My Name is Muhammed

Well, while I think it's totally ridiculous to punish her, she lives there and should understand and know their customs and beliefs.

name me one great Islamic Comedian

Look what North America has done to it's own

Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
Why the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a 'Holiday'.

Quote:

Look what North America has done to it's own

Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
Why the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a 'Holiday'.

posted for humorous counterpoint, right?

you need to post a "laugh" sign for me .
Jever hear a joke about a priest a rabbi and an Imam going into a bar? NO cause they hadda leave the Imam outside.

tinygiraffe wrote:

Quote:

Look what North America has done to it's own

Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
Why the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a 'Holiday'.

posted for humorous counterpoint, right?

I'll leave that to speculation.

name me one great Islamic Comedian

What Muslim folk laugh at, according to comedy trio
By Khaled Khalafalla
October 30, 2007 09:39am

COMEDY is the best way to make a noticeable point "without blowing up an embassy", says Australian Muhamed Elleissi, who forms part of the Melbourne Muslim comedy trio Fear Of A Brown Planet.

Also presenting the fusion between ethnicity, religion and Australia are Islamic council representative, Aamer Rahman, and Allah Made Me Funny host, Nazeem Hussain.

Naz, Momo and Aamer, sporting Aviator sunglasses, high-cut sneakers, and a green and gold cap worn at what is, in Australian standards, a fashionable angle, are the comedians set to "break down the stereo ypes that entwine Muslims with terrorists" - by making "terrorist jokes" in their live show.

Many Muslims are pushed to the fringe of society due to commonly Muslim-attributed terrorist attacks in the past six years - but these associations are easily laughed away, by jokes masses of Muslims relate to.

According to Aamer, it is common practice among Muslims to laugh off degrading labels, "we laugh at these associations, patronising the people that made them".

The 9/11 disaster butchered the concept of humour in Islam, and left the dry taste of tenacity in many Muslim's mouths, but last year's controversial Allah Made Me Funny tour, hosted by Americans Azhar Usman and Preacher Moss, rocketed Muslims around the world into the comedy scene.

Hot on the explosive comedy trail last month, Palestinian American "Mo" Aamer made over 2000 thong-wearing, beard-bearing and scarf-flaring Muslims in the Vodafone Arena rattle the room with laughter.

Ask the American comics what tickles a Muslim fancy, and they'll impersonate Muslims saying the Islamic greeting "assalaamualaikum" in different dialects, ridicule the link between terror suspects and being named Osama or Mohamed and dwell on the irony of being a pilot or biochemist while Muslim.

Boasting an abundance of facial hair, one of the Americans fuelled hordes of laughing Muslims by sharing how he is commonly perceived as a "terror suspect" in airports.

A sad reality for many Muslims fleeing war-torn countries is deportation, to which the Palestinian laughs off saying "where are they going to send us … our country doesn't exist!" - while perpetuating audience laughter.

Continuing the Muslim comedy trend for Australia, the Melbourne trio plan on joking about their families, cultures, and things that "reach out to both black and white audiences" Aamer says.

Naz says Muslims can joke about these things "because they are close to us", but as was made blatantly clear by the 2006 Danish cartoon controversy, "there's definitely a line that can't be crossed".

According to Aamer, jokes referring to Islamic practice, Muslim Prophets, "especially prophet Mohamed" and God, are a strictly "no-go zone" even for Muslims, "but offence is a personal thing, it varies between people, not religions" Momo adds.

Careful not to cross the line, Aamer says "our show could just be offensive", as they laugh off the Cronulla riots, migrant discrimination "and stuff that white people are too scared to talk about" he says.

The trio endeavour to push the boundaries of their jokes during this year's "Melbourne Fringe Festival", and agree "the show will make you laugh hysterically - then at some point cringe", Momo says.

The diversity of Australian Muslims offer different backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities. Though the boys say they can't predict everyone's reactions.

"Let's just say this isn't a show for any one in the One Nation, Liberal, or KKK parties," Aamer says.
There are, according to this year's census, a platter of over 300,000 Australian Muslims - a rapidly growing number. The divide between Australian and Muslim however, is slowly fading thanks to our Australian humour heroes.

INNOCENT AS A TEDDY BEAR

Fifty-year-old expat teacher Gillian Gibbons makes the front page of quite a few newspapers. Gibbons let children in the upmarket Sudanese class she taught decide the name of their teddy bear. When they chose Muhammad and the perceived blasphemy percolated back to their parents, Gibbons was arrested. She's still being held in a Khartoum jail where an angry mob is said to have gathered outside. If she's charged and found guilty she will be punished under Sharia law. The school is now closed and the foreign office is involved.

The Guardian reports that Gibbons "had asked a girl in the class to bring a teddy bear into school to help focus the children on learning about animals and their habitat". The children were then asked to name the bear, with eight suggestions whittled down to three and then finally Muhammad chosen. "Each weekend a different child was allowed to take the toy home and write about what they did with the bear. The diary entries were collected in a book, featuring a bear on the cover and the label 'My Name is Muhammad'. This diary is now in police hands, and the little girl who owns the teddy soon to be questioned."

A pupil who didn't wish to be named has contacted the Mail. "She's a lovely teacher and I don't think she deserves any of this because the students are the ones who chose the name, not her. The teddy bear is not a symbol of anything bad." The paper also tracks down a professor who links the teddy bear incident to British colonial rule that ended in the 50s. "There was an Islamic revolution and the British quashed it ... Sudan has a very harsh memory of British treatment." Recollection of that is the problem, he says.

The story is the Mirror's front page. The paper has sought out Muslims to comment, and the MP and minister Shahid Malik tells the paper that "as far as I am concerned this is not Islam. There was no malice intended whatsoever. It seems 100% purely innocent."

'My name is Muhammad' - school project leaves British teacher facing 40 lashes
Mirror: Beyond reason
Telegraph: Teddy bear teacher faces lashes
Mail: British teachers faces lashes over Muhammad bear