A hijab-wearing Muslim stand-up comedienne jokes about suicide bombers to connect with her Australian audiences.
Frida Deguise, a 39-year-old Sydney mother of four born into a Lebanese family, is a dressmaker by day.
By night, she’s a funnywoman in a hijab who wants to challenge the notion that Muslims can’t make people laugh.
Dressmaker Frida Deguise says many Australians stereotype Muslims as lacking humour
Self deprecation and jokes about suicide bombers are her stock-in-trade on the stage.
‘Well, if I keep going like this, like this I’m going to be the first Muslim that’s bombed and lived to tell the story,’ she says to laughter.
In a profile for the ABC’s Lateline program, Australia’s only hijab-wearing comedienne said she wanted to challenge the notion Muslims lacked humour.
‘One of the biggest stereotypes is, ‘Can I laugh?,’ she said.
”She’s Muslim. How can she be funny?’. It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, she’s speaking’.’
The mother-of-four born into a Lebanese family jokes about suicide bombings to her audience
Ms Deguise, who is also a fashion designer, said that many Australians had the idea Muslim woman, especially those who wear the hijab, aren’t allowed out late at night.
”How can she be out this late? The streetlights are on.’ You know?’ she said.
‘I feel like still Australia’s not ready for this Muslim comedian.
‘They love the idea of a Muslim comedian. ‘Wow, this woman’s coming out, she’s rebelling against her people.’
The stand-up comedienne says she started wearing the hijab after the September 11 attacks
‘Because that’s what they think. Right?.’
She also told the ABC she started wearing the headscarf as a U.S resident after the September 11 terror attacks of 2001.
‘When I got there, I never wore the scarf, I had body piercings, I had different coloured hair,’ she said.
‘And over there are a lot of I ended up becoming more religious; I put the scarf on.
‘We had to leave — it was 9/11, and the world changed on that day.’