Alesha Dixon, the judge who gave him the Golden Buzzer, said: “I think you’re very brave to take on the subject of racism…it’s very poignant right now and we all need to learn to laugh a bit more and have a sense of humor”.
Britain’s Got Talent Finalist and Comedian Nabil Abdulrashid Abused Online with Racism and Islamophobia
Alesha Dixon, the judge who gave him the Golden Buzzer, said: “I think you’re very brave to take on the subject of racism…it’s very poignant right now and we all need to learn to laugh a bit more and have a sense of humor”.
Comedian Nabil Abdulrashid, performing a stand-up for the fifth semi-final for Britain’s Got Talent, has received a horrendous wave of racist and Islamophobic abuse online following his most recent successful audition.
Revealing that he has received death threats and abuse after his comedy stand-up, where he in part touched on topics such as racism, police discrimination, and Islamophobia, Nabil’s experience is just another example of far-right and xenophobic rhetoric that continues to target successful minority figures in Britain.
Much of the abuse, being racist and Islamophobic, targetted Nabil simply because of what he represents: a diverse and multi-ethnic Britain that is not afraid to speak out on the systematic wrongs that need to be dealt with. Taking to Twitter, Nabil responded with:
I promise to do no jokes about racism or islamophobia in my final if I experience no racism or islamophobia between now and then 🤷🏿♂️😊😉
— Nabil Abdulrashid (@Nabilu) October 4, 2020
Yea… but England ain’t racist though. https://t.co/cIZTIjJYm4
— Nabil Abdulrashid (@Nabilu) October 5, 2020
Despite the backlash that came after, Nabil’s performance was highly praised by the judges, who sent him through into the upcoming Britain’s Got Talent final.
Alesha Dixon, the judge who gave him the Golden Buzzer, said: “I think you’re very brave to take on the subject of racism…it’s very poignant right now and we all need to learn to laugh a bit more and have a sense of humor”.
With the rise of open Islamophobia and right-wing extremism sponsoring anti-immigrant and racist ideology, many who are from ethnic-minority or religious backgrounds fear for the future in both the UK and Western Europe.
Representation and visibility have become more important than ever – and people like Nabil, who remain proudly Muslim and unabashedly themselves, continue to pave the way for those most vulnerable in society. Let us hope that he not only continues to gain traction in mainstream British media but helps open doors for other Muslims to follow as well.
Nabil hosts a podcast with TMV’s Chief Editor Salim Kassam called “I Am Not Your Bilal”, in which they discuss a wide range of topics, from systematic racism, the history of Islam in Africa, and interracial marriages and multi-ethnic identities – to listen click here!
