Apparently There Are, er, Were Comedians in Somalia

Rob Fox12 years ago

(Alternate title: Black Comic Down)

A tragic story out of the Somalian comedy community, which until today I had thought was about as real as unicorns or the ability to get an erection underwater (you guys can’t do that either, right?). I can’t imagine that the Somalian comedy scene was exactly a vibrant one. It seems like a Somalian comedy club would be about as lively as a Death Camp talent show. Also, everyday humor in Somalia just seems depressing.

“So what’s the deal with Red Cross food, amiright?”

“Great audience tonight, great crowd. You guys like dead baby jokes? What’s that? Too many of you have had actual dead babies to consider them funny? Fair enough.”

“My wife’s always bugging me, saying ‘Why don’t we ever have company over for dinner?’ and I was all like, ‘What? Hostages don’t count?'”

But, believe it or not, there are apparently comedians in Somalia. Unfortunately after Tuesday, there’s one less.

Abdi Jeylani Malaq Marshale, in his late thirties or early forties, was killed late Tuesday, minutes after leaving Kulmiye radio station, where he worked as drama producer and performer.

…

Marshale was known for airing dramas making fun of the extremist Shebab and for participating in youth advocacy programmes aimed at preventing young Somalis from joining the insurgents.

Apparently at UCB Mogadishu they don’t teach you the number one rule of being in comedian in the Muslim world, which is of course “Don’t make fun of Islamic extremists,” if only because extremists tend to be pretty, well, extreme. Especially in Somalia. People get murdered in the freakin’ Netherlands, land of windmills and smiles, for making fun of Islam, let alone in the world’s gateway to hell.

As someone who would have been murdered roughly 473 times for jokes he’s made were that a possibility in this country, I feel for the guy. Free speech is a nice thing. Not being surrounded by terrible, horrible people is even nicer.

RIP Abdi Jeylani Malaq Marshale.

Somalia: The worst place on Earth since forever.

• [via myfoxdc.com]