Laughter flooded the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom Monday night as a Jewish rabbi and a Muslim attorney poked fun at the stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding Judaism and Islam.
At the invitation of Islam On Campus and the Jewish Student Union, more than 600 students and Gainesville residents watched Rabbi Bob Alper and Azhar Usman joke about their heritages in "Comedy's Odd Couple: One Muslim, One Jew, One Stage."
The unlikely duo of stand-up comedians touched on everything from racial profiling to immigration. Alper, the first Jewish person to obtain a doctoral degree from Princeton University, used experiences of dealing with his congregations in his material. Alper referenced the prayer requests of children still learning the Torah, a Jewish holy book, not to mention the English language.
When asked to recite a commandment, Alper said one child boldly stated, "Thou shalt not omit adultery."
After a plane cancellation nearly caused Usman to miss the show, he came charging on stage, a Starbucks coffee cup in hand.
Usman, who has eight years of stand-up comedy under his belt, said he isn't an "Islamofacist." He's an "Islamo-fashionista."
While Usman's material touched on sensitive issues, it was used to underline the fact that stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason. Not all Muslims are violent, fundamentalist radicals, Usman said.
The duo concluded with a question-and-answer session in which they referred to comedy as a way to diffuse tension between Muslims and Jews.
"We are, as you noticed, comedy's odd couple," Alper said. "The only thing we have in common is that we are both ridiculously good-looking."
Sam Piracha, a UF alumnus, said he was impressed by how the show brought together people of various religions and ethnicities.
"I loved the fact that they can build bridges through comedy," Piracha said. "Despite all of our differences, we could laugh together."
