Story Archive

The Humor Police

A man went to the Off the Hook Comedy Club, and the next day, he called 911. The emergency he’d waited to report: a comedian had told a joke. Specifically, Ahmed Ahmed, who was born in Egypt but came to the United States at the age of 1 month, had asked who in the crowd was Middle Eastern and where they came from. “I’m from Iraq, I’m from Iran, I’m from Pakistan,” they’d replied, according to the caller. “He said, ‘That’s great. We could organize our own little terrorist organization’,” the man told police. Ahmed said the “terrorist” line was a misquote, and the club’s CEO — who has invited Ahmed back — recalled a different punchline: “I knew there was at least one of us in here. ...Comedians, of course. Comedians.” After the call came, police went to the Naples, Fla., comedy club to investigate. “Don’t change your set,” one officer told Ahmed. “Don’t change your jokes.” (AC/CNN, WBBH Fort Myers) ...Where was the caller born, and why did he never assimilate American values of free speech?