Comedian Hasan Al-Habib: 'We need to talk about white privilege'

At last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, fellow comedian Aisha Amanduri and I performed our double act show 2 Muslim 2 Furious: Mecca Drift. Think Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, but everything on the menu’s halal.

Surprisingly to us, it was a hit with Edinburgh’s less diverse crowds as well as London’s; we sold out the whole run. At a Fringe industry party, a comic asked me the most typical question: “How’s your show going?”

“Well, it’s selling out. Guess we’re the only Muslims that actually benefited from the riots!”

Usually, that would elicit a chuckle. But their response threw me: “What riots?”

“Uh… you know, the… the trouble on the news recently.”

“Oh… you mean the bin strikes!”

Get the latest news and insight into how the Big Issue magazine is made by signing up for the Inside Big Issue newsletter

In their defence, the Fringe can become all-encompassing. If you’re not careful, every waking moment can be spent fixated on your show. 

Also, being in Edinburgh meant being shielded from the awful scenes that we all (well, most of us) saw
last summer.

In case anyone still thinks I’m talking about the Edinburgh bin strikes, I should explain. Following the horrific knife attack in Southport, 29 anti-immigration demonstrations and riots took place across 27 towns and cities. 

Many were violent, with participants attacking mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers. Known
far-right activists promoted and attended the riots.

In Edinburgh and across Scotland, however, it was heartening to see peaceful anti-racist protests taking place, despite the lack of actual far-right protests in the country. 

Aisha and I never felt anything other than welcome, supported and safe in Edinburgh.

Nevertheless, there was no chance of the riots passing us by, like they did for our friend at the party. I saw messages from work colleagues organising entry into the central London office in groups, so they could be accompanied by security.

My devout Muslim mum was urging my sisters not to wear a hijab in public for fear of being attacked.

Our success at the Fringe felt tainted. How could we celebrate when friends and family back home felt scared to leave their homes?

“Health is a crown that the healthy wear but only the sick can see.” That quote is from Imam Al-Shafi’i, an 8th century Islamic scholar. Recently, I’ve considered how it could apply to white privilege also.

Read more:

• I felt thoroughly British as a teen – until I put on a hijab and became visibly Muslim
• When the world seems polarised, volunteering has a way of unifying people and rebuilding hope
• Is it too late to prevent anarchy in the ‘Yookay’?

This is the idea that being white denotes both obvious and less obvious passive advantages that white people may not recognise they have, including (relevant here) the freedom to move and speak freely.

It’s difficult to imagine a time when my comedian friend would fear for their safety because of anti-white riots, for example.

Indeed, the riots passed them by completely, like a natural disaster in some faraway land that makes us shake our heads before we continue scrolling.

Growing up in Birmingham, I distanced myself from my Iraqi heritage, given the concurrent war. But getting racially abused, aged 10, with my father at our local Tesco made me realise: you are who you are. Why try to hide that through what you say and how you act? You’ll never placate those who hate you for it.

Our show last year enjoyed such wonderful audiences, with only one heckle. After I said: “Of course, we’ve had the riots going on…”, once someone shouted: “Not in Scotland!”

It’s still the most welcome heckle I’ve ever received. Those three words symbolised a pride in being anti-racist, rather than it being a silent default.

It made me think about how white privilege isn’t something to be ashamed of, or a cross to bear (I’m not ashamed of being straight or male, despite the privileges that I’ve experienced resultantly).

But being loudly against prejudice that doesn’t actually affect you can be so powerful for those that have been discriminated against.

As Imam Ali, son-in-law of the Prophet, said: Be an enemy of tyrants and oppressors and be a friend and helper of those who are oppressed and tyrannised.

Hasan Al-Habib: Death To the West (Midlands) is in Edinburgh until 24 August at Pleasance Courtyard.

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more.