'Allahu Akbar': Egyptian-American comedy star Ramy Youssef wins Golden Globe
'Allahu Akbar': Egyptian-American comedy star Ramy Youssef wins Golden Globe
Egyptian-American comedy Ramy has wowed the world with its sharp humour.
2 min read
Ramy has won the hearts of millions of Muslims across the world [Getty]
Egyptian-American comedian Ramy Youssef picked up a Golden Globe award on Sunday night, thanking God in his acceptance speech.
The star picked up the award for his lead role in the series Ramy, the story of a second-generation American-Egyptian man and his family growing up in New Jersey.
The series, which was written by Youssef, has won huge praise not only for its comedy genius but also for its apt portayal of modern Muslim-Americans life.
As he collected the award, Youssef acknowledged his Muslim faith by saying the Takbir.
Read also: Egyptian-American comedian Ramy Youssef's show is no 'How to be a Muslim' guide
"I would like to thank my God. Allahu Akbar. Thank you, God," he said.
For many Americans, the expression is more commonly associated with the battle cry of militants in Syria and Iraq. For Youssef and most Muslims it's a fundamental expression of their religion, with no extremist overtones.
He also joked with the crowd, that the comedy itself is something of a niche production.
"Look, I know you guys haven't seen my show," Youssef said. "My mom, also, by the way, was rooting for Michael Douglas."
At the heart of Youssef's comedy has addressed the realities of Muslim-American life in a post-9/11 world.
"I think the network was really excited to make this feel as grounded and real as possible," he told The New Arab last year.
"It's not representative of anything more than just this type of Arab-Muslim family that might live in New Jersey. We really dug into it and it felt that the more specific we were, the more excited the network was." They are not the only examples of Arab cinema that are winning global plaudits.
Syrian documentaries The Cave and For Sama have also been nominated for Oscars.
The star picked up the award for his lead role in the series Ramy, the story of a second-generation American-Egyptian man and his family growing up in New Jersey.
The series, which was written by Youssef, has won huge praise not only for its comedy genius but also for its apt portayal of modern Muslim-Americans life.
As he collected the award, Youssef acknowledged his Muslim faith by saying the Takbir.
Read also: Egyptian-American comedian Ramy Youssef's show is no 'How to be a Muslim' guide
"I would like to thank my God. Allahu Akbar. Thank you, God," he said.
For many Americans, the expression is more commonly associated with the battle cry of militants in Syria and Iraq. For Youssef and most Muslims it's a fundamental expression of their religion, with no extremist overtones.
He also joked with the crowd, that the comedy itself is something of a niche production.
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"Look, I know you guys haven't seen my show," Youssef said. "My mom, also, by the way, was rooting for Michael Douglas."
At the heart of Youssef's comedy has addressed the realities of Muslim-American life in a post-9/11 world.
"I think the network was really excited to make this feel as grounded and real as possible," he told The New Arab last year.
"It's not representative of anything more than just this type of Arab-Muslim family that might live in New Jersey. We really dug into it and it felt that the more specific we were, the more excited the network was." They are not the only examples of Arab cinema that are winning global plaudits.
Syrian documentaries The Cave and For Sama have also been nominated for Oscars.
Follow the Middle East's top stories in English at The New Arab on Google News
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