Maysoon ZayidMaysoon Zayid is a Palestinian American Muslim Comedian and Actress with cerebral palsy. Her work aims to diffuse cultural and political tension surrounding the Middle Eastern and Islamic population. Through regular guest appearances and comedy tours, Maysoon says that she performs in order “… to dispel some of the truly ridiculous myths that exist about Islam and to remind people that Arabs are still humans”.
Maysoon has pioneered as the first successful Female Muslim American Comedian to gain regular media appearances and coverage in the World. She is also the first person to ever perform stand up comedy in Palestine and Jordan. As an comedian activist, Maysoon has every reason to be proud of her accomplishments and the impact she has made on the American public audience. In reflecting on her work, Maysoon has commented that she is “.. glad to have had the chance to educate while doing what [she] love[s] most- making people laugh”. Mtv.com |
To donate to "Maysoon's Kids" and for more information on Maysoon's current projects and tour dates - please visit Maysoon.com.
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Maysoon is the co-founder and co-executive producer of the New York Arab American Comedy Festival and has been featured on MTV, Law and Order, NBC nightly news, CNN and ABC’s 20/20, As the World Turns, and Comedy Central. She also co-hosts the radio show "Fann Majnoon" with Dean Obeidallah and is a current and frequent on- air contributor to the weekly program “Countdown” with Keith Olbermann.
Maysoon Zayid is the founder of the non-profit organization “Maysoon’s Kids”- an arts and wellness program for Palestinian Refugee children who are injured, orphaned, or living with disabilities. Through the program, children are taught to use art to heal the trauma they have lived through or are currently experiencing. The program also gives many valuable resources to mothers and children in need. Maysoon’s comedy work provides eighty percent of the non-profit's funds. In addition, Maysoon is currently working on adopting a child from an orphanage in the city of Bethlehem. Once she has been successful in the process, Maysoon intends on working to help recruit additional families to adopt Palestinian refugee children. |
Comedy
The most important Muslim in Maysoon's life approves of her work
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Find out why Maysoon mentions "spitting in the face of Allah" in relation to a common stereotype.
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Maysoon cracks jokes about running through Bloomingdales screaming "Jihad!",the uni-brow and Yasser Arafat. Hilarious.
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Media Coverage
In this article by Bergen.com Maysoon comments on how Western media portrays Muslim woman as "burka-wearing-non-humans", an image she works to curb through her comedy.
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In the 2012 article "The Funny Side" by Rolling Stone Magazine, Maysoon realizes that her being a Muslim girl from Jersey who doesn't wear the veil- might not be exotic enough to to gain more publicized coverage in the American media.
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In this interview on "Uprising Radio" with Dean Obeidallah, Maysoon shares that she has been accused of committing "Taqiyya" in order to get close enough to kill non-muslims. (15:15)
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