3 wise guys: Muslim comics for free expression.

AuthorRampell, Ed
PositionDean Obeidallah, Maz Jobrani and Ahmed Ahmed

Muslim-American comics are busy dispelling the notion that Islam is no fun.

The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour brought a Muslim comic sensibility to a series of live shows and a 2007 Comedy Central TV special. Now the stars of that irreverent show have branched out.

The comedians--Ahmed Ahmed, Maz Jobrani, and Dean Obeidallah--are caught in the crossfire between Islamic extremists and Western rightwingers. "Yeah, it's a double-edged sword. That's why I'm bipolar," quips Ahmed.

Ahmed was born in Egypt but grew up in Riverside, California. A fixture at SoCal comedy clubs, Ahmed's credits include Iron Man and the Adam Sandler comedy You Don't Mess With the Zohan.

"In this world of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, there's no way I can please everybody, so I've got to do what I love doing: being funny," says Jobrani. "I really don't pay attention to what the extremes are saying."

Jobrani's credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm, Showtime's Shameless, and recurring roles in The Knights of Prosperity and Better Off Ted, but he may be best known for his role opposite Ice Cube as the affable owner of the Holy Moly Donut Shop in the 2002 movie Friday After Next. The "Persian Pink Panther" is currently on a standup comedy tour tied to his new book.

"It's unlike any time we ever had in America right now--worse than after 9/11," says Obeidallah. "After 9/11 people were in shock and didn't know much about Muslims, so they'd ask you lots of questions. Now, there's the drumbeat of negative images by ISIS and Al Qaeda. Then add to that professional anti-Muslim bigots, who literally make a living selling books, giving lectures, to scare you about Muslims. Then you have Republican elected officials and a few voices on the Left--Bill Maher, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris--continuing this drumbeat: 'Don't trust Muslims; they're not like us; they don't share our values.' "

Obeidallah is a standup comedian, Daily Beast writer, and Sirius XM radio show host born and raised in New Jersey. His West Bank-born father is a Palestinian who came to America in 1957, while his U.S.-born mother is of Sicilian heritage. Obeidallah appeared in and co-directed (with Max Brooks, Mel's son) the ComedyCentral. com 2007 Internet series The Watch List and is in the 2013 comedy performance film The Muslims Are Coming! He has also been a commentator on many news programs, including The Ed Show, The Situation Room, The Young Turks, and Democracy Now, as well as The View.

Obeidallah recently met...

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