Star and creator of Hulu comedy series Ramy, Ramy Youssef, was probably the first person to say "Allahu Akbar" while accepting a Golden Globe award. As a comedian, he’s allowed to ‘get away with it’.
Which is sad, really, considering all those words mean is God is Great —- a harmless, oft-abused expression that, unfortunately, seems to be associated in the public imagination with terrorists ... who blaspheme when they say it, following their unholy acts.
It’s important to take the time to point this out, as Western media has broadcast that phrase over and over in a manner which makes people cringe when they hear it.
For more context, here’s an excerpt from the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (‘hadith’) about the value of giving thanks, in Islam:
Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah)’ fills the scales & ‘subhan-Allah (how far is Allah from every imperfection) & ‘Al-hamdulillah (praise be to Allah)’ fill that which is between heaven & earth...
Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin.”
Let’s hope this win and Ramy’s self-deprecating acceptance speech opens the door for more nuance and understanding of different cultures and faiths.
In the words of Ramy, “so there’s not just one show for one group. It’s about the type of stories and how they’re told."
Congratulations, too, are due to another Egyptian, Arab-American, my good friend and prolific, Oscar-nominated director, Jehane Noujaim (co-director of “The Great Hack”) who exec produced this show and directed the last episode!
