| Shabana Rehman Gaarder | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 July 1976 Karachi, Pakistan |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Field | stand-up comedy |
Shabana Rehman Gaarder (Urdu: شبانه رحمان ) (born 14 July 1976 in Karachi, Pakistan) is a Norwegian stand-up comedian, writer and columnist.
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One of seven children,[1] she moved with her family to Norway in 1977.
In June 2007 Rehman told about an abusive relationship which she had been in through her three years of secondary school 1993–1997. She detailed the relationship in an article called "The First Blow" for the Norwegian women's magazine HENNE ("Her") where she was one of three guest editors of a special issue, "HENNE mot vold" ("HENNE Against Violence"). The article which she dedicated to the victims of abuse focuses on the feelings of shame and guilt which accompany such experiences of victimization. Although some people knew about the abuse, at the time she had told nobody about the full extent of it. Rehman did not express bitterness towards her former abuser, which she considers as much a victim as she was. At the time she was living in a juvenile home. [2] In August 2008 Shabana Rehman announced that she was writing a book about this ordeal, to be published later in the year. The title of the book is going to be Blåveis, which is a Norwegian word with double meaning, both the name of a beautiful spring flower, hepatica as well as the colloquial term for a black eye.[3]
She married writer Dagfinn Nordbø in 2003, the two having initially met on the stand-up circuit in 1999. Tabloid newspaper Dagbladet listed the couple among the country's most influential opinion shapers.[4] After two years of marriage the couple split up as Rehman was moving to the United States for studies. Then in August 2007 the couple announced that they were divorcing though still remaining friends.[5]
In 2008 she married Martin Gaarder, a journalist in the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.[6]
She is active in several arenas and is devoted to breaking taboos and creating more openness.
Rehman started her career as a columnist in VG in 1996, her debut as a stand-up comedian came in 1999.[7] She later started working as a columnist for Dagbladet in 2000 and now regularly writes for newspapers and magazines.
Rehman has received international publicity and has been interviewed by Time Magazine and the New York Times.[7] Her shows have played for full houses in Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. She is fluent in Norwegian, Urdu and English, and has performed in German.[7]
In 2006 Shabana joined the American Comedy Institute in New York.[7]
These are some of the events that have created debate around her persona. In Scandinavia it is referred to as the "Shabana debate".[7] She has police protection.[1]
Anthropologist Marianne Gullestad accused Rehman of reinforcing stereotypes about Muslims, and making Norwegians think it's ok to discriminate against immigrants.[4]
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Nils Christie |
Recipient of the Fritt Ord Award 2002 (shared with Aslam Ahsan) |
Succeeded by Berge Furre |