‘Comedian’ Bill Maher Compares Singer Zayn Malik to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

[alp227]

HBO personality and comedian Bill Maher is facing backlash after comparing former One Direction boy bander Zayn Malik to Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on his show last night.



Maher joked about Malik, who was born in England and was raised Muslim, saying “Just tell me two things Zayn: Which one in the band were you, and where were you during the Boston Marathon?”

full: http://www.bdcwire.com/bill-maher-zayn-malik/

Sorry. There's no denying anymore that Bill Maher is an Islamophobic bigot. The protesters at Berkeley warned ya.

[lame54]

1. I think I can explain this...

It's called a fucking joke

[alp227]

3. No it's not. It's bigotry.

No better than Rush Limbaugh's remark, "Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?"

[melman]

23. Did you miss the controversy when that photo of Tsnaraev was on the cover of RS?

Have you seen the Free Dzhokar fan sites that post stuff like this?






It's the same kind of stuff 1D fans post on their Tumblrs. That's the joke.

[Alittleliberal]

29. You missed the point of the joke.

The joke wasn't aimed at Zane or Muslims. It was aimed at the people who have the reaction that all muslims who look similar are the same. How did you miss that?

[alp227]

31. How so? See, the casual viewer will miss the point.

Colbert at least knew how to pull of the "parody the nuts" act enough for eden the casual, unfamiliar viewer to get. Given Maher's history of literal bigotry against middle easterners I'd be inclined to think this joke has a bigoted dog whistle.

[snooper2]

39. When Maher gives people a sad I know he is doing a good job LOL

[JonLP24]

5. Jokes can be offensive

I remember when someone with Korean descent was at the receiving end of a lot of jokes after the Virginia Tech shooting.

Plus, he is such an ignorant fool on the matters of Islam it isn't even funny.

[Orrex]

24. If Limbaugh had made the comparison, would you find it as amusing?

Maher is first and foremost an asshole.

The fact that he seems to target right-leaning assholes more than left-leaning assholes is secondary.

[DeadLetterOffice]

26. Yup, THAT.

[samsingh]

30. that is a bad joke

[BlueJazz]

2. Probably written by his writers. Doesn't bother me but your mileage may vary.

[underpants]

4. Going to see Maher in concert in August

Very surprise birthday gift from my wife

[hifiguy]

6. The physical resemblance is there.

This is called a "joke." Good thing you never heard George Carlin or Lenny Bruce.

[JonLP24]

7. The story your story links to is quite sad

One Direction’s Zayn Malik tweeted #FreePalestine. Some people responded by making death threats.

The message, which has been retweeted nearly 150,000 times, prompted some people to threaten Malik’s life — or, at least, to encourage the British singer to kill himself, The Independent noted:

It soon became apparent that not everyone agreed with his opinion on the emotionally charged conflict, that has seen over 1,000 Palestinians perish in Gaza and 43 Israelis killed. “U have fans in #Israel. It broke me that one of my idols wand me to die @benwinstone @harry_styles @onedirection [sic],” one of the lighter tweets at him read.

https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=&w=1484

A small sampling of the heavier tweets directed at Malik, who, it should be noted, was raised a Muslim: Malik’s tweet was just the latest example of celebrities picking sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — and facing an immediate backlash for having spoken out. Two weeks ago, Rihanna deleted a “#FreePalestine” tweet less than 10 tense minutes after it appeared and followed up with a message that read: “Let’s pray for peace and a swift end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict! Is there any hope?”

<snip>

Earlier this month, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder unleashed an anti-war rant that the Jerusalem Post labeled an “anti-Israel diatribe.” Vedder has tried to clarify his comments online and onstage.

NBA star Dwight Howard also insta-deleted a #FreePalestine tweet, saying it was “a mistake.” He added: “I have never commented on international politics and never will.”

<snip>

Malik previously said in an interview that “I believe that your religion should be between you and whoever your belief is in. I don’t think you should stick it in people’s faces. I think you should just keep it to yourself and that’s how I’ve always been with it.”

Of anti-Muslim messages he was receiving, Malik added: “I thought we had moved away from that and we’re living in the 21st century and people could accept people from different religions.”

In 2013, according to the Mirror, Malik was the subject of “a vile song” — “Zayn Did 9/11″ — that blamed him for the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2014/07/28/one-directions-zayn-malik-tweeted-freepalestine-some-people-responded-by-making-death-threats/

[closeupready]

8. No question Maher is Islamophobic, so this is consistent with many

of his prior turns of phrase showing same.

That said, Maher is ugly, he's in showbiz, and is completely irrelevant to my life. I will not watch any of his programs, nor any program on which he's appearing. If someone wants to waste their money and time worshiping him, hey, whatever.

[Ms. Yertle]

9. I don't know who Zayn Malik is

and wouldn't know that he is Muslim. I saw that graphic and thought it was a joke about the fact that the two look very much alike.

(Of course, I'm getting to the age where everyone under 30 looks alike to me.

[LeftInTX]

12. Zayn is from the boy band One Direction

Zayn is hot. If Dzhokhar wasn't a terrorist, he would also be hot.

?itok=WH9eTurG

[Ms. Yertle]

27. So truuuuuuuuuuuuuuue!!!!

(Terrorist or not, Dzhokhar is still hot. Just wish he'd made better decisions.)

[LeftInTX]

36. I had to "unhot" Dzhokhar in my mind

I can't help but wonder how he appears in court. Does he have scars on his face? Has he gained weight? Is he sitting there with bedroom eyes? Etc etc etc

I haven't seen any photos of him entering and leaving court.

[msanthrope]

40. The hottest member of One Direction, according to my 12. year old. nt

[tracks29]

10. I know the PC police are out of control but really?

This is offensive?

[alp227]

13. do i really need to EXPLAIN this shit?

Rush Limbaugh once said, "Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?" Like Maher's statement, it's bigotry: using Zayn Malik's religion to dehumanize Malik.

[alphafemale]

17. Except all composite photos of criminals do not look like Jesse Jackson

The two in the Maher joke do look alike.

Had no idea the boy band guy was also a Muslim.

And they do not look alike in any kind of stereotypical Muslim way.

They look alike in a stereotypical, boy band way.

[JonLP24]

19. The only reason he made the joke was to make the comparison

New rule Zayn Malik can leave One Direction for all care, (sarcasm), but I have a question, which one of the photo is you.

During this he has the caption "Silly Zayn". I don't understand why leaving One Direction would be silly or why it would be worth mentioning but I can't help but notice that Bill Maher knows so much that I doubt he'd be oblivious to the connection. The two photos aren't all that similar (bigger nose & eyes, hairstyle isn't similar) plus given Maher's history & the actual joke the joke wasn't the Boston Bomber looks like a boy band member.

---

there is nothing new about the scrutiny that targets Malik. In 2012, rightwing American blogger Debbie Schlussel accused him of “boyband jihad” and “pimping Islam,” claiming that the only reason why he was chosen to join One Direction was because “Islam sells in Britain”, making him the “Islamic face” of the band. That same year, internet trolls and racially abusive messages led him to temporarily disable his Twitter account. In 2013, American rapper Rucka Rucka Ali released the track Zayn Did 9/11, with art that superimposed Malik’s silhouette over an image of the burning Twin Towers, and lyrics that blamed him for the September 11 attacks. Yet perhaps the worst outlash against him occurred last year, when he was singled out with death threats for tweeting #FreePalestine.

It’s not quite a halal fest on the far opposite end of the spectrum either either, where there has been criticism among conservative clergy over the supposed piousness of his lifestyle choices since appearing on the X Factor. He doesn’t eat pork, but what about his smoking, his designer jackets, and those tattoos and ear piercings? Or more pertinently, does the Qur’an say it’s OK to be a pop star? For the more orthodox critics, the answer is no, which would make Malik a major sinner. Some reject his Muslim identity all together. “@zaynmalik needs to join jihad,” @ISILCats tweeted last June, “not be another dumb sissy celebrity.”

Out of no doing of his own, this is dichotomous terrain that has come to define much of how the mainstream perceives and accepts Zayn Malik. His most newsworthy attribute for some is not his music, but his faith – and whether or not he properly represents it. None of the other members of One Direction have been subjected to the endless media surveillance that follows him. And none of them have been propped up against their own will as a singular representative of an entire global community.
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The scrutiny directed at him is about more than just his lifestyle choices — it’s about religion and whether Muslim identity can reconcile with mainstream pop culture. The obsessive discussion around Malik’s religious identity highlights how the media continues to simplify and stereotype Muslim identity. These normative views – predicated by both Muslims and non-Muslims alike – force Malik into a box he never asked to be placed in. Most media seem to only understand him within those constraints, so that anything he does in public, any stance he takes, any music he performs, any beard he decides to grow, will always be portrayed as a direct result of not his personal choices, but his degree of Muslim-ness.

http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/apr/07/zayn-malik-muslim-pop-star

How does someone know One Direction & Zayn Malik but not the above? I didn't even know who he was but now I do because he is a Muslim.

[BlueStater]

11. I have a problem with the word "Islamophobia".

Islam isn't a person, it's a religion and a bad one, in my opinion. I'm not sure how it's possible to be "bigoted" against an ideology. Funny enough, I almost never hear anyone say "Christophobia" or "Mormonphobia". It's only possible to be "phobic" against Islam.

[alp227]

14. Sorry, when culture makes it hip to lump up ALL Middle Easterners as Muslim terrorists

like in Maher's hate speech, it is what it is.

[Joel thakkar]

22. Hate Speech ?

Lulz...criticizing middle ages belief is not a hate speech...it is enlightening humanity...

I hope you have seen Bill Maher's so called "hate speech" on Christianity, Judaism etc..

You are a bigot if you cannot tolerate criticism to your religion or to any other religion..

However, i agree with bill maher's critics on 1 point : he says that all religion are bull shit but islam is a special one.. I think all religions should be equal - they are all moronic middle aged belief

[Dr. Strange]

34. Middle Easterners?

Is either Zayn Malik or Dzhokhar Tsarnaev actually a Middle Easterner?

[alp227]

35. Malik is of Pakistani descent and from a Muslim family.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zayn_Malik#Early_life

Tsarnaev's family came from a place in Russia near the Middle East. Still my point is valid - back in 9/11, Sikhs of Indian descent were often mistaken for Muslims. This is the bigotry Maher is contributing to.

[ProfessorGAC]

37. The Proper Spelling is H-Y-P-E-R-B-O-L-E

That way you can look it up.

[Rex]

15. You know, never thought of it like that because 'phobia' only includes objects and situations.

However there are many people that have an irrational fear of the word Islam or Muslim. Same as some show it toward the words Liberal or Socialist.

[JonLP24]

16. Not sure how it is possible?

Easy. Prejudice, hate, & fear. Its easy to apply those to any religion so it is certainly possible to be bigoted when it comes to others whatever you call it (anti-semitism is one).

Certainly aspects of beliefs & practices can be debated or outright condemn (I certainly can't stand The Door sect of Christianity) but typically when it comes to Islam there are often broad generalizations when 1/4 of the world's population are followers of that sect which has countless sects each with different beliefs & practices but the problems lie more with oppression. Most of the major sect splits in Christianity occurred during periods of oppression. Recently, in the CAR Christian militias were ethnically cleansing Muslim majority towns & villages right after a Muslim majority rebel coalition overthrew the government who was oppressing as they are only about 15% of the population in a country that is 80% Christian.

What I mean to say is & an example could probably better explain what I mean, right here where I live -- Mesa, AZ -- right after 9/11 two men shot a convenient store clerk who they assumed was Muslim. He was actually a Sikh but the point remains. Type Keith Ellison into Google to see the kind of shit he faces.

Can we call people like that Islamphobic?

[olddots]

18. humor is odd

Maher's stuff is sometimes based in goofing on racists by goofing on racists , biggots and general douche bags .

Some of his writers are good and some aren't , this joke failed but hey he isn't Rush .

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

20. Oh, please

They look alike in that picture. Get over it.

[Bluenorthwest]

21. They look almost exactly alike. It's a joke. I find this sort of post to be very interesting.

As a gay person, every day I see horrible hate speech against my people from religion, politics, entertainers. I never see this OP speaking against that clear, humorless and often institutionally empowered hate speech.
I can't imagine what precious and twee lives must be lead by those who have room to take offense at such an obvious sight gag as this.

[Quantess]

25. Muslims are beyond reproach at the DU.

Of course most of us weren't aware that he's a muslim, since muslim MALES are not required to wear veils, and are free to go around in western clothing and basically do whatever they hell they want to, at the cost of the females around them. Homosexuality in muslim culture...even "moderate" muslim culture: well I think you have a good idea. Well at least they don't ALL get beheaded for being gay.

The hypocrisy is amazing. Women and gays have no right to complain about religions on the DU, is what a lot of fellow DUers seem to be saying.

[mythology]

32. Not every Muslim female wears a veil

Just like not every Jewish male wears a yamaka, or every Christian holds the same views as Pat Robertson.

[Quantess]

38. That is true.

I have to be careful to not broad-brush groups of people, sorry. I personally am acquainted with several muslim women who wear western style clothing and do not cover their hair. I don't consider them to be extremists or fundamentalists, of course.

[Trajan]

28. Weak sauce ...

Being an atheist, I am not too fond of Islam and of the pain and suffering it brings to the world ... I would say the same about all 3 AbrahamIc faiths ....

Basing our lives and social interactions on ancient superstitions makes no sense whatsoever ... especially in the face of the inhumane behavior adopted by the adherents of these belief systems ...

You wanna call that Islamophobia? ... Have at it ... I don't fucking care ...

[truebrit71]

33. The only thing this appears to prove is that you don't have a sense of humour...

It was a fucking joke....Get over yourself...