Sam Touzani

Sam Touzani (1968) is a Belgian actor, television presenter, choreographer and stand-up comedian with Berber-Moroccan roots. Touzani is known as a critic of both Islamism, the far-right, and the politically correct left. He is an ex-Muslim and has received fatwa's and hundreds of death threats because of his public apostasy, especially from Muslims.
Biography
Touzani's parents came from the Rif in Morocco. They came to Belgium in 1964 during a migration wave. When Touzani was 8 years old, he and his parents took part in a demonstration against racism, which had a deep and lasting impact on him. He began to develop a strong interest in protest, political ideologies, forms of government and human rights. In this formative period, the Belgian-Moroccan dissident Mohammed el Baroudi had an important influence on the evolution of his ideas. He chose democracy and dialogue over violent resistance and authoritarianism.
He discovered theatre, comedy and humour as a means to make people think, question their views and start necessary discussions about societal issues. He read up on philosophy and psychoanalysis, two ways of thinking which made him very critical of religion, and publicly renounce his Islamic faith at the age of 19.
After the November 2015 Paris attacks, which were prepared in the Brussels municipality of Molenbeek, Touzani kept performing in Brussels, despite the heightened fears of new terrorist attacks and amid militarised security forces on the streets. He stated it was important not to give in to fear, and that he would maintain his 'sharp critique of Islamists, nationalists and extremists.' His new show Les enfants de Dom Juan, co-written by Ben Hamidou, was his response to the attacks, in which he demands the Muslim community to critically reflect on their beliefs and behaviour, that motivated some of its members towards radicalisation and terrorism. It also sought to break the taboo on homosexuality and apostasy within the Muslim community. Parti Socialiste politician Philippe Moureaux (former burgomaster of Molenbeek 1993–2012) banned Touzani from performing in the municipality for 10 years, and the show was boycotted by the inhabitants and associations of Molenbeek.
Views
Touzani is an 'atheist', an 'ex-Muslim' and 'irreligious', but he doesn't like those terms because they indicate what he is not, while there are many things he does believe in, namely 'humanity, nature and humane laws.' He is a great admirer of Richard Dawkins, the editors of Charlie Hebdo (many of whom he knows/knew personally), sympathises with the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (pastafarianism), and in one of his shows he announced his own parody religion of Touzanism.
Touzani often takes part in the public debate, and rebukes both far-right extremists (amongst which he includes Vlaams Belang) and Islamists who regularly send him death threats and have even attacked him physically for being an ex-Muslim and openly criticising Islam. Neither does he want 'the politically correct left' to tell him how to behave, and he refuses to use the term 'Islamophobia', "not even a second; that concept is being used to make any criticism [of Islam] impossible, and silence the real debate." Furthermore, he criticises cultural relativism: "Our country emphasies ethnic-religious diversity and rights, while equality, citizenship and transparency come in second place. It should be the other way around." According to Touzani, Islam is in desperate need of reform, similar to how the Catholic Church has implemented an aggiornamento at the Second Vatican Council; otherwise it will disappear due to its 'rigidity'.
Theatrical shows
2002: One Human Show, one man show, Théâtre de Poche (Brussels)
2003: Gembloux ! À la recherche de l'armée oubliée, with Ben Hamidou and Sam Touzani, KVS and Avignon (about Moroccan soldiers during World War I)
2004: Les Discours du XXième siècle, Théâtre de Poche (Brussels)
2005: Contes érotico-urbains, by Thomas Gunzig, with Riton Liebman, Théâtre de Poche (Brussels)
2005: Ruben déballe tout !, one man show
2005: Allah Super Star, by Yassir Ben Miloud, Théâtre de Poche (Brussels)
2006: Le Rapport des enfants sur l’état du Monde, by Stanislas Cotton, Théâtre de la Balsamine
2006: Liberté égalité sexualité, one man show by Bernard Breuse and Sam Touzani, KVS
2010: Mozaik, one man show, with Dhalia Pessemiers, Zuideperhuis, Antwerpen
2010: Ruben refait le monde, one man show, Festival of Spa
2011: À portée de crachat, by Taher Najib, with Sam Touzani, Espace Senghor
2011: For the Beauty of Confusion, musical spectacle, with Geike Arnaert, Le Botanique
2012: Peur de rien, one man show, with Richard Ruben, Centre culturel de Woluwé
2014: Papier d’Arménie – Sans retour possible, by Caroline Safarian, with Sam Touzani, Espace Magh
2014: Rwanda mais avant et puis après, by Souâd Belhaddad, with Sam Touzani, Centre culturel de Schaerbeek
2014: Je suis Belge... mais ça ne se voit pas, with Richard Ruben, Théâtre du Forum, Festival of Avignon
2014: Les chaussures de Fadi or Les Souliers de Fadi, by Caroline Safarian, with Ben Hamidou, Espace Magh
2015: C’est ici que le jour se lève, by Sam Touzani and Rolland Westreich, Théâtre Le Public
2016: Les enfants de Dom Juan
2017: Liberté-Egalité-Identité, Théâtre Le Public
Filmography
Films
Feature films
1997: Le Bal masqué by Julien Vrebos: Nico
1999: Deuxième quinzaine de juillet by Christophe Reichert: M. Dehaan
2003: Et si... (vertige de la page blanche) by Raoul Ruiz: Pierre Marchand
Short films and intermediate films
1995: La Visite, short film by Lilian Cornelis and Jean Baptiste Van Zeebroeck: Maxime
1996: Testament d'un macaque, intermediate film by Jamel Mokni: Lakhdar
2004: Beaucoup de bruit by Ismaël Saidi: Sami
2005: Le Train by Luc Descamps: the passenger
Television
1993: École d'enfer by Jacques Bourton: Mehdi
1994: La Veuve de l'architecte by Philippe Monnier: Pépo
1995: Tip Tap Show, television musical by Pierre Baré, RTBF-Télé 2-TV5: the professor / Charlot
2001: Le Piège d'Oléa by Alain Robak: the brancardier
2001: La Torpille by Luc Boland: Gus, the rapper
2009: Chante !: Karim Brahi
As presenter
1993: presentation of the theme night Étranges étrangers (Arte)
1993–1996: Luna Park (RTBF, TV5)
1994: live presentation of the Fête de la musique in Dinant (RTBF)
1995: co-presentation of L'Énigme de Cristal (RTBF, TV5)
1995: Basketmania (RTBF La Deux)
1997: co-presentation of Complètement Télé (RTBF La Deux)
2003: Mille et une culture, portrait of Sam Touzani (RTBF-TV5)
2004: La Bataille de Gembloux, de la réalité à la fiction (RTBF La Deux)
2006: La Malédiction de l’Anneau, series on Richard Wagner's Tetralogy (RTBF)
Recognition
Sabam award for Liberté-Egalité-Identité
References
External links
Official website
Living people
1968 births
Belgian male actors
Belgian atheists
Belgian male comedians
Belgian people of Riffian descent
Former Muslims turned agnostics or atheists
Former Muslim critics of Islam
Belgian critics of Islam