by Fatima Aruri

RAMALLAH, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian American comedian Amer Zahr believes comedy is a form of protest in which he can bring up the Palestinian issue through his stand-up comedy.

The comedian, 41-year-old, is widely known as a dedicated activist for the Palestinian cause. He draws inspirations of his performance from his own life experience as a refugee in Jordan in the late 1970's and then as an immigrant with his family in the United States at the age of three.

Zahr has performed throughout the world. He recently started a comedy festival in Palestine to bring laughter to people as a tool of awareness and therapy.

He describes the philosophy behind his comedy, saying that "comedy in its purest form is a form of protest. It's a way of talking to power and when you make people laugh, they listen to you and when you make powerful people laugh - you know - they won't kill you."

Saba Bustam said she attended one of Zahr's shows in the United States, "but it felt here amongst a Palestinian crowd," she said.

She said "it somehow seemed every funnier because it relates to the absurdities of our everyday life under occupation in a simple way and raveling the irony in many things."

Faris Arouri said this is the first time he attends a stand-up comedy show, and was "excited to enjoy such a well organized stand-up comedy show, with a high number of good and really good comedians."

Zahr expressed his wish to expand this form of theatre performance, which is very limited in Palestine.

"I wish I could come here someday and stay for six months or a year to sort of build maybe stand-up comedy club somewhere where people can just come it a try," said Zahr.

Besides being a comedian, Zahr is also a filmmaker, a writer, a political commentator and an adjunct professor of law at a university in Detroit.