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PRESS RELEASE:
MAKE LAUGH NOT WAR
25 Jul 2007
"MAKE LAUGH NOT WAR"
FEATURING "the Official Muslim Comedy Tour"
SA Acts – Riaad Moosa (MC), Joey Rasdien, Afzal Khan, Mo Magic
International acts (AMMF) – Azhar Usman, Preacher Moss, Mo Amer
SHOWS
31st August – Cape Town International Convention Centre
1st September – Durban International Convention Centre
3rd and 4th September – Nelson Mandela Theatre Johannesburg Civic
MAKE LAUGH NOT WAR IS AN INTERNATIONAL PEACE UNIVERSITY AND ISLAMIC RELIEF INITIATIVE AND LOOKS TO BRING THE FIRST NATIONAL MUSLIM COMEDY SHOW TO SOUTH AFRICA. TO KICKSTART THIS ENDEAVOUR WITH A BANG, THEY HAVE DECIDED TO INCLUDE AS SPECIAL GUESTS THE INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED "OFFICIAL MUSLIM COMEDY TOUR."
THE QUESTION has always been where can Muslims and non-Muslims go for social growth and entertainment by us, for us, and about us? The answer? "Make Laugh Not War: The Official Muslim Comedy Tour."
"The concept of this tour is to make a comprehensive effort to provide effective, significant, and appropriate comedy with an Islamic perspective, which is both mainstream and cross-cultural. The idea is to provide a venue whereby Muslims and non-Muslims can feel safe, relevant, and inclusive of an experience where humor is used to bridge gaps of bias, intolerance, and other social ills that are pre and post 9/11 relevant," says Preacher Moss, co-founder, and one of the featured comedians on the tour.
Preacher Moss and co-founder Azhar Usman have already made the international radar, as they will debut the tour in Toronto, Ontario from May 26 to 29, at Yuk Yuk's comedy club venue, during its first ever Muslim Comedy Festival.
"This project means people are coming out to not only be entertained, but also educated about the truths of Muslims and non-Muslims' existence in America following 9/11, but also preceding it. It involves the courage to step out of the shadows of silence, and fear and reach out and build bridges. We're building these bridges through humor, and understanding to make that journey a little easier for all of us," explains Moss.
Reflecting the diversity of the Islamic religion, as well as the diversity of this country, Azhar Usman, Preacher Moss, and Azeem Muhammad, a rising comedy star, have put down ego and pride to show the world a cooperation rarely seen in comedy. Through their commitment, they've brokered "a project built not on competition, but a coalition."
Says Moss, "We have a community tour designed to see not only the Muslim community grow, and be self-actualized, but to see the world community attain the same goals. This is done through dialogue, understanding … and humor as the glue that heals us all.
MOHAMMED AMER
Mohammed Amer is a forthcoming brilliant personality in the world of Muslim Comedy. Originally a Palestinian, Mohammed fled his birth country of Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War while he was 9 years old. His family eventually settled in Houston, Texas. Mohammad's family was persuaded that he was going to become a Doctor; however destiny had a different plan. Mohammed had a comical side which started out by impersonating family members and developed it over a few short years to become the youngest comedian on the Muslim Comedy Tour; Allah Made Me Funny.
Mohammed developed his talent in the comedy club scene. In just a few short years, he was performing in USO tours in Germany, Italy, Sicily, Japan, Korea and Bahrain. Upon returning, he was selected to perform at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival in 2004, alongside great stars as Wayne Newton and The Smothers Brothers. Soon afterwards, Mohammed toured with the world-famous nasheed pop singer Sami Yusuf. The audience treasured his sharp-witted comedy, which appealed to a broad international spectrum.
Mohammed Amer not only continuously performs at comedy clubs, but also is the newest member of "Allah Made Me Funny", the official Muslim comedy tour. Mo, as he is sometimes called, has delivered his hilarious, energetic routine for the various audiences including ISNA National Conference in Chicago, Illinois which was attended by over 10,000 individuals.
Mohammed is proud to work with this group of bright Muslim comedians which enables him to successfully reach out and bridge a gap of uncertainties that has eluded others.
His youthful looks and fresh voice with a wise perspective brings a comedic art form to today's communities at a time when hearts need to be lifted and enlightened.
AZHAR USMAN
Azhar Usman is a standup comedian, lecturer, and community activist. Azhar was born and raised in Chicago, though his parents are originally from India. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Minnesota Law School. Azhar has been performing standup comedy since early 2001. He has performed standup in many major cities around the country, as well as in the United Kingdom.
Azhar has been interviewed many times on the radio and television regarding his comedy, and he has been featured in several major publications around the world, including The New York Times, Washington Post, MSNBC.com, BBC, The Daily Telegraph of London, Sydney Morning Herald of Australia, Al-Ahram Weekly of Egypt, DAWN Online of Pakistan, India Abroad, and many more. In fact, he was featured on the March/April 2003 cover of The Door Magazine—a religious satire magazine based in Texas—which featured legendary comedian Woody Allen on its cover in December 1974. He's been called the Ayatollah of Comedy, and lately people have been calling him Bin Laughin. Whether the audience is Muslim or not, young or old, serious or laid back, Azhar Usman's standup comedy is sure to please.
PREACHER MOSS
Preacher Moss is clearly the new prototype for the comedian of these times, and the times to come. As a writer for Damon Wayans, and Saturday Night Live, his comedy stylings are distinguished for being sculptured out of the everyday relevance of life, and the rare glimpses of truth we value as reality. He is intellectual, yet humble. He is charismatic, and dynamic, but yet he does not have to demand great attention, or time because his audiences come to cooperatively listen, laugh, and in "special" moments reflect.
Truly this is a rare combination. He is, far and away, more than a comedian, but prides himself on being just a man. Viewed, respected, and revered as a man of the people, HIS WORDS CARRY LIFE, and just as important, they carry LAUGHTER.
Besides Damon Wayans, Preach has served as a comedy writer for such comedians as Darrell Hammond of Saturday Night Live and George Lopez of The George Lopez Show, having toured with Lopez for several years during his rise to standup stardom. For the past few years, Preach has been touring the national college and high school lecture circuit performing his own unique brand of humor in a lecture and comedy presentation known as "End of Racism," which tackles such timely and sensitive issues as racism, multiculturalism in post 9/11 America, and critical race theory. So insightful is his comedy in fact that it recently led The Seattle Times to ask if Preacher Moss is "A New Dick Gregory?"
Hands down, he is the funniest "poor righteous teacher" in the business today. He teaches without having to teach. He reaches the souls of his audience without ever having to touch. His revealed ideas are UNSELFISH TRUTHS, and the result is a recipe for LAUGHTER, sprinkled with universal understanding. The world is his domain which he simply chooses to share with his audiences. When Moss takes the stage, the people simply understand that indeed they are in a rare situation, where special things happen.
Preacher Moss' background has been rooted in years of service to the community. A teacher of the Emotionally Disturbed for over eight years, Moss' outlook simply personifies that of a person who reaches out because he believes that we are truly one community. A "social services warrior," his style of living, and comedy is reminiscent of the on-going struggle we all endure to simply be human.
DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS TOUR 31 AUGUST CAPE TOWN, 1 SEPTEMBER DURBAN AND 3 & 4 SEPTEMBER, NELSON MANDELA THEATRE AT THE JOHANNESBURG CIVIC THEATRE.
Tickets available at Computicket from R120, excluding Computicket service charges- www.computicket.com or call them on 083 915 8000.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Kim Mari
King Size Comedy Management
011 4821453
0824628739
