Using comedy to guide young Muslims away from extremism

 

 

By Hussein Kesvani

Buzzfeed News, 1 April 2015

LONDON – For the students at Aylwood Academy, north London, today’s assembly is more exciting than usual. “I can’t believe he’s coming here!” one pupil shouts. Meanwhile, a group of girls all donning Hijabs (headscarves) make no secret of their swooning; “He’s peng, you know” one says. It immediately results in a fit of giggling.

The assembly begins with a short presentation by a police officer, who’s highlighting the dangers of extremist views, and how to spot them – particularly on the internet.

But halfway through, a man wearing low-slung jeans, a black beanie hat and sporting a perfectly trimmed beard enters through the back door – and is immediately met by excited screams and clapping.

“What’s happenin’ guys!” the man says, in a playful south London accent. “Shall we take some selfies?”

His creation is a unique brand of situational comedy focused on the everyday problems of young British Muslims – ranging from embarrassing uncles, to week-old dhaal (lentil curry) to the troubles that come with Asian parenting.

“‘Diary of a Badman’ is about a young British Pakistani Muslim thinking he’s a gangster, but he’s not,” Arshad told BuzzFeed News.

“He’s got no girls, always gets beaten up by his mum and always finds himself getting into ridiculous situations that he somehow gets out of. But at the end of every episode, there’s always a positive message – whether that’s from the Qur’an, or just a universal lesson.”

Since the show began broadcasting from Arshad’s bedroom, it has racked up more than 62 million views and has taken Arshad all over the world.

Along with London’s Metropolitan Police, he’s spent the past month touring inner city schools. Using comedy, he’s attempting to reach out to some of the city’s most underprivileged and disaffected young people – many of whom are Muslim, and could be susceptible to extremism.

Throughout the show, Arshad pokes fun of the anti-Islamic headlines that appear on many British newspapers (one joke about an “Evil Muslim dog attacking grass” goes down particularly well). Other students are quick to remind him of his lack of a girlfriend (a constant ailment of Arshad’s character) as well as the terrible haircut he conceals under his cap.

However, his main message is to urge students to be careful about what they read and see online, particularly about Islam.

He says that despite its supporters’ claims, “ISIS and these other extremist groups – they aren’t following Islam properly. Islam teaches us to love, not to commit violent acts.”

It’s a message that the overwhelming majority of students nod their heads to – some even applaud him.

After the show, Arshad told BuzzFeed News that he uses jokes to break down barriers surrounding the issue of extremism in Muslim communities.

“What I try to do is to get the audience’s attention through comedy, and I don’t want to be preachy,” he says. “I wanted to let them enjoy it and then take away the positive message after.”

He adds that while police officers, community centres and imams have done a good job in highlighting the dangers of radicalisation, that there are still a “huge number” of Muslims who are feeling isolated by society.

It’s for that reason that Arshad believes comedy is a powerful tool to reach out to disaffected Muslim youth: “It’s one way of talking about it that works,” he insists.

“[Extremism] is a very sensitive issue and comedy breaks barriers; you’ll have fun and be more accepting about learning positive messages.”

While the Metropolitan Police declined to make an official comment to BuzzFeed News, one officer at the event said the programme was reaching out to young Muslims in a way that British authorities had been struggling with.

The officer added that while there were numerous anti-radicalisation initiatives happening across the UK, this initiative was proving so successful that the authorities are considering taking it nationwide.

“Let’s say they got an officer to come in – they wouldn’t know how to talk about Islam in a way kids could relate to,” he says.

“The kids watch my videos and get excited – so there is that relationship, that connection which allows the message to be spread more easily.”

That message seems to have resonated among most of the students Arshad has spoken to today.

While most ask questions about the show itself (especially his violent mum), some ask about his rise to fame, and how and whether they can pursue a career in industries where there are still a lack of Muslim representation.

While he admits he’s lucky to have enjoyed so much success, he encourages them to pursue creative ways to express themselves and their identities.

Of course, there are others who are more critical of Arshad. One student asks him: “You used to be funny, what happened?”

There’s a brief awkward silence.

“Well here’s the thing,” Arshad says, as he addresses the room. “Just look at the state of this boy’s hair!”

Hussein Kesvani is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in London.  Contact Hussein Kesvani atHussein.Kesvani@BuzzFeed.com (edited)

http://www.buzzfeed.com/husseinkesvani/muslim-youtuber-comedy-extremism