The Sultans of Satire comedy group performed a free show at the Grand Salon Wednesday, Oct. 15.
The show featured four female stand-up comedians of Middle-Eastern descent with varying backgrounds.
The group of comedians was invited as a part of the Leadership and Life Skills Institute’s semester-long ‘Walking in Your Shoes’ program.
‘All four of the major religions from the mid-east are represented: Muslim, Christian, Jew and Baha’i,’ said Jordan Elgrably, the artistic director of the Levantine Cultural Center which produces the Sultans of Satire. Baha’i began in 19th century in Iran and preaches the unity of the human race.
‘Doing this comedy show is one way to give another view of the Middle East,’ said Elgrably.
Each of the comics brought their unique histories and cultural backgrounds to bear on their performers.
‘No sire we are not al-Qaeda, we are Persian, al-Qaeda is Arab. We are Hezbollah,’ said Elham Jazzab on being confused with al-Qaeda.
On being a medical doctor in Turkey, ‘If you have a flute and a cobra, you’re in,’ said another comic, Gulden, a Turkish immigrant who recently gained her U.S. citizenship.
On the American Dream, Gulden joked, ‘Finally my whole family is thousands of miles away.’
‘Comedy is fun,’ said Jazzab. ‘And it’s always good to see Middle-Easterners in a good light.’
The LLSI will put on another show for the ‘Walk in Your Shoes’ program on Dec. 2, according to Hamad Jahangaard, the program coordinator for the University Student Union.
The December production is called ‘The Stories of C’eacute;sar Ch’aacute;vez’ and will feature Fred Blanco, an actor and CSUN alumni, recounting the life of the civil rights activist.
The upcoming production will also be free but tickets must be requested from the Associated Student’s ticket office.
The LLSI’s main goal is to ‘provide education enhancement to students’ other than what they would ordinarily get while in the classroom, according to Jahangaard.
Every semester the LLSI selects a new theme for their productions. The goal of ‘Walking in Your Shoes’ is to ‘look at a range of diversity issues,’ Jahangaard said.
A previous theme of the institute was wellness during which students were offered access to nutritionists and physical trainers.
The LLSI is a joint effort by the University Student Union and the Matador Involvement Center, according to Jahangaard.
The Sultans of Satire will be performing again at the Improv Comedy Club in Hollywood on Oct. 30. The show will focus on the upcoming presidential election.
