Laughter is often hailed as a powerful remedy, but for Jenan Younis, it serves as a weapon against the misconceptions and microaggressions she faces as an ethnic minority in the UK. During a comedy podcast appearance, Younis was asked to discuss the Calais Jungle and her path to British citizenship, despite her Assyrian heritage. She felt marginalized, as if her presence was merely to meet a diversity quota. As a person of Assyrian descent, a community with deep roots in ancient Mesopotamia, she aims to challenge stereotypes and discrimination through her work-in-progress comedy show, “Iraqnophobia.”
Younis’s show, which explores her mixed background and the ongoing repercussions of the Iraq war, delves into social and psychological impacts on the Iraqi diaspora and the Assyrian community. Despite tackling serious topics, she believes comedy is a universal language that can spark conversations and change perceptions. By infusing humor into her narrative, she hopes to shed light on the selective empathy and hypocrisy she observed when comparing public responses to the Ukraine war and the Iraq war.
While comedy is not Younis’s main profession (she is a part-time doctor specializing in colorectal surgery), it has become a creative outlet that allows her to express different aspects of her identity. Drawing inspiration from improv comedy shows like “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” and comedians like Omid Djalili, she found stand-up as a means to challenge stereotypes about the Middle East and escape the clinical nature of her medical career.
Younis initially faced rejection from promoters who deemed her material too niche or political. Some expected her to conform to clichés surrounding oppression or refugees. However, rather than succumbing to these expectations, Younis established Weapons of Mass Hilarity, a comedy night for Middle Eastern performers where they could showcase their talent freely. This platform breaks stereotypes and offers a more nuanced portrayal of the Middle East.
In her show, Iraqnophobia, Younis aims to engage audiences by using humor as a tool to address the fear and reluctance surrounding discussions of the Iraq war. By softening the subject matter with digestible humor and metaphor, she hopes to challenge perceptions and prompt reflection. While she recognizes the need to self-regulate her material to ensure acceptance, she also highlights the double standards within the comedy industry, where white male comedians can freely express their opinions without facing the same scrutiny.
Ultimately, Younis believes in the power of laughter to create unity and change minds, finding common ground through shared laughter. As she takes the stage at the Edinburgh Fringe, she hopes to continue using comedy as a catalyst for dialogue and understanding.
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