Muslim-American Comics Skewer Misunderstanding, Discrimination
Friday, January 8, 2016
A “docu-comedy” that follows a traveling band of Muslim-American comedians as they try to dispel stereotypes will be publicly screened at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29, at Pennsylvania College of Technology's main campus in Williamsport.
“The Muslims Are Coming!” will be shown at no charge in Penn's Inn, on the second floor of the Bush Campus Center, and followed by a question-and-answer session with filmmakers Negin Farsad and Dean Obeidallah. The documentary is 83 minutes long and contains language that may be offensive to some viewers.
Farsad and Obeidallah will perform their stand-up at 7 that evening, a free public event also in Penn’s Inn. Obeidallah originally was a practicing attorney, and Farsad entered the world of comedy and filmmaking from graduate studies in public policy, later working as a senior policy adviser for the City of New York.
“Our goal is to bring people from diverse properties together to create community. You cannot create community when there is fear. This event battles fear through comedy: who doesn’t love a good laugh?” said Sara H. Ousby, the college’s director of diversity and community engagement. “We live in a community where many people may have never met a Muslim before and only know about Muslims from what they hear in the media. This film allows students to learn more about Islam from people who are members of that faith community ... and in a fun way!”
The event is sponsored in conjunction with “Muslim/American, American/Muslim,” an exhibit of black-and-white photography at The Gallery at Penn College from Jan. 14 through March 4.
For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education and workforce development, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.
“The Muslims Are Coming!” will be shown at no charge in Penn's Inn, on the second floor of the Bush Campus Center, and followed by a question-and-answer session with filmmakers Negin Farsad and Dean Obeidallah. The documentary is 83 minutes long and contains language that may be offensive to some viewers.
Farsad and Obeidallah will perform their stand-up at 7 that evening, a free public event also in Penn’s Inn. Obeidallah originally was a practicing attorney, and Farsad entered the world of comedy and filmmaking from graduate studies in public policy, later working as a senior policy adviser for the City of New York.“Our goal is to bring people from diverse properties together to create community. You cannot create community when there is fear. This event battles fear through comedy: who doesn’t love a good laugh?” said Sara H. Ousby, the college’s director of diversity and community engagement. “We live in a community where many people may have never met a Muslim before and only know about Muslims from what they hear in the media. This film allows students to learn more about Islam from people who are members of that faith community ... and in a fun way!”
The event is sponsored in conjunction with “Muslim/American, American/Muslim,” an exhibit of black-and-white photography at The Gallery at Penn College from Jan. 14 through March 4.
For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education and workforce development, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.