entrust with every day pilgrim only, the most important mission which the world and the church node now more than ever. >> plenty more on our website, aljazeera.com. you can catch up by watching you guess live as you're watching now. rooted in catholicism, but they're in mexico and an extension of people >> >> translation: at this time of the year people are looking for the traditional ones. although this business is changing, the artists are adapting. that's the value we are promote possessing >> reporter: for kids they will remain a game that comes with a

prize. >> translation: i like them because i can hit them and eat the candy. >> reporter: not so for thims. it is pay nuts, orange ntas and guavas that come tom about belling-- come tumbling out of these for updates throughout the day on the day's news, just take a look on our website. easy to find. it's al jazeera.com

>> what's really frustrating is i went to disneyland... not one keychain with my name on it. that's f*áked up". >>you're watching "talk to al jazeera". i'm adam may speaking with muslim-american comedian mo amer. >> you've got some hilarious jokes. i don't even know where to begin. do you joke that sometimes you might pretend to be mexican. (laughs). >> it was-- it was-- in esl class. i figured out instead of learning english in this esl class i ended up learning spanish. which is really great, because i'm brown, and i speak spanish. so, if anything breaks out i can camouflage at any moment

in time. i mean, every arab needs an exit strategy nowadays. and i feel like i've stumbled across a gem. >> so, your exit strategy is to pretend to be a mexican? >> hey! you know, you survive another day. you know, you have to survive another day. that's what i've done. i've improvised my whole life, i'm gonna survive that way. if something breaks out in the south, somebody walks up-- be like, "hey boy! you one of them arabs, huh? you one of them muslims, huh?" be like, "no, (speaking spanish)." you know? "mexico"! and i could just get out of there. >> is the story about-- is-- is the story about going to walmart with your nephew osama, is that a true story? >> that is-- loosely true. (laughs) i mean, i have a nephew named osama. and i just thought what would be, you know, i went out with him one time and we're taking him out. and i thought to myself, like, i was about to call out for him. i'm sitting' there... "osimmmm... ssssss... sammy! sammy come here". he looks at me... "no, my name's osama".

that's not something that actually happened, per se. but it's based off of the realities of where we living. we're currently living. i can't even call my nephew's name. because what it causes, psychologically, in the people around me. and the paranoia that it instills in them. and the paranoia in me. like, i don't wanna attract that. it's a very sad state to be in. you should share what your name means. you should share where you come from. you should share this stuff. and that's why i felt like i had to go do this u.s. military shows. because people would try to scare me. "oh, you're never gonna come back. you're just gonna get killed, and do that." i mean, and i got cancelled. i mean, i was scheduled to go to japan, korea, and guam early '02. and i was cancelled, and they were like, "it's for your own safety". >> that was fall out from 9/11? >> yeah, it was fall out, it was like for your own safety. i-- i was upset, and i didn't really get it. and i was frustrated. i was juggling a lot of emotions. but when they said, "hey, we want you to come back," i went back immediately because i wanted to share who i am. and if i can share it in front

of a military audience, i can share it in front of anybody. and then i went back to kuwait and iraq. which was, you know, really emotional. 'cause at that point-- >> yeah, what was it like to go back to kuwait? >> well, first of all, i was doing all this, and can we please acknowledge the fact that i was doing all this without a passport. i wasn't even an american citizen. i had a refugee travel document, walking on military bases around the world. and people had n-- some of the countries didn't even accept a travel document. i literally had to improvise my way into the country, several times. i became really efficient at interrogations. >> any ridiculous questions thrown your way? >> several, yeah. several. >> like? >> several. well, in japan, i'll just say this, they held me. it was a short hold, i mean, it was really appreciative of them. it was about-- only about 45 minutes. but 30 minutes of that was him just trying to understand what i did for a living. and then he starts asking he's like, "how do-- who do the-- who do--" and one guy, "comedian." and then all of a sudden comedian would come out.

and one guy goes-- one guy goes - "bill cosby!" i swear to god. one guy he goes, "oh! like bill cosby!" i was like, "yeah, yeah. like bill cosby." he's like - "are you sure you're not here to come buy cars-- here in japan? take 'em back to iraq and make car bombs?" i was like where the hell car bombs was part of it? i'm a comedian you know? those kinda questions. >> what's it like to get those kinda questions? asked if you're gonna make car bombs? asked if you're a terrorist? >> it's normal, right? >> normal? >> yeah, it's normal. it's normalized now, right? just like i can ask you what is-- what does it feel like to colonize the entire planet? and do that? does that feel bad to you? it's horrible feeling! it's a horrible feeling, to be guilty before-- just by-- >> do you think that'll stop? >> your name. >> will that stop in our society? >> i think eventually it will. >> how? how do we stop that? >> people get old and die, and new generations grow up. i mean, that's really what happens. i mean, you hope that-- actually, honestly, the real

answer is that just sharing information. not being scared. >> does your comedy help that? >> i mean, i would like to-- people tell me it does. >> why is embracing the fact that you're arab so important to you? >> i wanna be real. i wanna be authentic. that's why i filmed my special entitled legally homeless. that's why i focused on, you know, sharing my immigration experiences, and me traveling the world being interrogated. and these are very unique experiences to me. but also very beneficial for those that are going through the same thing. not only arabs, by the way. i remember doing this large show, and i cut through the back. and there was all these latinos that were working at the establishment. they were saying, "i went through the same stuff. going through immigration, things like that." it's a very universal topic that everybody's going through. i mean, why did we have to wait 20 years to attain that citizenship. >> tell me a little bit about the questions you faced at immigration. >> one of them was-- this is

actually on the inter-- during the interview. they ask you this question. it's in the paperwork. have you or anybody else you know from the time period 1933 to 1945 been involved with the nazi party? i was 27, i'm like, "what the hell are you talking about?" i literally looked at him like, "huh?" like, seriously? you're asking this question? it's like i thought you were-- i thought-- i thought-- i thought you were serious, man. i-- it's such a relief. he goes, "just please answer yes or no." i was like, "no, i was not involved in any nazi party from '33 to '45, or currently". like, what the hell are you talking about? and then it's like, "are you a terrorist?" like, literally, are you a terrorist? i'm like, "who says yes?" like, seriously? who says yes? >> the worst terrorist in the world. >> (laughs) you know? yeah, exactly did you catch somebody off guard? is that what happened? like, hey, have you or anybody else you know been involved with or given funds to any terrorist organizations? like, "oh, you got me! you're so tricky! ah, here's the bomb. be careful, all right? hey, cut the green one, okay? i'm just kidding. the red one. i don't know." right? i mean, like, who does that? >> was that question about ties in the nazi party even a little

bit more insulting, given the fact of your palestinian heritage? >> palestinian background? maybe. i don't know if it was even intentional on his part. because it showed i was born in kuwait. and people are very confused. like, "oh, well, you're born in kuwait, you must be kuwaiti." like, no, i'm not kuwaiti. that's not how it works in the gulf. it all matters where your parents come from. and that was my problem when i went to germany with the travel document. i get there and the guys like, "yah, velcome to germany, how vare you?" i was like, "i'm doin' good." he's like, "can i have your passport, please." of course i give him my travel document. he's like, "yah, it's good. yah." he opens it up, he's like, "oh, no. says here is not a passport. can i please have your passport." i was like, "no, that is my passport." "well, cannot be a passport, yeah. says here you're born in kuwait. can i please have your kuwaiti passport?" i was like, "i don't have a kuwaiti passport." "well, why don't you have a kuwaiti passport!" i was like, "hey man, relax. you know, in kuwait it doesn't matter if you're born there, it matters where your parents come from." he's like, "yah, well, where your parents come from?" i was like, "my parents are palestinian." he goes, "well, give me your palestinian passport!" i was like, "man, i don't have a palestinian passport." "well, why don't you have a

palestinian passport!" i was like, "'cause palestine's not a state." he goes, "well, why don't you make it a state!" i was like, "where the hell have you been the last 60 years? and by the way, we're in germany, this was all your damn fault to begin with." right? >> do you think that'll change? do you think the palestinian state will become a reality in your lifetime? >> i don't think so. i don't think so. i think if it does it would still be separate, and isolated. and i don't think it's right. i don't think it's right. if we're really gonna be a democratic state, why don't you just make one state, everybody has equal rights. >> do you think it's a hopeless situation? >> i don't think anything is hopeless. you just need to pull your sleeves up and get to work. there's gonna be a lot of fights, gonna be a lot of arguments. but over time, with interactions, it has a chance. it's the only way it has a chance. >> i've read that you do not like the fact that people call for muslim communities to apologize after mass shootings carried out here domestically.

>> i mean, are white people apologizing for everything that-- every time somebody shoots up a theatre? are white people coming out like, "hey! we are so sorry that we keep shootin' up s*át." like is that happening? i mean, like, why are white people comin' out like, "hey, this is awful. this is really bad for the-- day for the whites. we need to stop this-- just random shootings at batman movies." like, who-- why? why d-- i'm t guilty. i didn't do anything. this was an individual person. under-- battling his own psychological issues. who does that? who murders? i have to apologize for every murder that happens on the earth? are you kidding me? like, i don't feel like that's necessary. i feel like what's necessary is to be more active within your community. you know? fix yourself. work on yourself. i live in texas. what am i apologizing for, for somebody that does something overseas? and i don't even know what's going on overseas. i don't. >> so, when you jump out onstage and you say, "my name's mo, and

it's short for mohammad, and it's game on people!" >> yeah. yeah. surprise! today's the day. i mean, i say that because it just-- it's so in-the-face, and it kinda just melts the ice immediately to me. but it's just, like, to me just kinda get over it. you know who i am. got the chuckle. now let's really address it with some substance. >> you're watching "talk to al jazeera". we'll have more in a minute.

>> our guest this week: mo amer, a member of the comic group "allah made me funny". >> the first comic you saw was bill cosby. >> yes. >> what do you make of the situation that he's in right now? >> i saw this coming. i knew you were gonna ask that. it's a toughie. i mean, it's a bad situation. as an artist, i-- you know, i respect what he's done for the

art form, and he's inspired many a comedian's-- to start standup themselves. >> including yourself. >> including myself-- dave chappelle, and so many others. and what he's done for-- you know, african americans in america has been nothing short of remarkable. like, with his cosby show itself, it just makes it so incredibly sad that all these allegations are comin' out. and it's obviously horrible. >> did bill cosby steal your joke about chess? >> i didn't expect you to bring that up. you know, i started receiving emails and text messages from comics from all around the world. and i started "congratulations, man, you sold your joke to bill cosby". i was like, "i did? what joke?" i think women are so smart they invented chess. the game of chess, because if you really look at it, if you look at it, the "king", can only

move one step at a time - right? the poor guy is stuck in a circle. it's like he's in a marriage, huh? he wants to go but he knows if he does the queen's gonna kill him. hey, what about the queen? oh the queen can go wherever she wants to go! ironically i had met bill cosby five weeks prior to the special coming out. what... what... what!?! spent, you know, ten, 12 minutes talkin' to me. was really nice. and then i walk off, and five weeks later people are tellin' me. so, i was kind of in denial. i was like, "nah. there's no way. it's probably just a similar thing." and then i watch it, and it's just pretty spot-on. so, i don't know how it happened. i don't know what happened. >> the queen... moves anywhere she wants to. >> but it just-- don't-- i would

like to know. i mean, just-- i'm curious to know, as a comedian. you're like, "hey! that's my joke!" and then there's a part of you, like, "hey, bill cosby's doin' your joke, this is crazy. this is why i started standup. >> so, after people watch your routine, do you think they walk outta that comedy club with a different perception of arab americans? >> i think some people do, for sure. i can't say that they all do. i definitely was well-received, in many different situations. i assume it does more better than-- i would hope that it does better than-- adds something beneficial rather than adding something negative. i would hope so. so far i've seen that it does. definitely have seen that it does. >> that's great. >> yeah. >> thank you so much, it was a great conversation. >> my pleasure. >> every monday night. >> i lived that character. >> go one on one with america's movers and shakers. >> we will be able to see change. >> gripping... inspiring...

entertaining. "talk to al jazeera". monday, 6:00 eastern. only on al jazeera america. ♪ al jazeera investigation finds a link between banned substances and big names in america's favorite sports. al jazeera live from london. also coming up, the iraqi military said it has taken a key compound from isil in the battle for the city of ramadi. at least less than people are killed in texas. surgery in the womb. technology that could help save mother and