Stand up comedian Ahmed Ahmed will make his first public appearance in Nashville after stirring up some controversy in Southwest Florida last weekend. It even caught the attention of NBC News and The New York Post.
His performance was interrupted by police Sunday night. Officers say they received a 911 call from an audience member who was “frightened” for their life. Ahmed is currently in the midst of a worldwide comedy tour. Nashville’s THE COMEDY BAR is the next comedy club to host the longtime comedian, actor, and producer.
“After 20 years of having a comedy club, we’ve never had someone call the police on somebody’s set before,” said the manager of Off The Hook Comedy Club in Naples, Florida. “We’re unclear as to how we are supposed to be handling this.”
“As the people raised their hands, they said I’m from Iraq, I’m from Iran,” the caller said to a 911 dispatcher. “He said that’s great we should organize our own terrorist organization. I don’t think that’s right. That really bothered me.”
The person admitted they called deputies because they felt uncomfortable after the comment and asked if something like that should be said. The caller was concerned Ahmed would say the same comment again, in a later performance.
Ahmed Ahmed told WINK-TV that is not what he said. He did ask if there were middle eastern in the audience. A few people raised their hands.
“Then I looked at the audience and I said, ‘well hey, it only takes one of us,’” Ahmed Ahmed said. “That’s the joke – to tell a joke – it takes one middle eastern person to tell a joke.”
Ahmed Ahmed will perform three nights this weekend, May 16 – 18. Tickets for the show are available now at ComedyBar.com.