Transcripts For ALJAZ The Stream 20220916

This is al jazeera, these are our top stories. 7 armed raids have been carried out on banks across lebanon. On friday. Banks were closed for 3 days next week because of security concerns. Many of the raids were by people demanding their own money than a hunter, as more from bare root. At least the 7 bank, holdups today in the span of a few hours. This is one grand, a man, a depositor. His name is albert, hes inside. Currently there are negotiations with security. He is demanding 275000. 00 us dollars. Thats the amount he has in his account. He says that this is his rights. He is not robbing the bank on the country and his words, the bank has trapped his savings and he has been living in poverty since officials in ukraine are investigating what they say are. The bodies of hundreds of civilians discovered in mass graves in the recently liberated city of idiom, ukraine as blaming moscow as the bodies were found after the city was retaken from russian forces. A ceasefire between k hassan antagonist on has possibly been violated just hours after a meeting between the leaders on friday. Both countries have been accused each other of carrying out attacks along towns along that border. These 3 people have been killed. Chinese economy has reported faster than expected growth and factory output and retail sales. But economists are reluctant to call it a full recovery. King charles the 3rd is visiting wales. He now passed his farmer, former title of prince, of well to his son, william. As charles his 1st visit to well, since he became king and that says most kate, now leaving meanwhile in london, thousands of people standing in line for alice to pay their respects to Queen Elizabeth the 2nd, including well famous footballer, david beckham, who waited for more than 12 hours the queens body were lion states at westminster hole until her funeral on monday was in a major fire in a skyscraper and the southern chinese city of chang shao authorities is still trying to find out whether anyones been injured. I saw your headline say with us, the strain is max anti semitism is of evil under a labor government. It will not be tolerated in any form. What so ever beneath the surface lies a dock aside in british politics, the labor files hot one on out to sara with welcome to the stream. I much, much have a dean today. Im delighted to be talking to muhammad ahmed, a palestinian american comedian, who stars in the new head series mo, on netflix. Now, i know those of you who seen it. I have a lot of questions for mo, yourself. So here is your chance to ask him, share them with us on youtube. Ah, the new head comedy show is inspired by some of the challenges and traumas that mo, faced in his own life. He also lost his father at a young age was forced to flee to the u. S. From kuwait during the 1st gulf war and navigated the u. S. Immigration system as a refugee. The show is a critical success to say the least making waves for portraying and ordinary palestinian american family. And in doing so, humanizing them something thats never really been done before on tv. Check out this trailer. I saw the lego with your shoes on what . Come on in new york, with kato brother, let me show you. So with that crap selling merge is the only thing i could do without papers to support my family. Petro motion, my last 4 of my last coin, real practical, p r d g o, d into. If you could tell me something, what does that tend to be though . Please explain what their by that because a lot of stuff is a huge problem. There were a couple hours away, not palestine, texas israel, many is always filmed to real branding issue. Please welcome to the show from houston, texas mall. Im a co creator and star of mo, mo, thanks so much for being with us. I dont think ive ever said most so many times in my life, more money, more problems just like palestine on the show man. So great to have you with us. Thank you for having me. Really a pleasure to have to ask you just from, from, from the get go. I want to give you an opportunity for our audience who may be living under a rock. Theyve never heard of the show. They dont know you. Whats the show really about to me, it was clear, its a labor of love to say the very least. Whats it about to you . Sure. The shows about belonging. Its about what a result of statements miss a, you know, people assimilating america fish out of water or somebody whos struggling trying to fit in and take care of their family. Well, so losing themselves spiritually along the way. I mean, its very complex. Theres so many layers to it is origin story is done package as well the, you know, the mother story, the, you know, my story, my brothers, my sisters, my fathers, theres so much to talk about generational displacement. Its a lot, its, it seems like its an immigrant shell, but it really is for everyone. Anyone who has experience struggle that has gone on life, living paycheck to paycheck, trying to take care of their families, trying to live up to their expectations, their families, expectations along the way and sacrificing lat include the spiritual wellness, the mental health, their actual health, physical health so its the show is very complex and it is a comedy, you know, you start describing the chevrolet. Funny like get it is going to be very funny. It is also going to be very, very serious attacks. Very, very real, very ra, very authentic. And i think, you know, the comedy head harder because, you know, the tragedy is so strong and i dont want to get bogged down in the tragedy. But something that you said, you know, theres about a real family with real problems that have been displaced over generations. But in a lot of ways, for as much as its about palestine, its also about houston, it felt in some ways, like houston this place that you were raised essentially, you know, the big character and in the series was that intentional . Absolutely. It was intentionally completely by design, houston is the most diverse city in america, the alias, the neighborhood, the suburb of houston that we feel most of the series in is any language is spoken in that alone. Theres no zoning and use and so everybodys literally next to each other. Youll have a nice restaurant next for African Foods by next to Mexican Church next to a lot of bakery like its in that kind of town and suburbs in such a big export of music and talent lives out of megan estallion and beyond said, travis scott, robert glass for i mean before that, but be paul. Well, i think youve gone real long toby, whos blowing up by now nigeria background, my co star in the show. It just is a really unique neighborhood, something in the water year. And it really was shocking to me that never in houstons history, and they had a narrative sick filmed out of here. So it was, it was a no brainer and a deal breaker. We couldnt do it. And thats why its so beautiful, you know, for as much as its being celebrated that this is the 1st time we have the Palestinian Family, a palestinian there. Narrative in this depth. As you just said, the same could be, could be said, maybe about houston. And i think thats, that thats what makes it so probable to me. I want to share with you a video that was sent to us by fan, someone who has a lot say about what youve accomplished with the series. Take a listen. Thank you so much for representing palestinian culture and the way that you did other than something thats always seen as just struggle and hard break. I think people got to see us for who we really can be, which is just like everybody else. And i think its a branding issue, was the most genius, comedic line to summarize everything that we got your spouse indians in our struggle. But honestly, when the credits rolled at the end and every name was arab, palestinian was just there to be seen. I had never felt more proud, especially at a time when im going into the film industry, im going into the Company Industry and its people like you, its people like it people, the cast and crew that made this show come to life. How does it make you feel . Hearing the things i know grace isnt the only one thing you i mean yeah. How do you feel . Ive chose, man, i chose you know, when i 1st started stand up as a teenage kid in the mid ninetys. Yeah, yeah. I was me in the south out as a mom in texas or believe yanna arkansas or new mexico. What have you so it felt really lonely and to see the reception 1st of all across the board to be so well received and. And then its inspiring people in certain way odyssey is going to take years to truly see the impact and to really like soak it in completely. It does moment right now im just looking around like, is this real like that . Its pretty, its really so real and you have to pinch yourself, but i couldnt be more proud. And thats what i did when i was creating the show and building it out and casting michelle and writing it out. Every part of it, theres not one second of the series that is not with purpose. Like every part of it was, was well thought out. I mean, the only one of the only credits in the house to me a mom. Shes like, the peter bread is not steamy. You know. Okay, well if thats the only thing i missed, then im so grateful for that. But its, its huge. Its absolutely huge. And i just dont know what to say, im overwhelmed by it. It makes me emotional to see that because i know what it feels like to get a loan up there and not feel seen. And its just such a privilege that i, that i get to bring it to everyone. And then i thought thats really the bow, right . Its about that search for belonging, that not only wanting to be seen, but seen in the true sense of that word. You know, in your entirety and your complexity, i think, you know, a lot of people are sending us comments on youtube. But what before i get to them, i want to just ask you, i mean, you know, the portrayal of palestinians in this is, at least to me, seems deliberately not focused on the tragedy of something that i think too often with all the misrepresentation. Whether in the news or media is whats associated with that. Was that deliberate . And why was that important . If it was to you know, it was important just to focus on the characters and the story. So the story is really grounded in my dna and in my experience of coming years in the sy lee, when you get my citizenship for 20 years and what was that like . And i think that too many times youll see something thats really tragedy based, or, you know, its like a family floating to another. Can country, are they going to make it . This is really focused on the characters and what they go through. And i think it makes it way more reliable and its yes, its like, its like food, but its the difference as google, as far as bias is this. See, this is for us for everyone. You know, like it has to be completely related. Boy, the way to do that is to focus on the characters, to focus on the story and make sure that you give it time and allow it that breathing room so we can be what it is like it its, its a story by belonging and feeling like youre less than and, and you want to be equal to the person next to you. So its just really important. Just keep calling it on the characters from episode to episode and Digging Deeper and deeper into each person. Yeah. And we do get to go so deep, even though its still season one and my sense is that theres a promise of a lot more in depth to come with each character and the complexity of this world that youre and i do. Yeah, glad you were going to say i wanted to. Yeah, i want to add something just killed because i was i havent lost it and i didnt want to make a hyper political show as well. Right. So many cases you, you get lost in that in politics are deeply personal people and relate ability is everything, right . And, and so like, i love the love the character where you have a 1000 christian and you have which i was also forgotten saying, right . Which is really upsetting, really, that theres passing christians that exist and thats completely lost in the conversation. And also like these relationships exist to where they can be deeply pass about. Theres use argumentative and just like going at each other. But at the same time, when the waiter comes over, you want something to drink, hes concerned is that he would you like sugar with your coffee or each year. So to show that compassion and that relationship is also really important. Just because you have heated conversations doesnt mean you can be friends, right. And historically my mothers told me so many stories and my grandfather having friends with people across the board with christian jewish and and that, that was really important for me as well. A story about unification. Its not something thats intended to divide us. This is the opposite. Ive had enough of this division, quite frankly. I know a lot of people feel the same. So i just wasnt going to have that in the series as well. No. And i think in such polarized times, you know, coming out of the black, the black lives Matter Movement and everything thats happened the last few years in the us context with president trump. It really feels like its not a coincidence that maybe it is. But this show is coming out at this time, you know, really i cemented in black culture. And houston cemented in this solidarity that weve seen the last couple years of palestine. I, you know, i dont think things are necessarily coincidences. But for audience, who might be like one of these 2 guys talking about, lets give them a little about your pin trail of state lets, lets say 2nd generation state list. Lets take a look. See list. This is now you know, generational and theres so many different layers to immigration and different ways to get your citizenship different paths to that, whether it be through marriage, go through the sie process. And that was part of the story that i wanted to tell which is then to, to my experience. And theres much more to tell 22 years of been telling ourselves everythings going to be fine. Well, its never going to happen. Pay you a think me and your dad, so dad feeling saw the photo, it said we get a on it is oh, we carry on. I mean, kind of in the message in the show that, that really hit me when i saw that moment for so many reasons. I want to ask you off the back of that. I mean, the depiction of the u. S. Immigration system. You make a lot of social commentary in this, but the u. S. Immigration system, i, it says it says hilarious as it is heart wrenching. Im curious. I how with bad borne from your own lonely experience, navigating that well, i mean the ending of episode 7 is exactly what happened to us. Theres a lot of it, there was in the series, youll see its copy paste of experience. And of course we specialize along the way, but its a really complex one where people think did you come migrate to america . Here we go. The sy leaves or refugees are coming and, you know, just become us citizens overnight. Does that . I would take years to get a hearing, in some cases even more. And then when the time you get a grant to asylum, its 65 years to get your green card and it takes you a little 5 years before you can file your citizenship. So you can imagine, so you looking at minimum 10 plus years right before you come us. Meanwhile, youre working. You are contributing or youre paying your taxes, but you dont have any rights like everyone else does. And it puts you in a really tough situation where almost forces you to do things on the table and force you to do illegal things you dont want to do. And i think thats overall the biggest system thats going to move too slow, but it puts people in really bad situations where theyre forced to do the legal things potentially, which goes against their nature, goes against a moral character, goes against how theyre raised or the system is set up in a way to where it made it makes it easy to, to submit to those things. And you know, i dont want to keep kind of hammering the point, but for as much as this is a palestinian story, its a story about immigration, its an american story. You know, its, its so many different things. And what i think was so compelling and effective for a group of people that have been marginalized in the media and in the mainstream. Especially in hollywood, you kind of made it seem like the palestinian narrative was kind of part and parcel or like in tandem with other realities in the american experience, whether brown or black working class people. Do you attribute that to a success in the show . Is that just naturally who you are . Was it intentional . Was there a lot of strategy in how to, how to present this story . It is really natural, july and its not something that was calculated. Its just how i live my life. My friend group is a well rounded mixed group of individuals, and it was just easy to take that away. I mean, like i said, you leave in houston being one of the most diverse cities in america, in 80 languages, spoke alone, an alias. Thats how i grew up and how i was raised. And i think that anytime that people think of a particular experience, its just like caught mental lives to that ethnic group, which is wrong. Its universal. Everyone goes through the same issues and to, to, to just put it in a bucket. I dont think its fair. Its also not accurate. And if i found something in a lease where it was just arabs, thats also not accurate. Right . You know, thats not how it works here. Like you walk into a particular business thats owned by arabs. I guarantee you they speak spanish. Speaking of the language that they communicate with their community, its very much that way. And i remember those that i worked for that when i was a teenager, that you know, had a ledger for people that couldnt afford certain things. It became a community. So you come in and take care of and get whatever you need and god bless no problem. Like youre just it was that way and still that way to do that. You know, we have a lot of people on youtube asking questions and making comments. So many people reacting positively not just to the trailer but to the show motor a thing have you experienced Writers Block and how do you move past it . I mean, i can imagine youve spent what a decade writing this. Yeah, i wrote the flashback in episode 7 in december somewhere. And sometime in 2014, i think we like early december 2014. So its been a while. Its been a long time. But yeah, of course the experience was black and its not about for me the right is what i came from, you know, the emotionality like where, where do, what does this fit . Where does that go . And it wasnt about like a shortage of content because there was a lot of story to package. So it how you parse it out for it to be a well balanced season. One. So you feel connected and we gave every character and, and piece of draw more common time debris as the really hardest part of the whole thing. And if youre going through, it seems like whenever you do something so so big, you know, youre going to be challenged personally with something deeply emotional. And that to me a lot. And it was great challenges. Im grateful for them. A better for them. Hes going to work through it, you know, that i have like in the, in that was a 3 where my friends and trying to tell me i need therapy. I highly recommended we recommend you, you spell your goods out to someone that can help you navigate this crazy. Its just incredible hearing you kind of talk about that process because i rarely have seen a show that is lead, say, new or innovative in its structure. What its about that has been so well received. I mean, what is that 100 percent . I have a right here on rotten tomatoes, 100 percent. The critics ratings. I mean, ive seen it covered everywhere. I dont know. I dont know what i dont want to overstate it, but you know, is this something you would have thought of when you were doing stand up that transition from stand up to now the series, i mean, was that always when you were a kid in the back your mind like this, this feels like a common nation that could really be transformative for your career, but also for, for storytelling and palestinians. Now it was constantly on my mind to stand up is my 1st love. I have to shows tonight like im, thats going to be them for me for storytelling in general. Thats why i fell in love with stand up. Now translating that to film or television is a completely different animal. But theyre all related. And how you tell the story, how you visualize it and you put that up cinematically and how you want to display that to the world. But yeah, its always been there its, its something thats in the passion of mine. And i was never like as far as like the 100 percent around tomatoes, the audience score be 90 percent. Its its i dont know what to say. Im just so thrilled. Im so happy and also like hard work does pay off. Right. And its something that my friend told me that you know, chappelle is when hes me about this because he was like, you work so hard as i saw you when you havent stop a left at all on the field, you have to trust the work. And once he told me that it really put me at ease, im like, yeah, theres literally not one second in each episode that i took for granted. And so you have to trust a work at some point. I think people who are most nervous usually have not done all that. They could do that. I didnt feel that way and im just blessed, received that doesnt mean like it was going to receive what i definitely felt calm. Like i did everything i could like. I dont know how much i could have done, and im just blessed at such a great team around me that helping this to life and more, you know, youve inspired so many people so many storytellers. I have people stopping me being like could you tell me as if i like have a feed out to you, but its incredible. Its incredible to me that thats happened and i wonder, has this at all shifted for you . What it means to be successful . You, youve had so much success in so many different ways that feels like a new realm. What is, i mean to . Is it that 100 percent certified fresh . Its a great bonus. Its a great bonus to for that to happen. Im not going to pretend like its not, you know, well that we live it. But to me the success is when my mom is getting what have messages of the show and they dont know. Shes my mother. You know, that is that when people are to me, thats like a foreigner. Success is like when your mom is getting in. And david with whats at messages that im or sign, its really, its really a beautiful thing when people are ready. When i got a video of people changing my name in the streets, when donald was performing in, i forgot what city they were. And i think i know what city was gonna pass. I was just them changing my name. It just like people when i meet them and theyre just like in like emotional about how they feel about the show and their connection to me that is like true success. You know that to me is, is everything that went to a fight. The ortiz ortiz, m b, and the release fight, and hes a friend invited me to the match and i was the 1st time i went outside. I was kind of like having some apps to drop. It shows, feeling anxious. It was my 1st public appearance and yeah. And made connells walking up to me like one of us. Mo, you was like, this is incredible. This is a different thing. Yeah its. We struck a nerve that where people feel seen where their stories are being told in the vehicle just happens to be a Palestinian Family and may not get deeply emotional. Think about it is crazy now, and i know its a beautiful thing and its not lost on anybody i think who is understanding of the social fabric of the u. S. In this moment, after the last few years that are getting political about it, its, its, i know youre all about emotions. You, youre all about the jokes. But if you look at the comedy and your series, it all comes down to feelings and emotions. Thats what so beautiful. We have a comment from a res mccarty, video. Com and take a listen to what she said. Pillars on recently supported a study by us the annenberg inclusion initiative, which showed that muslims are most likely to be seen on screen as victims are perpetrators of balance. Meaning that were really under represented and comedy even though were hilarious thing. What i love about what most show does is not shy away from the incredibly important to address systemic issues that muslims and arabs face every day in the united states. While still acknowledging that we have marginalized people deserve for body to that, our laughter and our love, and our humanity is what allows us to survive and thrive under really difficult situations, surviving in thriving. Well, as someone who is driving a lot of people asking me, ask him about season to, is it happening and what are you excited about quickly . Well, im moving confidently like you. Well, i have not gotten confirmation yet, but waiting on the waiting on the news, but yeah, im already building it out of my mind. Its so much more storytelling. Im excited. Incredible. And just quickly before we wrap, black adam, how are you feeling about that . I mean, i forget that im a super hear a movie with a movie with the rock. Amazing. Yeah. Its incredible. What an amazing experience to work with him and the entire cast is phenomenal. Pierce brosnan, my hero. It was what a crazy time. What a blessing my taking it for granted, and its a changeable thing. And by the way, if everybodys wondering yes, im visiting my mother. This is, this is classic. Im a mom. I same thing in the background. I want to thank you for joining us on this show. I want to thank you also for inspiring so, so many people with your authentic storytelling and you know, keep it, keep it up and thanks for joining us. For those of you at home and our show for today, join us next time. Ah ah ah ah inequitable, ingenious developments in the batter, illegal deforestation. These are basically old telephone people sent to us with love and trees. They listen to the forest and we can forget anything. Were looking for like chainsaws or gunshots. And in australia, indigenous practices are being used to pipe pi with pi. If they lack of fire, like if theyre making our fire break, the, by the time. Thats why i get fear and just stop. Yeah. Innovation and tradition. I try on al jazeera, indonesia, your investment destination, the worlds 10th largest economy, is busy transforming, ready to be your Business Partner with a robust talent pool, politically and economically stable and strong policies. Being the powerhouse indonesia is confirmed by the g 20 presidency. Bringing opportunities for you in vest indonesia now. Ah, this is al jazeera ah