Florida man calls 911 after comedian makes Middle East joke
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One audience member at a Florida standup comedy show couldn’t take a joke.
Comedian Ahmed Ahmed, who is of Egyptian descent, was performing at the Off The Hook Comedy Club in Naples, Fla., on Saturday when he made a joke about Islamic terrorism, prompting someone in the crowd to phone 911.
"Clap if you're from the Middle East," Ahmed said, according to a clip posted on the club's Facebook page. "All right. We got a handful of us in in here, nice. But, hey, it only takes one of us ... to tell a joke."
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The wisecrack prompted one audience member to call the Collier County Sheriff's Department to report Ahmed. He claimed the comedian also joked about starting a terrorist cell after asking how many Muslims were in attendance.
"I mean it really bothered me," the caller said, according to the sheriff's department audio release of the call. "And I yelled out, `And the paddy wagon is going to be outside to get all of you.' "
He said he was concerned Ahmed would make the joke again in a later performance.
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"I don't know if it's fear, racism, ignorance, or Islamophobia, or whatever you want to call it," Ahmed told WBBH-TV in Fort Meyers. "It's unfortunate that somebody was very adamant about making a point to make a 911 call."
Sheriff's deputies showed up to the club to speak with Ahmed before his Sunday night set and left.
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Club owner Brian Spina said he was just as surprised by the call as Ahmed was.
"Nothing I can remember sparks anything in my mind that I say 'Wow that was way off track,'" Spina said in a video Ahmed posted to Twitter.