The Whole Muslim with Marena Riyad: Comedy and Resistance

Shehla: Hi, everyone. May peace be on you all. And welcome to another episode of I'm A Muslim (And That's Okay!). And as always, I'm your host, Shehla. And I am back with another The Whole Muslim and I have with me Marena Riyad. How are you doing, Marena? 

Marena: I'm doing amazing. Thank you for having me. 

Shehla: Thank you for coming on. Now, apart from the fact that how I found you, Marena, you're a henna artist, and I love me some henna, okay. I could have it all over me if I could. I mean, if that was like a choice in proper society. But that's not why I have you here. Not only are you a henna artist, but you are also the brains behind the Kufiya comedy club. And that's so amazing, because now more and more, we're seeing more Muslims come into the comedy sphere. But to have an entire comedy club of your own, I mean, that's so incredible. So please tell us, how did you like get into all of this? Like, I wanted to take the audience back all the way to the beginning. Like, how did you get into being a henna artist and then starting the Kufiya Comedy Club? 

Marena: Okay, I'm going to give you guys the trailer version of my life, let's put it that way. I graduated with an art and business degree with a minor in English, so I made my own major, combined them together. My background before that was in the fashion industry and as a writer, a poet. And coming out of college, I couldn't find a job that really catered to the things that I studied. And I kind of came across henna a year after I graduated, and I saw it as an opportunity. I always tell people, like, find out your why, and God takes care of the how or whatever you believe in. And for me, I always knew my why, which is to be able to share my story and represent my culture, because I grew up in Palestine. I was born there. 

Shehla: Oh, wow. 

Marena: Yes. I was born in a refugee camp in Nur Shams. My family were part of the 48ers, the ones from the-- you know the history. Anyways, so for me, it was always like, how do I showcase the other beautiful things that I love about my culture that are just always, like, completely dismissed? So that's my why for my existence. And I always knew that. So, when I came across henna and I absolutely fell in love with it. And I, I love being able to connect with people, and I saw it as a business opportunity. I just kind of took it because most of my clients are actually not even Arab or Indian, they're Americans. So, I get my demographic essentially, the ones that need the educating. 

So that's what I was doing in 2016, and the fashion industry and modeling, I'm an actress, so I got into comedy, that is how I actually got into comedy, because I was taking this workshop and this lovely gentleman recommended that I do comedy and I ignored him. [laughter] And then I was like, "I'm Arab. I don't know what you're talking about. It's not even a concept." 

Shehla: That's the thing. It's not something that culturally women are sort of pushed into. Yeah, let's put you in comedy. 

Marena: Women in general, you're always told by society, no matter where your background is, that you're not funny because you're a woman. Dare I say, women are just smarter, that's why they're not in comedy. [laughter] That's the only difference. The funniest person I know is literally my mother. And fun fact, I understand why there's not as many Arab people in comedy, and it's because no one is going to push you to do comedy. And it's not a bad thing. It's because everyone is funnier than you. You walk down the street [Shehla laughs]. Go to Egypt. Go to the Palestine. Every person that you will speak with is going to be funnier than you. 

Shehla: Oh, wow. 

Marena: Do you know what I mean?

Shehla: Yeah, yeah.

Marena: So, it's like that. My auntie could be a comedian if she really put her heart in it. I grew up family, they're all funnier than me. But here's the one thing about comedy, it's show business. It's about effort and the discipline that you put in. You don't have to be the funniest person in the room, but if you're going to be, you do have to be funny. You do have [crosstalk] [laughter] But I'm saying, like, outlasting people, working harder than them, writing your material and actually having a perspective that is worth sharing, being honest and vulnerable, which is actually a very difficult thing for people to do in their lives to begin with, that is where the comedy comes from because I feel like the more traumatized you are, the more you have to pull from. But you have to be open. He harassed me long enough, and he put through me in an open mic, and I did a show, and it was my home. I've never had stage fright. I got very lucky with that. 

Shehla: That’s great. 

Marena: Yes. So, I've been doing henna since 2016, comedy since 2018. And for me, they complement each other because I joke around with my clients. Like, for me, it's the same thing on and off stage. So, there's a lot of overlap with just storytelling. And I feel like that's such a Palestinian thing. Yeah, so I think not only are people generally like from other countries, just funnier by nature and the way of life. I feel like when you're dealing with oral cultures, like, Palestinian culture is so deeply rooted in arts.

Shehla: It's right.

Marena: Obviously, we have brilliant people, like scientists and engineers and stuff, and architects. But art is such a big part of our culture, from the tatreez, the hand embroidery on the clothing, to poetry, musicians. I didn't even know that that was part of my culture. I didn't know that we had poets in my family or in Palestine in general. So, for me, I see comedy as a long format of poetry, it's like a funny poetry. And that's why I think storytelling and the comedic art form is so easy for Palestinians to do and Arabs in general to do, because that's already such a big part of our culture. You know what I mean? 

Shehla: Right, right. 

Marena: It's just learning the skills at that point to do it in that medium. 

Shehla: Right. And again, even with it being such an integral part of Palestinian culture, it's hard. Like, that's the thing. I mean, when I look at other comedians, when they tell their stories, you're going from comedy club to comedy club for literally years, and it doesn't always go so well. Especially, you as a Palestinian woman, a woman of color on stage, on a stage that--

Marena: The only Arab woman, Muslim category.

Shehla: Yeah.

Marena: Take the Muslim out in Dallas, it's not easy.

Shehla: Right. I mean, there's a good chance that somebody's going to be heckling the heck out of you. So how do you do that? 

Marena: I think if you really have something worth saying, you go through it? Do you know what I mean? If you want me to list you all the reasons why you shouldn't do it, and that's going to deter you, it's not for you because it really needs to be something worth saying, and you really, truly need to appreciate and have respect for the art form as well as the audience members. And you can never blame the audience. At the end of the day, your job is to make it relatable, right? 

Shehla: Right. 

Marena: And the more honest you are, the more you look inwards, the more relatable it is that they can resonate with certain human experiences and emotions. And funny enough, because of all these things and the difficulties that I've had. That is why when I opened up my studio here in June of last year, instantly the idea was to also turn it into a comedy space. That was always part of the plan. For my grand opening, I literally had comedy shows in the evening. 

Shehla: Oh wow. 

Marena: yeah, so Kufiya Comedy really came from a place where I wanted to represent Palestine because The Haus of Henna, even the physical space here has so many Palestinian pieces of artwork from Tatreez to calligraphy to just different. Like, I literally have, let me show you this piece of Tatreez. 

Shehla: Oh wow. 

Marena: I got it in Palestine when I was there in 2022 doing a Palestinian comedy tour. And it's actually in Gaza, which is a whole other-- I did not realize where we're going to be at this point in life. But this is my love letter to Palestine and for my community and a safe space for other people to come in. And the comedy space allows for the same thing. We don't have alcohol. The tickets are extremely affordable. You just come in, get a professional show that not only takes care of the audience members, but more importantly, the comedians. We treat them with respect. We pay them, we feed them, we give them a video. We want to give them the stage time and the intimate space to really share that story. And I'm telling you, this stage is ruthless. It may be a small room, but they don't play around like [laughter] that sober. You have to be funny. [laughter] The hardest comedy club in all of Dallas, dare I say, because of he--

Shehla: Right, right. 

Marena: There's no distractions. If you have something worth saying, you get up there and you say it, they're all yours, so. 

Shehla: Right, right. 

Marena: Yeah. 

Shehla: No, and that's the thing. That's what I was wondering about too, that a year ago, you opened the Kufiya Comedy Club, and what was reaction from A, the comedians was like, "Okay, this is a space. It's a space opened up by a Palestinian Muslim woman." And then from the audience, which I'm assuming, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, would be majority Muslims. Like, are they going to be coming in to a comedy club opened up by a Muslim? Because that's not a thing. Because we ain't going around opening up comedy clubs, okay, that's not our thing. We're either doctors, engineers, or IT that sort of thing. 

Marena: I will say that when you say the word comedy club, it brings a certain image to your mind and in different ways, it is a comedy club. I mean, it's a comedy space, but it is not a club per se. That's why I called it The Haus of Henna because I wanted it to feel like if you go to someone's house-- And in our cultures, especially, the home is where you have everything. You can have weddings. In America, they do the same thing, but you celebrate religious holidays, you celebrate birthdays, weddings, you celebrate gatherings, and you do so much in a home, and that's really what I wanted this place to be. So, for me it was a final declaration of everything that I am. And I wanted to share that with the community. And I know that I don't make sense to a lot of people because I live such a weird life, but for me they exist. If they exist in me, it must exist in the world, right? 

Shehla: Right. 

Marena: But funny enough, most of our clients, we've grown to have at this point about like 35% of our audience to be Arab. But Arab does not only just mean Muslim, they're Christians and whatever, but the majority of our clients are everybody else. And the majority of our audience members, everybody else. The Dallas Morning news actually wrote an article about us, and they did collaboration with KERA and they did a radio spot. They actually did a good job. Don't worry, guys I did protests in front of their building in October, and I told them, if they try to mess with me, I'll be over there again. [laughter] The article is actually really accurate and it's really well done. And they were talking about-- They were shocked at the amount of diversity in one state. We have Latino, Black, East Asian, South Asian, Arab, White. We have such all of that in a space that literally seats maximum 45 people is insane.

Shehla: Right, right. 

Marena: You know what I mean? Everybody was confused. But I feel like, because the place is so warm and inviting when you come in and we have snacks for them. We always try to cater to them and host them like they're coming to our home. It starts to make sense. And my favorite thing is the comedians, because the comedians only go on the stage once. I don't have repeat comedians. I essentially wait a year before I have a comedian come up on the stage again. 

Shehla: Oh, I see. 

Marena: Yes. So, seeing the comedians faces after they get off the stage, and you can see the experience that they just went through. And it's one of the coolest things ever. We have, like, a mini green room behind the stage. So, we all sit there and we get to listen to the laughs as they're coming in. And you could tell. like, I mean, so many of them are like, "This is such a special place. Thank you so much for having us." Like, they respect the space. They appreciate it. They understand once they go through the experience and especially because we have Arab hospitality, you have to feed people. So, we're sponsored by Mondo Pizza, which is across the street. It's also owned by a Palestinian business owner. So, after each show, we go over there, they have some appetizers for us.

Shehla: Oh, that's nice. 

Marena: Yeah, we go and we mingle. So, I wanted this a place to where people can come out of their home and be a part of a community, even if it's just like once a month. Do you know what I mean? 

Shehla: Right. 

Marena: Yeah, it's such a weird spot, but people get it. When you go through it once you get it. Yeah. 

Shehla: Oh, that's great. 

Marena: Yeah. 

Shehla: And that's the other thing. I mean, okay, the people who come in who perform and who are audience members, they've grown into, I guess, the Kufiya comedy culture. 

Marena: Yes. 

Shehla: But what about your fam? Okay, how are they taking all of this? Because you've taken two left turns in a place that rarely goes left, okay, so how are your family taking this? 

Marena: My family, mind you, they have me as a daughter. I've prepped and primed them my entire life for this. [laughter] When I was in college, I still play billiards, but I'm a pool player.

Shehla: Oh wow.

Marena: I'm really good. So, I've always been in male-dominated industries. So, it's almost like I've been getting them ready for this thing. They are not shocked anymore by anything that I do. Funny enough, the same month that I had my grand opening for this place, I had the start of the comedy club. I also was in Miss Arab USA. 

Shehla: Oh, wow. 

Marena: They were like, what is happening? they just revive that way, [laughter] they just go through with it, you know what I mean? I will say they're very supportive. They come out to the shows. My mother comes in whenever she wants to. Sometimes she's outside chit chatting with the people overseas. Those are late at night, but all my family members have come and seen the show. They're actually going to be there at the festival as well. So, I try to always give them a special treatment, but God help them.

Shehla: [laughs] Hey, they're still sticking by you, so we take that as a positive side. 

Marena: As long as they are not in your way. As long as people are not in your way, keep going. 

Shehla: Right, right. And as you mentioned right now, there's a festival going on. Please tell my audience, what's this festival? 

Marena: I know that most people would wait a year, a full year, before they're like, "Oh, let's have a fest. Let's, let's have a little party for what-- Because the show is called Kufiya Comedy. 

Shehla: Right. 

Marena: World Kufiya Day is May 11th. I had no choice. The universe was like, "Babe, you can't do this any other day of the year. It has to be this day." So, since last year we've been preparing for a festival. We've gone through a lot of different obstacles, but literally, Subhanallah, I'm going to just say this, God guides you to wherever you need to be because the people that we have involved truly are such not only supporters of Palestine, but they're supporters of the community, and what it is that we're all about. 

The festival is a nonprofit, but even before that, we've always donated money to different organizations. Like, one of them is The Freedom Theater in Janine and Palestine from the [audio cut] from the comedy show. So, we're looking forward to actually being able to donate a larger amount to them again in the festival. 

But the festival as a whole is May 10th, 11th, and 12th. So, 10th is Daisy inspired, 11th is MENA, Middle East, North Africa, and the last 12th is East, Southeast Asia. And it's a Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Each day we're having a different, obviously, theme. So, the comedians, the films, the musicians, the vendors are all going to be catered to that theme. So, you really get an immersive cultural experience, which I feel like if you're from any sort of background, people always ask you, "What's the best place to go eat? How do I experience your culture?" And you really can't-- I'm like book a ticket. I don't know how else to tell you. It's hard to encompass a culture just with going to a restaurant or just coming to me and coming to one comedy show. So, I really wanted to create a space that honors all these three different regions are so different-

Shehla: Right. 

Marena: -and do the best that I can. So, we're flying in comedians, musicians, whatever is. Films are international. It's incredible. It's all curated. We're not asking anybody to pay to participate in this because usually comedians have to pay, but instead, what we're doing is paying people and making sure that they're taken care of and making--

Shehla: That's so great. 

Marena: Yeah. 

Shehla: That's fantastic. A, if you're in the DFW area, please visit The Haus of Henna and the Kufiya Comedy for both the things. I think this festival is such a great immersive experience for three very individual cultures, I think it’s so fantastic.

Marena: [crosstalk] one category.

Shehla: Yeah. 

Marena: Yeah. 

Shehla: But I think that's such a great initiative. And I think one of the things that I appreciate most about what you do is just that, especially during these times with what's going on in Palestine, it is what you do brings in a whole another sphere of Palestinian existence. As you were saying, storytelling. Storytelling is such a powerful way to understand, really connect the divides between people. You do it through your art in henna and the Kufiya Comedy. I think that is so fantastic. 

Marena: We even have a film that talks about the Palestinian experience that's going to be shown every single day. So, it's not like we're ignoring the whole Palestinian thing for the other days. It's in the air that we breathe, what we're doing and the reason that we are doing this festival. And, I will say as a comedian, I feel like I have to punch myself in the gut to even try to post online. I know how I feel with not everything, but literally genocide, ethnic cleansing, all of it, especially because I was born here. It's so much that this-- I want to make this clear that this is not a place you come to escape all of that. This is a place that you come in to confront the different aspects of that and what it really means to be Palestinian and what the resistance is about and to educate people and give them a different way to connect to those cultures as well as a Palestinian story, so that's really what it's about. 

And we have a thing called the electronic intifada, electronic revolution, and uprising. So that is a way that we do it is through culture and through arts. We have to be in every space that exists and tell our story in every way possible. And for me, I felt like I had to do this festival. One way or another, we were going to have something that puts the name Kufiya Comedy out there and puts a Palestinian story on the map and forces people to recognize us. Do you know what I mean? 

Shehla: Yeah. 

Marena: Yeah. So, that's the whole point of the festival. Yeah. 

Shehla: And again, that is important. That is so integral, because for so long, it was something that was missing in the mainstream conversation. 

Marena: Yeah. 

Shehla: The humanization of the Palestinian people that was missing. And what you do is a part of it, that it's the humanization of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian resistance, which is why--

Marena: [crosstalk] is everything as well. Because I almost don't even like having to be, like, "We need to be humanized," because we're human like asking for permission is-- We're beyond asking for permission or ask people to see us as human beings. Like, what a ridiculous concept in this year, a human being to ask to be a human being. This is our story, and our stories are so diverse, and that's something that I really push for artists to do. When you come from communities that are underrepresented-- Like I said, I'm literally the only Arab woman that is in the freaking greater Texas area. So, when I go on stage, I have a responsibility to not only tell this Palestinian story, but I have a bigger responsibility to tell my story, because the more I talk about myself and my life, the more it becomes normalizing. The Palestinians are people that they go through different things. And it's not just occupation 24/7, however, the occupation is literally occupying my mind. So, no matter what I say, that will always be laced within that, but you will hear about me as a woman, you'll hear about my struggles with dating and my family struggles, and that's really what it's about. Right? 

Shehla: Right, right. 

Marena: Yeah. 

Shehla: No. Again, I appreciate so much what you do, so please tell everybody where they can find The Haus of Henna, Kufiya Comedy, and information about the festival. 

Marena: Instagram is a great place. If you don't have it, that's fine. They invented a thing called the Internet. @kufiyacomedy. If you look that up literally anywhere, you will find us on Instagram. If you want to go to the website, it's kufiyacomedytx.com and you'll find us. The Haus of Henna is the word, The Haus of Henna. The word Haus is H-A-U-S. Again, if you're in the DFW area, you'll find us. But, yeah, you can always-- I'm @marenariyad. I'm the owner and founder of both of them. But, yeah, if anybody's interested in participating in the festival in any way, like vendors, sponsors for the upcoming years, they can also reach out. 

Shehla: Right, right. And everybody can see those links on the screen and they will be in the show notes. So, they'll sort of know where to find y'all. 

Marena: It's going to be fun. It's going to be fun. 

Shehla: Yeah. Yeah.  Hey, I'm in the DFW area. I would love to like come over because I've been seeing, like, you post-- I've been following you for a year now. I've been seeing a post about Kufiya Comedy, but I'm this old grandma's, like, "Is it past 09:00 PM, I have to get to bed sort of situation.” But one day, I'm going to make it out to Kufiya Comedy. And of course, I love me some henna. I'm going to come out and you can do wherever is like the logical place to do henna. [laughs] 

Marena: I will say I do henna all over the body, so that's a different topic you and I can have separately. But when it comes to the comedy show, it's the last Saturday of every month, and obviously April and May, we're going to be focusing on the festival, so we're not going to have it then, but it will pick up then in June, and the Eventbrite tickets are also available for. People are buying for some reason a bunch of tickets in August. I don't know what's happening in August, but August is selling out. So, yes, if you want to come out, I mean, last Saturday of every month, but the festival is May 10th, 11th, 12th, so.

Shehla: Yay. And best of luck to you for that. And please, everybody who's in the DFW area, even if you're not in the DFW area, just for the culture experience, I think it would be a great opportunity. 

Marena: Yes. 

Shehla: Thank you so much, Marena, for being here with us and sharing your wonderful life choices. I think that's so great. I love hearing about these things because you're like a comedy club that. I mean, this is not a thing when I was growing up. Like, which Muslim woman opens her own comedy place? 

Marena: If it doesn't exist, make it. That's my only advice. 

Shehla: Yeah. 

Marena: Just because it doesn't exist doesn't mean that nobody wants it. Trust me I want this to exist or more than me at this point. If I close this down, they will come after me. So, make it. If you want it, make it. 

Shehla: Right. Again, thank you so much for being here with us. And thank you to everybody who's listened in and watched us on YouTube. Y'all take care of yourself, and may peace be on you all. 

Marena: Salaam alaikum.

Shehla: Thank you so much for tuning in to I'm A Muslim (And That's Okay!). And if you wish to follow my social media for more updates, you can follow me on Instagram, on Facebook, and on YouTube. All the links to those are in the show notes. And if you are on Apple or on Spotify or on Podchaser, please do give my podcast a five-star rating. It really does help get me in the public eye. And if you wish to donate to support the podcast, you can do so through the PayPal link in my show notes as well.

Take care.