Grrrl Power in the Muslim Comic World

Gone are the days of Roseanne - the cranky housewife who rags about her no-good husband. In comes Shazia Mirza, the irreverent British Muslim female comedian.

While Shazia was born in England, her mother is Indian and her father Pakistani. Even though she was brought up in a rather conservative household, this devout Muslim is determined to dispel the myth that all Muslim women are oppressed. She knows they can have as much fun as anyone.

In early November, Shazia’s going on tour to India as part of a British Council-funded program that’s aimed at young people in India and is part of a larger program that includes music and film. It’s designed to foster greater understanding between the two countries. I’m sure her impact will go well beyond bridging two nations, being both female and Muslim performing in a socially conservative country.

Many of us have preconceptions about who Muslims are and what they are like. They wear veils, they are conservative and serious (probably because you simply can’t see them smiling underneath a veil). And, while I’ve never seen Shazia’s performance, one look at her website makes it obvious that she does dispel any ideas that you may previously hold about Muslim women.

After her tour in India, she’ll be in London at the end of November and in NYC in December.

Happy Travels