Poetry As Comedy, Politics and Religion As Farce

Some of the best comedy to be found these days comes courtsey of the British Muslim community.

I am not talking about stand up comics, or even sketch shows on TV, but some of the defence submissions made in terror cases. Better still is that these are usually made with a straight face - all good comedy has to be played either straight or very, very hammy.

Having had a succesion of Guantanamo Bay inmates all of all of whom claim to have been arrested when they were actually in Pakistan, were in Afghanistan to work for charities or to learn Arabic (odd that they did not go to an Arab speaking country to do that, but there you go) things have reached a new peak in the trial of WH Smith Sales assistant Samina Malik, accused of possessing four items of use to terrorists.

I have no idea if Ms Malik is guilty or not, or even if a trial should have been brought. What I do know is that her barristers description of her as a poet 'like Wilfred Owen' and her own description of herself as a 'lyrical terrorist' are the two funniest things I have heard all year. Here's a sample of the Islamic Wilfred Owen's prose:

"Kafirs your time will come soon, and no one will save you from your doom!"

Anyone who used to enjoy the poetry of Rik Mayall in the Young One's will recognise her style.

Compare for example Rik's "People's Poem":

"What do you think you're doing, pig?
Do you really give a fig, pig?
And what's your favourite sort of gig, pig?
Barry Manilow?
Or the black and white minstrel show?"

If convicted, perhaps Ms Malik will have time to produce a full volume of her verse, then we could make a more detailed comparison of these two literary giants?