Humza Arshad is a comedian on a mission – making people laugh, while talking about things like Islamophobia and the radicalisation of young Muslim kids.
SEE ALSO:How sunshine is bringing radio to remote parts of South SudanArshad became a viral hit with his YouTube series about a young British-Pakistani Muslim growing up in London.
Almost a decade later, he started working with London's Met Police Unit, speaking with young British Muslims in some of the most at-risk schools and colleges. The school that "Jihadi John" —the English-speaking man believed to be in ISIS beheading videos — went to was one of them.
Next he was chosen by YouTube to become one of the "ambassadors" in its Creators for Change programme, part of the video platform's global effort to take on "social issues like hate, extremism and xenophobia by promoting awareness, tolerance and empathy."
Arshad's debuted his first TV series, called Coconut, on BBC3, the first comedy series fronted by a British Muslim on the network. His character, Ahmed Armstrong, is a middle-aged Pakistani man, who, essentially, is just trying to be British.
The thing that connects all his work is his very topical and thoughtful kind of comedy. Arshad's powerful and self-deprecating humour has been breaking down stereotypes and countering harmful and racist discourse from the start. And his medium of choice has been social media platforms.
YouTube, as well as Facebook and Twitter, have all faced criticism for their inability to tackle extremist and hate speech trickling down through their channels. And with the record rise of hate crimes in the UK after the Brexit vote, tensions are running higher than usual.
For Arshad, the important thing is to have role models kids can look up to and relate to. Through his character Ahmed Armstrong, Arshad is offering a new generation of British Muslim kids an alternative on mainstream TV – representation.
Through his work with the police, he offers that connection to teenagers in anti-radicalisation workshops that, say, a white, male police officer simply doesn't have.
As a YouTube "ambassador," he brings it all back to where it started, using his original platform to spread a positive message and offer a counter-discourse to some of the harmful messages spreading online.
Arshad's next project, as a YouTube "ambassador" is tackling bullying and knife crime in a series of workshops. And from the looks of it, he shows no signs of stopping any time soon.
TopicsActivismBBCSocial MediaYouTube
(责任编辑：焦點)
You will love/hate Cards Against Humanity's new fortune cookies
Chili's can apparently answer your healthcare questions better than any politician
J.K. Rowling has flooded Twitter with otters for all the right reasons
Firefighters resuscitate unconscious puppy with special animal O2 mask
U.S. government issues warning on McDonald's recalled wearable devicesThis app is giving streaming TV news a second try
Watchup, the once-buzzy news video streaming service, is trying its hand again at the news game with
...[详细]Pumpkin Spice Latte? Whatever happened to simple drinks, like my triple foam half
Fall is here, and you know what that means: it’s finally time for the re-emergence of the dumb
...[详细]Not even the Mooch knows what 'The Scaramucci Post' is
If you're struggling to comprehend what the heck The Scaramucci Post is, you're not alone — th
...[详细]Getty promotes body positivity with a ban on Photoshopped images of models
Altering models' bodies is easy enough with editing software like Photoshop. But a new French law ma
...[详细]Michael Phelps says goodbye to the pool with Olympic gold
Michael Phelps left as he began: Winning. 。The most decorated athlete in Olympic history won gold in
...[详细]Firefighters resuscitate unconscious puppy with special animal O2 mask
You've heard of firefighters saving kittens from trees, but have you ever heard of them saving a pup
...[详细]Apple Watch Series 3 review: The smartest smartwatch yet
Let’s talk about the red dot.The hint of bright color on the Apple Watch Series 3 digital crow
...[详细]You can now disable Samsung's Bixby button
Samsung's latest crop of flagship phones -- Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note 8 -- have a dedica
...[详细]The five guys who climbed Australia's highest mountain, in swimwear
Climbing a freezing cold mountain is already hard enough work. But in briefs? Nope. 。It's too late fo
...[详细]Man asks Twitter for birthday drinks, gets way more than he bargained for
If you ask the internet for help, sometimes -- just sometimes -- it will deliver in a big way.It jus
...[详细]Two states took big steps this week to get rid of the tampon tax
Hotel puts proper gaming rigs in all its rooms, perfect for gamer couples on vacation
