‘Allah made me a moron’

THE object of the internationally-acclaimed show Allah Made Me Funny: The Official Muslim Comedy Tour is to knock down stereotypes. In particular, Azeem, Azhar Usman and Preacher Moss, the three American Muslim comics who make up the show, try to demonstrate that Muslims are not, as many of us have good cause to believe, pathologically humourless.

Alas, their efforts have fallen flat in Scotland. We have just learned that Glasgow Caledonian University has banned a planned performance this month of the show.

Why? Because the university’s moronic Muslim Students’ Association has proved pathologically humourless, and declared the show “derogatory to Islam”. The lily-livered Caledonian, fearful of another bout of Muslim rage, promptly pulled the plug on it.

A mealy-mouthed spokeswoman for Glasgow Caledonian University – who clearly does not understand that the best way of emboldening bullies is to capitulate to them – is reported in the Scotsman as saying:

The university’s responsibility is to listen to and respect the views of all students on campus. When the Muslim Students’ Association expressed reservations about the show, it was decided the booking would not go ahead.

How pathetic!

Fozia Ali, the campaign executive with Oceanic, the company organising the show, said she and the comics were disappointed with the University’s decision.

We are shocked that the fear of a possible student backlash from select students opposed to the event has resulted in us losing the venue. It seems somewhat ridiculous in a democratic society, in the era of freedom of speech, that the objections of a few cause an educational institution such as Caledonian University to walk away from a contractual agreement.

Moss, an American comic and founder of Allah Made Me Funny, said he found the situation sad and criticised the society for not entering into dialogue. He said:

No-one from this organisation has bothered to reach out to us in a way that is mature and, more specifically, Islamically appropriate. I would challenge those particular members of this organisation to speak to us and share information or gather information about us and this tour.

Muslim students at Dundee University have proved more enlightened, and have allowed the show to be staged there on November 27.

Abdallah El-Awaisi, the president of the Dundee University Islamic Society, said:

It is one of the best shows I have seen in a long time and there is nothing in it that I have heard or seen that is offensive to the religion. It is comedy from an Islamic perspective that is not just for Muslims, but for everyone, and that’s why we are showing it as part of our Islam awareness week at the university. We want to show the comic side of Islam and show that it is not just a serious religion.