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So I came across this list of jokes the other day and did some cursory research. There’s these jokes that have been doing the rounds of the internet for some time – some of you may even have come across these already.
Its claimed that the jokes are by a Palestinian stand-up comic named Goffaq Yussef. The name alone makes me think that this is probably a hoax, coupled with the fact that there is no news about this person that I have found yet. However in the interest of fairness, if the guys real, well then he has a pretty funny sense of humour.
I post this here not to create noise and stir anger/hatred, partly these jokes are funny and partly it makes a point.
Ive always felt that people take a lot of stuff to seriously, especially when it comes to religion and culture. I have a lot of issues with things the world over (as does pretty much everyone) and few countries have as much mixed emotion attached as US of A. But the one thing I give them is that they (a fair number of them anyhow) can take a joke, be it the South Park humour, Conan O’Brien type humour, Family Guy humour.. take your pick!
I get that there are lines that need to be respected. But baseline pretty much everything can be funny and I dont know about you, but I feel that you need to be able to take a joke and laugh. No matter what.
Two epigrams that Ive always held somewhere in my mind help make the point Im going for here: (pardon any errors, Im quoting from distant memory here!)
“If you can’t laugh at yourself, you could be missing the joke of the century.”
– Bill Cosby
“If you take life too seriously, you’ll never get out alive.”
– Van Wilder (Ryan Reynolds)
But it is what it is, people take stuff waaaay too seriously most of the time – and I find many folks love laughing but if a joke touches on something that is important to them they get into a killing mood!
If that is the case, you have no sense of humour – you are pretty much just comfortable making fun of others.
From personal experience, I grew up as a chubby kid, had zits, the usual stuff. Ive had jokes of all kinds thrown at me, but in the end I learned to laugh at them and make more then a few myself. Ive changed some over the years, physically and otherwise but never lost the ability to laugh at practically anything.
Sure there are jokes in poor taste, things that just have no humour in them (like murder, rape, etc..) but pretty much everything else if fair game if you ask me.
Anyhow, to close, here’s a sampling of some of the jokes attributed to the clever Goffaq, cheers folks, catch you next time.. (I will admit, the last one had me cracking up like a madman!..)
Good evening gentlemen, and get out, ladies.
How many Palestinians does it take to change a light bulb. None! They sit in the dark forever and blame the Jews for it!
Did you hear about the Broadway play, The Palestinians? It bombed!
Did you hear about the Muslim strip club? It features full facial nudity!
Why do Palestinians find it convenient to live on the West Bank? Because it’s just a stone’s throw from Israel!
Why are Palestinian boys luckier than American boys? Because every Palestinian boy will get to join a rock group! !
A small plane carrying Yasser Arafat and all his top lieutenants crashes and all aboard are killed. Who is saved? The Palestinian people!
What does the sign say above the nursery in a Palestinian maternity ward? “Live ammunition.”
A Palestinian girl says to her mommy, “After Abdul blows up, can I have his room?”
A Palestinian suspect was being grilled by Israeli police. “Honest, I’m not a suicide bomber,” he said. “I didn’t say I wanted to blow myself up so I could sleep with 72 virgins. All I said was I’m dying to get laid!”
One Happy Monk's Reviews 
>:) These are funny stuff.But the joke about Yasser Arafat is a bit tasteless, maybe because the guy is dead, but primarily because he was indeed killed by the Israelis… Humans with conscience would never let a very sick man stuck in a building, until his very last breath, without any medical help.That's foul murder indeed, no matter what people say that it was indirect. 😦
>Hahahahah! 😀 I loved them.
>@shadowyou're probably right, but it illustrates a lot about drawing lines in jokes in regard to whats funny and whats not. its not a goo joke, not nice and yes a bit tasteless – but there will still be people who will see something in it to laugh about. And thats my point, you cant silence everyone.. what is needed is boundaries and courtesy to others sensibilities. @utopiaglad you were amused! 🙂
>I had only just posted and before I know it there was a comment. 🙂 Actually very few pp read my blog these days but I still write. Heheheh!
>heh, I know the feeling.. :)not too many folks reading mine either but I still enjoy writing, just need to find the time and mental energy. hope you like the latest.. 😉