Mohammed Amer
Encyclopedia
Mohammed Amer is a Palestinian American
Muslim
comedian
and writer
.
, and the youngest of six children. He and his family fled his birth country of Kuwait
during the Persian Gulf War
when he was 9 years old. They emigrated to the United States
and settled in Houston, Texas
.
by impersonating family members and developed it over a few years in the comedy club
scene.
He has performed in tours in over 27 countries on five continents including Germany, Italy, Sicily, Japan, Korea and Bahrain, as well as with other Muslim comics Preacher Moss
and Azhar Usman
in the "Allah Made Me Funny
" comedy tour since 2006.
In 2004, he performed at the The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas
, Nevada
. In 2008, he performed at the Global Peace and Unity Event
at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre in London
organised by Islam Channel
.
Palestinian American
Palestinian Americans are Americans of Palestinian ancestry. It is difficult to say when the first Palestinian immigrants arrived at the United States; however, many of the first immigrants to arrive were Christians escaping persecution from the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th century...
Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
Background
Mohammed Amer is originally of Palestinian decentPalestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
, and the youngest of six children. He and his family fled his birth country of Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
during the Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
when he was 9 years old. They emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and settled in Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Career
At the age of fourteen, he participated in and had leading roles in high school theatre, and started performing stand-up comedyStand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
by impersonating family members and developed it over a few years in the comedy club
Comedy club
A comedy club is a venue, typically a nightclub, bar, or restaurant where people watch or listen to performances, including stand-up comedians, improvisational comedians, impersonators, magicians, ventriloquists and other comedy acts...
scene.
He has performed in tours in over 27 countries on five continents including Germany, Italy, Sicily, Japan, Korea and Bahrain, as well as with other Muslim comics Preacher Moss
Preacher Moss
Preacher Moss is an American comedian and writer.-Background and education:Born Bryant Moss in Washington, D.C., United States. He began practicing comedy at the age of seven, when he earned the nickname "Preacher" for his imitations of the pastor at his family's church...
and Azhar Usman
Azhar Usman
Azhar Usman is a Indian American Muslim comedian and actor born in Chicago, Illinois, United States.He is a former lecturer, community activist and lawyer and is often referred to as the 'Ayatollah of Comedy' and 'Bin Laughin'.-Background and education:...
in the "Allah Made Me Funny
Allah Made Me Funny
Allah Made Me Funny is a documentary film directed by Andrea Kalin, an independent filmmaker , and produced by . This live concert features three Muslim Americans Mohammed "Mo" Amer, Bryant "Preacher" Moss and Azhar Usman....
" comedy tour since 2006.
In 2004, he performed at the The Comedy Festival in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. In 2008, he performed at the Global Peace and Unity Event
Global Peace and Unity
The Global Peace and Unity event is an annual two-day conference held at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre in Royal Victoria Dock, London and organized by the Islam Channel. It is the largest Muslim, interfaith and multicultural event of its kind in Europe, having attracted over 55,000 visitors from...
at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
organised by Islam Channel
Islam Channel
Islam Channel is a UK-based, free-to-air, English language, Islamic-focused satellite television channel funded by advertising and donations. It was reported in 2008 that UK government research found that 97.3% of Muslims watched the channel...
.
See also
- Allah Made Me FunnyAllah Made Me FunnyAllah Made Me Funny is a documentary film directed by Andrea Kalin, an independent filmmaker , and produced by . This live concert features three Muslim Americans Mohammed "Mo" Amer, Bryant "Preacher" Moss and Azhar Usman....
- Azhar UsmanAzhar UsmanAzhar Usman is a Indian American Muslim comedian and actor born in Chicago, Illinois, United States.He is a former lecturer, community activist and lawyer and is often referred to as the 'Ayatollah of Comedy' and 'Bin Laughin'.-Background and education:...
- Preacher MossPreacher MossPreacher Moss is an American comedian and writer.-Background and education:Born Bryant Moss in Washington, D.C., United States. He began practicing comedy at the age of seven, when he earned the nickname "Preacher" for his imitations of the pastor at his family's church...
- Islamic humourIslamic humourIslamic humour is the long tradition of humour in Islam, dating as far back as the Prophet Muhammad.-Islamic restrictions on humour:In accordance with Islam, Muslims generally abide by some basic rules on making jokes, such as humour being within the limits of Islamic tolerance, and not going...
- Palestinian AmericanPalestinian AmericanPalestinian Americans are Americans of Palestinian ancestry. It is difficult to say when the first Palestinian immigrants arrived at the United States; however, many of the first immigrants to arrive were Christians escaping persecution from the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th century...
- Palestinian diasporaPalestinian diasporaPalestinian diaspora is a term used to describe Palestinians living outside of historic Palestine - an area today known as Israel and the Palestinian territories or the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip...
- List of American Muslims
- List of Palestinian Americans