Shabana Rehman
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| Shabana Rehman | |
 |
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| Born | July 14, 1976 Karachi, Pakistan |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Field | stand-up comedy |
Shabana Rehman (born 14 July 1976 in Karachi, Pakistan) is a Norwegian stand-up comedian, internet editor and columnist.
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[edit] Personal history
One of seven children[1], she moved with her family to Norway in 1977 when her father got a job as a cook.[2]
She is married to Norwegian Dagfinn Nordbø. Dagbladet listed the couple among the country's most influential opinion shapers.[2]
[edit] Professional career
She is active in several arenas and is devoted to breaking taboos and creating more openness.
Rehman started her career as a columnist in VG in 1996, her debut as a stand-up comedian came in 1999.[3] She later started working as a columnist for Dagbladet in 2000 and now regularly writes for newspapers and magazines.
Rehman has received international publicity and has been interviewed by Time Magazine and the New York Times.[3] Her shows have played for full houses in Norway, Denmark, Iceland , and the Faroe Islands. She if fluent in Norwegian, Urdu and English, and has performed in German.[3]
In 2006 Shabana joined the American Comedy Institute in New York.[3]
[edit] Debate
These are some of the events that have created debate around her persona. In Scandinavia it is referred to as the "Shabana debate".[3]. She has police protection.[1]
Anthropologist Marianne Gullestad accused Rehman of reinforcing stereotypes about Muslims, and making Norwegians think it's ok to discriminate against immigrants.[2]
- 25 August 2005 - Shots were fired at a restaurant owned by Rehman's sister.[1]
- 21 August 2005 - Rehman was invited to the opening of the Norwegian International Film Festival and was granted huge press attention after kissing the then cultural minister of Norway Valgerd Svarstad Haugland (Haugland represents the Christian Democrats (KrF) of Norway and has worked extensively against gay rights). She also flashed her naked bottom saying "I want to show that in Norway, you can do such things without being lynched or arrested."[1]
- 19 March 2005 - In a commentary in Dagbladet, Fødemaskinens fødselsarv (Translated: The birth heritage of the breeding machine) she talked openly about her own abortion.
- 27 April 2004 - Rehman was granted enormous publicity both in national and international press after lifting Mullah Krekar.[4]. The event resulted in a complaint to the police but was later closed with the reasoning: 'there is currently no reasonable ground for the public to search for perpetrations that the public should persecute'. Her own reason for doing this stunt was: -A person that can be lifted isn't that dangerous.
- 2000 - Posed nude on the cover of Dagbladet with the Norwegian flag painted on her, saying "I take my clothes off to provoke the authoritarians in order to expose them."[2]
[edit] Prizes
- 2001 - Lions Clubs International award
- 2002 - Freedom of Expression Foundation award
- 2006 - Danish Free Press Society's Freedom of Print award (shared with Roy W Brown)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Shots fired at Pakistani-born comic’s Oslo restaurant, Daily Times, August 25, 2005
- ^ a b c d Nice Witch of the North, Time, August 22, 2004
- ^ a b c d e Standup comedian and writer Shabana Rehman in New York
- ^ Immigrant comedienne maddens Mullah, Aftenposten, 28 April 2004
[edit] Further reading
- "Skien Journal; Where East Meets West Warily, She Makes Them Laugh", New York Times, November 14, 2003
[edit] External links
- Shabana's homepage
- Biography at NRK (Norwegian)
