And i really could be what does it mean to be an arab american today comedian remy yousif joins the string to discuss his new food and series about family and identity and will be sharing your comments and questions with rami so tweet us or leave a comment in our live you tube chat and you too could be in the stream. That has a growing cultural shift in America Muslim identity being forged by a millennial these 1st generation twentys and thirtys muslims grew up in the wake of the september 11th twin towers attacks feeling as if their entire identity focused on being good muslims so comedian rami yousef explores this how a dime and his new streaming t. V. Show rami have a look. I want to know who i am i want to explore. Like a kid to throw down the government to get evolution and know that. Im doing them i look in my parents how strong they are and how they just know everythings going to be ok because they have god. And yeah i have sex even though im not married. So what that means im not a good muslim. Im just trying to be. He weighed in on the right to run he says hes watching himself on the t. V. Screen and he is live here on the street what were you thinking as you and looking at yourselves are going to edit the last part of. The line and there is absolutely no pressure thats what i was very. Happy he would have so much to talk about but he he and so i want to die right and because of course this premiered last week this is on friday and so over the weekend lots of people binge to watch and then they tweet us they let us know what they think about it i want to start here on twitter this is no for america who writes more people than not never met a muslim or thought that they never met a muslim in real life romney is one brick to consolidate the gap of Public Knowledge of who muslims are and what it is in america so is this think way of putting it there but theres someone else who sent us a video comment who has a little bit more enthusiasm for this series this is marion musri she is a Nurse Practitioner in new york and heres what she thinks of the series. Oh my god were listen. I cant believe this isnt mainstream the for once. I found the writing like simple but it was so funny it was captivating there were so many underlined scenes. And times it was ranchi but he needed this for the 1st time where somebody from our community is teaching our narrative and just putting it out there i know its not really controversial between my friends and i absolutely love to be noticed and hopefully theres another season and maybe in the future theres going to be in. A Muslim American version using a female as the main character give you some ideas there but she talks about people debating this and thats been happening to talk to us about the genesis behind this series and its not something that you wanted that debate to start happening yeah this is not feel good t. V. I think its feeling t. V. I think its about discussing feelings thats thats all that i set out to do with this these arent facts this isnt how to this isnt anything other than a look at this very specific type of family and i think the debate is really exciting and i think the conversation is really cool its i love hearing it and ive been scrolling and seeing means and. And i send them the my for. You already. And then i was looking for twitter to see if romney has. Several of those it is like a week how can you have not even a week. I think one of the reasons why the series is so different is because it tackles head on to booze right you can do you thin to them thats my soul to me that has received them those anti semitism why did you feel its important to put all of that into something that is a drama but also a comedy i think its important to see a reflection of the real world accurately i think that certain choices. We have an uncle character who encompasses a lot of the things that you just brought up and it was really important for me to establish him early on in a t. V. Show because television is about planting seeds of characters and certain things that youre going to see grow and youre going to see how we deal with them we dont deal with them right away because weve paced this show i think in a way thats a little more real the real life usually you kind of hear that uncle say things for years and years and years and then one day youre like all right we got to talk about this and seeing it was really important i mean this is a show that in 10 episodes i think we have one conversation about trump this is not about being defined in the shadow of him but we do have been going to see it you know every family has this type of person that is trump i mean when we talk about the egyptian revolution and the change or maybe what people feel like is a lack there of change afterwards i remember reading a quote that said yeah we brought down a dictatorship but that way of thinking that dictatorship is in every household we have to talk about it within our families so its really important to see that up top what kind of thing would say. What kind of thing would just give a sense of the idea that he is he feels like a kite to from 1976 columns in the us but hes actually acting and reacting in 21919. A sense of the way that he thinks will sees the world well i think its very limited and hes someone who blames his problems on a lot of different people and has a limited scope but i wouldnt put him in the 1970 s. Caricature bucket i think lot of families and i think if hes in some arab family saying these things hes also ive had jewish friends be like i have an uncle who blames everything on muslims and i know other people who are like no i have an uncle who blames everything on black people and how we see all of this and. Its the characters algebraic you know you could swap out what hes saying and put it in for somebody else so i think everyone watching this show sees their family and i do think that arabs watching the show maybe will have a hypersensitivity because were living in a time where it is being called certain things just because she criticize the government and so were kind of lumped into this idea and i respect that sensitivity but i think the you know were out weighing those risks by showing this character and introducing him in a way where we can hopefully deal with him in the context of the show. Is a congresswoman in the United States getting a lot of attention because shes a muslim and very outspoken so one of the tweets here is picking up on what you were just saying about having these conversations that are often uncomfortable so. What is the most difficult thing about bringing this script to life and were you nervous about the way that your presentation of muslims would be received by muslims because of course you spent any time in this community do you know that it will have a lot say about the way that dirty laundry is aired. Of course those who are love this community dont want to seem like no qualms about what i was doing i put a lot of thought into it but d ultimately you know i realized i just had to make a story that was something that i. Want to watch in a way that i think things can be dealt with and so its just my approach thats why i called the show rami and i have never tried to make it seem broader in any way than that. But i think if you operate from what the Arab Muslim Community and the wider Muslim Community thinks and wants i think as an artist you get handicapped in making the thing that you want to make you know you get thrown off of you know your goals because we have such little representation thats true but if you operate from that scarcity theres no way to expand and so theres no way to make anything i have a picture of your little t. V. Fadi you know romney has sons family. And a lot of people. Reacting to the family goes beyond being a muslim icon a muslim. Family dramas going out to 18 mommies know being paid attention to daddys what you call all that kind of stuff you know you build that into it as well that this multiple things that youre trying to do and. The whole show really i base a lot of the approach off my stand up so my stand up is not me getting up there saying hey im a good guy im a cool guy a lovable. Wow who wouldve thought im not really interested in that for me its about interrogating myself and my intentions and its about trying to imagine what i think is the higher version of myself which is a version that thats why i am drawn to being muslim that is that is why that is a huge part of my identity im trying to get that out of myself and so this family is built around that interrogation theyre interrogating one another theyre interrogating rummy theyre also looking at each other its introspective by design and when youre doing that you want to lead with conflict and problems that are grounded in reality so its none of this is about being sensational but its about getting to the core of our intentions in an honest way its about trying to live in the truth. And interrogation and any form is always kind of a messy process is actually when you are as you mentioned this is a story about one person and that one persons family and yet other people will see themselves and so take a look at this this is a little bit of criticism this is on twitter who said im just waiting for a day but a muslim show isnt about someone struggling to hold on to yes the struggles exist in our community but its now radicalizing the quote unquote practicing muslims in the eyes of the non muslims and its normalizing the sins to the actual muslims so thats thats one take on it and heres another one this is. Based on that 1st take of course you know where it just so that we dont lump things up. Its an interesting point i think that theres a lot of guilt in this show so i dont really see a lot happening in this show were openly promoting and being like that was the right choice by design romney is a really flawed character i mean arguably he might not even be your favorite likable character like hes messing up every you know every step he takes and i dont feel like this is a promotion of sins if anything the idea of being on the Straight Path is glorified religion is not even questioned or vilified in the way that it is in a lot of other art and its also interesting when people say im waiting for the day when we have a show as if theres this like bank of shows but sometimes people are like why does every show and im like what shows like what movies like we have 10 do we have 10 in contemporary and i think thats you must account to them how many would you count i dont i dont know i i dont think its 10 maybe 10 and so i dont like if were talking lets say even in a glorious version there are 10 things that is such a small amount of media to represent this many people so the nature of the comment confuses me so im glad that you yes when you did because this is the head of the flipside of that yet is someone whos. It was that muslims in my cohort are not ready to face the fact that muslims do sin and they grapple with their identity especially if they are 1st generation only difference is its on t. V. Its not a rejection of the dean or the religion and its not an attempt to assimilate with hollywood. That is how i feel this is not about assimilation i dont think theres a lot of sex in this show i do not think that any moment i have equated sexual freedom with freedom you know that this is something that doesnt bring you know these characters arent like having sex and saying wow i did it you know this is the truth i think the theres a lot of dissatisfaction because i think thats real life so i dont think that were putting anything up and saying this is the answer im only interested in asking questions and thats the only thing thats exciting to me i like that because there is one of the scenes for our audience that have seen this they will understand the scene but ill explain it for those who have it where your character goes into a liquor store and feels conflicted about buying alcohol for a friend and then feels judged you feel guilty because then selling it to you is also muslim but if you know the religion you know the faith youre not supposed to be selling it either and so your character feels guilty for buying it but the man is selling it and i just remember that some take for years and i got paid if youre going to thought about it and its so funny about it later to the community and then also what spoke to me and. Im resisting telling you because i want you to go what just on the view in the States Romney t. V. Romney says i was so happy before i had said yes yes he was so happy like he didnt question everything it was but. Rainbows and that he had sex and many well thats one of the most i think one of the most genuine moments will really get to the core of like whats in his heart is that he feels a little plagued by whats going to lead also a major player and hes got k. I mean you know its something that you know that scene in the mosque a lot. The scenes in the mosque are really important because you know to me i feel like i was that was the character that when he has a problem he goes to pray yeah you know when he died trying to figure his life out he uses that as an outlet i mean this is this is a real connection that he feels to you i also enjoy in rami in the 10 episodes the women are very important what happens to the women and how they are grappling with what is happening with their family and also what is happening with their faith for life so you know the important you know this have a look at dina dina is romneys sister in this series shes paid by may. Exactly as she gets frustrated that their parents treat have differently than her brother have them. Where the kids like you. Im going to be tough if you are going to go. At least pick somebody you know with you and youll be hungry later fell out was filled with sugar. Yes thats not true sonny for me as on it you know the kids are in my purse near the. Ok im going to fatness tonight. Theyre going to know this is the 2nd time this week im 25 years old why is there a limit does anyone even care where romney goes you guys never ask him where he is he just told me hes going out there for this so he literally gave you know information youre going to go well we love you have what time youre getting back. On leaving. Early you know. Dont be late. Rami i noticed that a lot of the episodes that had. Focus on the women titus was actually i directed by women on written by winning did you just say ok ok to take this one the way i want it to be feel genuine experience and not from my yeah i mean absolutely i think is really important i mean we. As a producing team i mean this is my friends and you know were men. In our hiring process every hire we made was a woman and thats not even on some you know needing to check a box it was really no we want to expand we want to tell stories i mean we in 10 episodes 1st season which is not a lot of real estate dedicated to full episodes to 2 types of women right so theres these are only 2 certain types so were not were not covering any everything we can but it was really important to me and thats the kind of thing where you have a show called rami and you go to a network and say yeah im not going to be in 2 episodes at 1st is the complete i roll and then it became clear that it was the best thing for the show. Because were talking about women theres like a few takes on their depiction and then here says one of the 1st episodes of rummy on hulu his 1st intentional date with a muslim woman was how larry yes the scene highlighted aside im a lineal 1st generation of women thats rarely shown women can have control of their sexuality and still embody traditional and Cultural Values so thats a slight teaser for our audience that hasnt seen it but another take this is mariam and she says it made me super uncomfortable that romney doesnt have a single healthy friendship with any muslim women and she takes a little dig here she says to be honest i wouldnt be surprised if that was the actor ramis in real Life Experience but it would have been nice to see something aspirational in there so i dont think she actually knows you but romney take take this on she said shes disappointed in that yeah i mean i think that you know theres again theres 10 episodes so were kind of taking a look at what we can handle and what we can take so d i was really interested in seeing genuine. Kind of love between men who are friends i think the narrative often between guys is bro do whatever you can do not get married its the complete opposite in this show i mean you have friends who are trying to do see the best for their buddy and so in an era of like toxic masculinity i really wanted to highlight men trying to take care of each other and what i believe all his really shined theyre trying to get yeah they want the best for him and i believe all his romantic relationships are in my mind healthy explorations that bring up thoughtful points so in terms of you know having friend who is platonic in the show i would love to see that and we have 10 episodes and i said 3 of them im not even and just because you dont see it you know you also you know dont really see me use the bathroom much in the show but i do you see i really do see all of elements in which you can speak sort of the reason that you are trying to portray this most t. V. Shows dont go into that. And i would just. Use the bathroom toys in the show and i swear i use it much more. Just because its not happening and i think you know i get the. You know theres a little bit of like resentment behind that statement i understand i mean this is were in a male dominated media i cant help that that i am a man and im in this situation of being a man comes with it but. Not i dont not saying like im not saying that like oh woe is me you know i get it i and thats why all our hires have been the way that they have i am so excited for any privilege i see for pam and not just is just it is what it is and so when people i want to do you know. I would love to get a 2nd season and make that show or support that show in any way that i can. Divest. So many one just family and to be as an american so youve got that. Just seeing their lies but also divests in the way that the show was cost. To cross the border let me give you a little clip here this was shot by you rami but also 2 of the characters about me the t. V. Character and steve romneys t. V. Friend it gets complicated in a moment but lets stop here i always appreciate the diverse perspective you 2 brought to this company rami with the mediterranean flavor and steve every day you reminded me that things could be so much worse thank you guys. So that made me laugh a lot but also the character of steve is paid by in that cold steve way who in real life theres a connection but let me go to my back i dont want you i wonder if they saw you on instagram this morning they took a screengrab so heres more for america who says one of romneys episodes is about helping his friend steve who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy go on a date probably posted this photo on instagram are they friends in real life if yes for how long have they beat this is a picture of us in high school 10 years ago. We graduated in yeah like a month or 2 from now in 2010 years ago. And you challenge right that youre telling me i may have known each other since we were like 8 or 9 so i guess ive known him for like 20 years. And hes been just a huge part of my life and someone that i always knew was really funny in a really talented comedian that can barely get on stage because of accessibility issues so his access to a career path 1st as mine is like so much more limited and the opportunity to spotlight him on the show is really exciting ive been talking about t. V. Romney and romney hes sitting right in front of us theres a beautiful picture here that i love which is the at who plays i think hes a lighter who plays you as a young. Man you directing in that episode and thats the question about whether how much of romney in the t. V. Series is you and how much is your life and how much is your imagination if its from a conversation today you know its a bit of. A skewed reality so in real life i think my family when they watch this show i think they feel of a separation because theyre like ok thats not us i tried to imagine a family that was a little less communicative than my own and i also tried to imagine my life if i wasnt a writer and calm. And all these things where i have a Creative Outlet like what would it look like if i was more stuck or to look like if i was more aimless and how would it feel to be in a slightly different type of family but still have a lot of the feelings that i do and so its traumatized for that child so a lot of the dynamics between stephen even me and me and me and david plays ahmed are rooted in our real life energy but you know where we take it again is to feed and to grow that interrogation which is to keep this introspective as possible that its i want to i want to play video comment we got from someone who wrote this piece because look at the headline who has to rethink the theories are all me is the show i wish id had growing up as a Muslim American and so the person behind that thing to us this comment can take a look at this this is simian about the news that fast Company Still around hes the fiction of 1st generation every american. Will be screaming its the mainstream a generation that hasnt been able to wanted to really explore their identity or vulnerability on screen and is willing to do the work of that scene difficult questions of the culture itself sprout in moments slows contradictions seeking sex a human. So humanizing that experience another person here on you tube this is how the air says i hope the theories can definitely provide a look into the social pressures and cultural stigma that 1st generation people and immigrants grow through which i think our audience is saying you have done so in getting this it made what was the biggest challenge there. I think you know were in a spot where hollywood is actually finally kind of coming around to being excited about these stories. Its why when people like there should be a version of the show with a woman that im very sure that that will happen and im excited for that to happen because i think theres an eagerness that i would say the part that actually is a little bit more difficult to get in is the faith stuff and that is the stuff that i really you know fought for and feel really happy with how we got in there robert im just going to entail a tweet that you shadow my show romney is now streaming on and this is how i feel can you say that woods what is that feeling right there. I dont know i can say the word thats why i share the picture of the its like my this and im proud no i dont. Its just thats the vibe and so thats the its great having you here on the thank you so much for the help and you believe that how many people were reacting online if they havent watched it i think everyone will want to write a show you can see romney in the us trading on the new right now until next time to you on line thanks so much. We look ahead to major stories of 2020 from around the world. Through a series of Intense Special reports. Joining us as we assess the Global Impact of what is to come next. The pollution is palpable. Delis shares the symptoms of many modern metropolis but its unique features have been gotten a crisis. People in power investigates the toxic mix feeding the citys invisible killer and asks why more is not being done to relieve its citizens delis deadly aired on aljazeera. From sunrise to sunset across asia. And the pacific explore untold fascinating stories one on ones on aljazeera. Aljazeera. Where ever you. Hello im Lauren Taylor in london the top stories on our zerah iraqs caretaker Prime Minister describes u. S. Astronauts in his country and syria as unacceptable and vicious the strikes targeted 3 camps of an iranian backed group in iraq and 2 in syria killing at least 28. 00 fighters similar foton reports. An unprecedented confrontation between the u. S. And iran on iraqi soil for the 1st time u. S. Airstrikes targeting bases of an iranian backed armed group killing and injuring dozens the operation in response to
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