9 Quotes & Sayings By Maysoon Zayid

Maysoon Zayid was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh. At the age of 12 she moved to the United States and later graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry. Maysoon is an accomplished actress and television personality who has appeared on numerous television shows including “The Sopranos,” “Sister Act,” and “Desperate Housewives.” She also starred as a co-host on the Fox News Channel show “The War Room.” Maysoon is a motivational speaker, author, and entrepreneur. She is a co-founder of the Zayid Group of Companies which includes Zayid Productions, a production company which has produced two feature films: "No Turning Back" and "Split Decisions." In addition to being an executive producer of these films, Maysoon also wrote and produced them as well as performing in both films.

1
I'm not here to impose Sharia law, and I'm not here to have a message about disability being inspirational - I'm here to make people laugh. But when I can layer things and make people not only laugh but question, make people not only laugh but be offended... I have to do that. Maysoon Zayid
2
We have been sold a Muslim boogeyman. We are buying into it, and we are terrified, and that terror is causing people to lash out at comedians like myself or women wearing hijabs, or anyone who seems to defend equality for Muslims worldwide. Maysoon Zayid
3
I was able to walk at 5. I had to be able to walk in order to be mainstreamed into public school. And my father worked day and night to teach me how to walk. And I think what's so amazing about this is the fact that he was told that I would never walk. And he decided that he was going to try. Maysoon Zayid
4
If you're disabled, and you're trying to achieve your dreams, accept the fact right now that you have to work 500 times more than the average bear next to you. Stop bucking for sympathy, put on your titanium legs, and run. Maysoon Zayid
5
I'm a person who watches TV all the time - all the time I love TV. And I really think that the media heavily influences how we as a society behave towards each other. And one of the things that I find to be lacking on television are positive images of diversity. Maysoon Zayid
6
The people that I grew up with had no problem with my faith. They did, however, seem very concerned that I would starve to death during Ramadan. I would explain to them that I have enough fat to live off of for three whole months, so fasting from sunrise to sunset is a piece of cake. Maysoon Zayid
7
My friend and I founded the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival to counter the negative images of Arabs in media. And we always made sure that the comedy came first. So we weren't a bunch of Arabs trying to be funny. We were a bunch of comedians who just happened to be of Arab heritage. Maysoon Zayid
8
I'm very much inspired by things that anger me. If I see bigotry, stupidity, or injustice on the news, I'm inspired to find a way to make it into something comedic and relatable. Anger inspires me. Stupidity inspires me. My family inspires me. My accountant inspires me. Everything and anything, really. Maysoon Zayid