Unjust Laughter: Representations of Equity-Deserving Groups in Contemporary Iraqi Comedy
by Dr. Amir Al-Azraki, recently published online at Theatre Times.
Excerpt from the Introduction:
The ongoing unsettling shift of my identity from a “white” Iraqi back home (in Iraq) to a person of color in Canada, where I am surrounded by conversations about and personally experience racism and discrimination, has helped me reflect contrapuntally on similar issues in Iraq. Unfortunately, Iraqi society is often in denial of racism and discrimination against equity-deserving groups. When asked about these issues, Iraqis often feel uncomfortable and thus dismiss the topic by taking it lightly or responding that we (Iraqis) should address greater concerns such as poverty, corruption, safety, and security. As a theatre scholar, I have observed racism and discrimination perpetuated in Iraqi low comedies. Although it might be seen as “airing dirty laundry”, my intention in this essay is to open a conversation and spark an interest among Arab and Iraqi theatre critics and artists to raise awareness of racism and discrimination in theatre in the region.
Read the full article here.
*This story originally appeared in the Renison Newsletter.