Axis of Evil Comedy Tour

The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour is a comedy tour featuring four Middle Eastern comedians and special guest comedians. The tour's name is derived from a speech by US President George W. Bush which designated Iraq, Iran, and North Korea as the "Axis of Evil". The tour started on 11 November 2005. The group jokes about their culture along with being Middle-Eastern in America. All of the comedians state that their lives changed considerably with 9/11, with one member, Egyptian-American Ahmed Ahmed, whose name matches the alias used by an Osama bin Laden henchman, noting that he is frequently stopped by airport immigration officials on suspicion of terrorism — including a 12-hour stint in a jail in Las Vegas. On 10 March 2007 they were given their own Comedy Central Special. The group broke up in 2011.

The group's current events sense of humor has attracted media attention. They have been interviewed by CNN, NPR, The New York Times and Time among others. They toured in several Mid-East countries with Showtime Arabia. King Abdullah II of Jordan has attended their show in Jordan and has conveyed his appreciation of their work.

The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour was founded by standup comedian Ahmed Ahmed, in order to wield jokes as weapons and combat post 9/11 prejudice in the United States. Along with Ahmed, each of the featuring comedians (Maz Jobrani and Aron Kader) had their own personal accounts of racist experiences that they have undergone within the United States, and used these stories as material for the comedy tour. Ahmed Ahmed, the Egyptian-American and founder of the group, believed that post 9/11 standup material should be tested in the Middle East before traveling anywhere else. Before the group had even been formed, Ahmed Ahmed had been hired to perform a private show in Dubai, in order to fundraise and put Palestinian kids through medical school. This led to the tour he called “The Axis of Evil Tour,” in which he featured comics Maz Jobrani, Aron Kader, and himself to travel the United States with the aim to stop stereotyping and prejudice towards Middle Easterners through a comedic approach.

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