LONDON – Kurdish comedian Kae Kurd stood up against the Islamic State on Sunday evening in West London, with a comedy show that attracted 150 people and raised funds for refugees made homeless by ISIS.
Kurd, who hosted a night of laughter that included several comedians, said it is important to have events that include other members and communities in England, in order to present a positive image of the Kurds. The evening saw both Kurds and other nationalities enjoying the show.
“I wanted to be one of those people they could say ‘hey, he is Kurdish and he is comedian, he is famous,’” Kurd said modestly.
He confessed that the reason he got into stand-up comedy was because he wants to be a famous role model. “People didn’t know who Kurds were and would ask questions like ‘who is your main actor? Who is your football player?’ You couldn’t really name any names out."
Kurd said that the Kurdish people’s resistance against ISIS is increasingly recognized around the world.
“We are kind of the only people in the Middle East not shooting back at the West, so people sort of like us now and understand who we are,” he said. “I think, before, they just thought the Middle East was just full of people that didn’t like the West.“
A hundred tickets were sold prior to the event and all the proceeds went to the Kurdish Red Crescent (Heyva Sor A Kurdistane) to help refugees affected by the war against ISIS.
Karam Kurda, one of the organizers behind the comedy show said the event was a success, with a great range of people and ages.
“People had the chance to come laugh and raise money for a good cause, which has been a rarity in these past few months," he said.
William Jeffrey from North London said it was great to see different communities across London coming together to protest against ISIS.
“The comedians were all really good and it was great. It wasn’t just for Kurdish people. There were people from the Pakistani community, the Nigerian community and of course English people,” he said.
“I have a lot of Kurdish friends and I have always been aware of the Kurdish people, but I think before when some of my friends would introduce themselves as Kurdish they would be met with blank looks,” he added.
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