Stand-up comedian and writer Sammy Obeid performed a comedy show following his Ceasefire Tour at WashU to a full audience at Graham Chapel on Feb. 12.

Obeid, a Lebanese Palestinian Syrian Italian American, went to Berkeley and majored in Mathematics. He draws much of his content from his diverse background and most recently went on an international comedy tour titled “Ceasefire Comedy.” He also became famous after setting a world record of consecutive comedy performances with his 1,001 “Arabian Nights of Comedy” and his debut comedy album “Get Funny or Die Trying”. 

The WashU event was coordinated by the Middle Eastern and North African Association (MENAA) and the Asian Multicultural Council (AMC). Obeid talked about a range of topics like math, politics, and his own personal experiences. He believes that comedy is a way to discuss deep issues in a palpable way with the American public. 

“My dad grew up in the Middle East, and my mom grew up in the middle east of Texas,” said Obeid. “So my blood is pure oil.”

Obeid also spoke about the presidential  administration change with Trump taking office.

“One of my friends was scared of Trump being president, but I was like ‘Hey dude, just chill out. Put on an American flag and you’ll be fine,’” said Obeid. “If you ever walked by somebody’s house and see an American flag, you’d be like, ‘Oh, that person really loves his country.’ Now I see that and I’m like, ‘Oh that person definitely has a gun.’”

Obeid touched on some of the politics in the Middle East including Palestine, Syria, and Israel.

“I did two shows in one night, and I got off the stage after the first show and I got on X and I saw that the Assad regime in Syria had fallen, and I’m like ‘Yeah,’ that’s good news,” Obeid said. “And then I get on stage and do the second show and I get off stage and I go on X, and Israel is already occupying Syria. I was like, ‘That was fast.’”

Senior Basma Daham, who is Syrian Palestinian American and Co-President of MENAA, said that WashU has invited speakers and entertainers from diverse backgrounds, but she felt like MENAA’s identities weren’t well-represented in that lineup. So, she said that her club and AMC wanted to promote Palestinian representation in an inclusive, lighthearted event for everyone. 

“I can speak for many of us that were in Graham Chapel that night when I say that hearing a Palestinian speaking unapologetically about Palestine, wearing a keffiyeh in front of more than 300 attendees, and blasting Arabic music was a surreal and powerful moment,” said Daham. 

Obeid continued his show talking about some of the backlash he has received for his stances on conflicts and politics in the Middle East.

“People were upset that I tweeted that Israel was occupying Syria, because Israel is only occupying a part of Syria,” said Obeid. “But if you occupy a part of something, you’re occupying the thing. If you don’t get the whole thing right away, it’s not any worse.”

Obeid mentioned he also faced criticism for his stance on Dubai and the UAE. 

“Dubai is complicit, not only in Gaza, but also within their role in the genocide of Sudan,” said Obeid. “I mentioned this in my set and people were like, ‘Why are you calling them out and not America?’ I’m like, ‘Have you seen the rest of my set? It’s 99% about America.’”

Obeid also spoke about how America is becoming an oligarchy, and that it’s supposed to be the democracy’s people that keep billionaires in check — but that doesn’t seem to be the case in America.

“It seems like billionaires are threatened by only Luigi [Mangione] and really small submarines,” said Obeid.

Anthony Vidal, a sophomore, attended the event and has been a fan of Obeid long before he came to WashU. 

“I really like the comedy he does and I was surprised he was coming since he’s such a big comedian,” Vidal said. “I came with some of my friends and I’m just here to have a fun time.”

Sophomore Noura Idris Habona, a member of MENAA, knew the comedian beforehand and was excited and surprised when she heard that WashU would host him. 

“It’s really important to have diverse representation within entertainment, especially comedy,” Habona said. “I think laughter brings the community together, and I think it brings a connection between people.”