{"id":14727,"date":"2022-10-04T17:12:01","date_gmt":"2022-10-04T17:12:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.interfaithamerica.org\/?p=14727"},"modified":"2023-06-02T15:54:26","modified_gmt":"2023-06-02T15:54:26","slug":"azhar-usman-brings-islam-ramy-and-mo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.interfaithamerica.org\/article\/azhar-usman-brings-islam-ramy-and-mo\/","title":{"rendered":"Writer Azhar Usman Brings Joy and Islam to Hit Shows ‘Ramy’ and ‘Mo’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Interfaith America Interview<\/span>\n

Writer Azhar Usman Brings Joy and Islam to Hit Shows ‘Ramy’ and ‘Mo’<\/h1>\n
\n By
Silma Suba and Monique Parsons<\/address>\n <\/div>\n

October 4, 2022<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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Azhar Usman, a stand-up comedian, is a creative advisor and writer on several hit shows. Photo credit: Sarah Larson<\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Recent hit shows on streaming services Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ are shifting the narrative about American Muslims in Hollywood, from \u201cMo<\/a>,\u201d which follows a Palestinian American refugee in Houston; to \u201cMs. Marvel,\u201d about a teenage Muslim superhero; and \u201cRamy,\u201d Ramy Youssef\u2019s Emmy nominated, Golden Globe and Peabody award-winning comedy that just launched its third season<\/a>. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you stay and watch the credits for these series, you may notice one name popping up again and again: Azhar Usman. A comedian from Skokie, Illinois, who rose to fame two decades ago with the \u201cAllah Made Me Funny\u201d comedy tour. Usman has opened for Hasan Minhaj and Dave Chappelle, is a creative advisor and co-writer on the show \u201cRamy,\u201d and is a writer on \u201cMo,\u201d the hit Netflix comedy by Usman\u2019s former touring partner, comedian Mo Amer. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For anyone following Usman\u2019s career, these Hollywood credits rest atop a decades-long commitment to build a rich, more nuanced understanding of Islam and American Muslims for American audiences. Earlier in his career, Usman, a former lawyer, co-founded a Chicago-based foundation dedicated to Islamic spirituality and scholarship, inspired by the teachings of <\/span>Umar Abd-Allah<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Usman is quick to point out part of a team in any writers\u2019 room, and he considers himself a comedian first, but it\u2019s clear that he\u2019s helping shape a more nuanced and profound interpretation of Muslim spirituality in Hollywood. In a recent conversation with Silma Suba and Monique Parsons of Interfaith America Magazine, it\u2019s also clear he\u2019s only getting started. Audiences will be hearing from and seeing more of Usman in the months ahead. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The conversation has been edited for length.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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