Comedian Hasan Al-Habib made a heartbreaking admission about being ashamed of his religion
Hasan said he grew up being ashamed (Image: BBC)
Award-winning stand-up comedian Hasan Al-Habib has made a heart-wrenching confession about once feeling embarrassed by his religion during his younger years.
Hasan is one of seven celebrities embarking on Pilgrimage: The Road to Holy Island, which returns for its eighth series.
Joining Hasan on the programme are former Britain’s Got Talent champion and Dancing on Ice judge, Ashley Banjo, radio producer, Ashley Blaker, Cold Feet actress, Hermione Norris, television and radio presenter, Jayne Middlemiss, actress and singer, Patsy Kensit, and Love Island and Strictly Come Dancing star, Tasha Ghouri.
However, in one segment, Hasan candidly discussed his experience growing up as a Muslim and how he once felt shame about his heritage.
He shared, “I was aware of faith from a pretty early age. I was lucky that I was definitely aware of my religion before I was aware that people don’t like it necessarily, or there are some people that are prejudiced against it,” reports the Express.
“I was growing up post 911 during the Iraq War, and that’s why, for a long time, I was kind of ashamed of being Iraqi because I didn’t like being associated with this war.
“I didn’t like being seen as the face of this conflict, so I tried to be as white British as I possibly could, and I realised that if you were funny, people liked you, and that was an invaluable currency for me at the time, because people didn’t like me.”
He continued, “Being Iraqi now, career-wise, it has been a really good thing. It’s definitely something I lean into now, maybe even too much for someone who doesn’t speak Arabic fluently and has only been to Iraq once in their life.”
Discussing his aspirations for featuring on the programme, the comedian added, “I’m really looking forward to the big questions and the searching questions that come as a part of doing this process. If you’re a rational human being, you’ve got to wonder, what happens at the end of all this, or where did we come from?”
He reflected: “People spend their whole lives answering those questions. So to have this opportunity to do it with other people, I think is really, I’m gonna say it’s a blessing.”
Hasan also accompanied Ashley and Tasha to a mosque, which proved to be a touching yet emotional experience for the duo. Tasha confessed to feeling quite moved, revealing to her co-star Hermione Norris that it was a revelation for her.
She said, “I am never going to forget it, and I felt quite emotional just seeing them two just really embracing their religion and just doing their prayer, but it was when they were doing it together, and that’s what made me go like, ‘Wow’.”
She added: “It was just powerful, and it made me realise we need to be more open-minded about religion and just not judge what people believe in, just because they believe in something different from what we may believe in.”
At another moment, Tasha became tearful as she remembered experiencing online abuse when she featured on Love Island. As she attempted to hold back tears, Tasha stated, “I suffered with ableism while I was on a reality TV show. People use your disability as their point to hate somebody. When people go on TikTok, making videos, literally taking the mick at how I spoke, it still gets to me now.”
She remarked through tears, “I don’t like crying,” before continuing, “It’s literally three years ago, but it still gets to me. I think it’s because I saw the impact it had on my family, my dad and mum had to see so many horrible comments about my disability, my and that’s why now I have a stronger shield within me, really.”
Pilgrimage: The Road to Holy Island is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.