Azhar Usman is a standup comedian, actor, writer, and producer from Chicago. He was called “America’s Funniest Muslim” by CNN and was named among the “500 Most Influential Muslims in the World” by Georgetown University. Formerly an attorney, he has worked as a performing artist and entertainment industry professional for over a decade. During that time, as co-creator of the internationally- acclaimed standup revue Allah Made Me Funny–The Official Muslim Comedy Tour, he has toured over twenty-five countries, as well as comedy clubs, campuses, and theaters all over the United States. Azhar has worked with many of his favorite comedians, including Jim Gaffigan, Hannibal Buress, Russell Peters, and Dave Chappelle. In fact, he has opened for Chappelle over 50 times over the past decade, becoming one of the comedy legend’s favorite opening acts and causing him to remark: “AZHAR USMAN is UNTOUCHABLE.” His work has been reviewed and/or featured by over 100 major media outlets worldwide, including The New York Times, BBC, FOX News, NPR, and The Economist. Besides standup, Azhar has also appeared on television and film. Azhar is widely regarded to be a pioneer among Muslim standup comedians, and his self-produced 2003 comedy CD SQUARE THE CIRCLE: American Muslim Comedy of Distortion became an underground classic among English-speaking Muslim communities around the world. His work as a solo comic, as well as with the Allah Made Me Funny collective, has inspired a generation of comedians – well over 50 performers – scattered across over a dozen countries.