Comedian Nizar’s performance cancelled – After Luke Mockridge podcast

After Luke Mockridge’s anti-disability joke, podcast host Nizar Akremi is now also under fire. His show in Berlin-Reinickendorf has apparently been cancelled.

The Reinickendorf district office has cancelled the stage show “On Fire!” by comedian Nizar Akremi, which was planned for October 5th in the Ernst-Reuter-Saal of the Reinickendorf town hall. This is reported by the “Tagesspiegel”. “Anti-Semitism and jokes at the expense of disabled people have no place in the Reinickendorf district office,” a spokesperson for the district office told the newspaper, explaining the cancellation. The Reinickendorf district office has been aware of such statements by Nizar Akremi for a few days.

While Akremi’s podcast episode with Luke Mockridge as guest was criticized mainly for anti-disability jokes, Akremi has long been accused of anti-Semitism. Two years ago, the “Jüdische Allgeeine” criticized Akremi for using anti-Semitic clichés in the sketches of his stage show at the time and for making jokes about the Shoah.

In a recent article from Monday, the “Jüdische Allgemeine” cites further statements by Akremi that are said to demonstrate his anti-Semitism even off stage. According to the article, in addition to “problematic statements” about the Middle East conflict, the comedian also directly attacks Jewish people such as the actress Gal Gadot.

When asked by the “Jüdische Allgemeine”, Akremi explained that although he was “sometimes deliberately provocative” on the outside, he “never meant it seriously or in a bad way”. Even as a private person, he was “not an anti-Semite, racist, homophobic or sexist”. His audience could expect a “mix of personal experiences, observations, fictional events and audience involvement”. There will be no jokes about Israel or Jews in his show “On Fire!”, the comedian assured.

Despite the announced cancellation in Berlin-Reinickendorf, tickets for Akremi’s show in the Ernst-Reuter-Saal are still available on the Eventim ticket platform. The comedian has yet to comment on the allegations, but he announced a statement for Wednesday evening.