC scene and hosts his own television show, “Zendigi.”

Among the most watched Persian satellite TV shows, “Zendigi” focuses on arguments and conversations usually held privately in Persian households. The program consists of answering phone calls, Tehran’s personal rhetoric, and the occasional co-host. “Zendigi” starts with an introduction to the show, rules for those who call in, a Persian word of the week, a Persian phrase of the week, followed by a topic for discussion. As a special treat, Tehran interviews a “real” celebrity every week and talks about love, education, sex, money and more. The show manages to attract an audience consisting of both parents and kids, with discussions that builds bridges between Iranian parents—most of whom have emigrated from Iran—and first or second generation youth born abroad.

Tehran is building his comedy repertoire on his own experiences of being biracial and bicultural.

Tehran on stage at the Betts Theatre in Washington DCThe Sultans show at the Betts Theatre attracted a mixed audience of Persians, Arabs, Jews and others, most of whom clapped enthusiastically whenever Barack Obama was mentioned. Mike Batayeh, Elham Jazab and Noel Elgrably gave people plenty to laugh about. The audience responded warmly when asked if they would welcome a repeat performance of the show at a later date.

The Sultans of Satire is an interfaith comedy show that debuted in Los Angeles in 2005 and has begun to tour the U.S. to build wider name recognition, while continuing to reinforce the message that humor can narrow the gaps between cultures in conflict.

For more press coverage of the Sultans of Satire and information about upcoming shows, visit sultansofsatire.com.

Sultans on Satire : on stage after the show at the Betts Theatre, George Washington University

Comedians Enjoy Some Downtime at the New Deck Tavern in Philadelphia