Dubai Comedy Festival Feature: Palestinian American Comedian Amer Zahr
In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Amer Zahr, a Palestinian American comedian set to perform at the Dubai Comedy Festival on April 17, describes himself as an activist who uses comedy as his tool.
Zahr emphasizes the importance of truth in activism and comedy, stating, “People sometimes say to me, ‘Hey, I never know when you’re joking.’ I tell them, ‘Look, I’m always being serious. I’m always telling the truth.’ But a comedian uses humor to tell the truth.”
He adds, “Because if you can make someone laugh, they listen to you and they let down their guard.”
Zahr highlights the power of comedy in storytelling for Palestinians, expressing, “we Palestinians have been trying to tell our story for 75 years. And we’ve been using art, music, poetry … but for me, I found that comedy is a very effective way. So, I’m a Palestinian first who is trying to tell our stories, and comedy is my tool.”
When asked about his journey into stand-up comedy, Zahr reveals, “I got hooked to stand-up comedy while in law school. I told a couple stories about my dad, everybody laughed, and I got kind of hooked to the idea of being on a stage and being able to make people laugh and connect with people in that way.”
Zahr believes that stand-up comedy allows for a personal connection with the audience, emphasizing the importance of speaking truth to power through this art form.
Regarding his Dubai show, Zahr teases, “It’s going to be me telling the Palestinian story from before Oct. 7, and after Oct. 7, with love, laughter and the truth. And maybe during the show, I’ll make people laugh until they cry. And sometimes I’ll make them cry until they laugh.”