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I must confess to having certain preconceptions, none of which I am proud of, before seeing a Muslim comedian. I am happy to say they were all proven wrong from the opening onslaught of high fives and positive energy that made it clear I was in for, at the very least, a very entertaining hour of comedy. Not only did Aatif come across as a genuinely nice guy, but one who’s faith had helped him attain a level of benevolence that allowed his message that we are all essentially the same be communicated with total conviction. Hell, if that’s what being a Muslim does for you, sign me up.

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But then again, as with any faith, there are the bad apples. And Aatif was not afraid of exposing the rotten side of Islam and even encouraged us to poke fun at it ourselves. All done concisely and with a sharpness of wit that made the time fly by. It’s not often I see a show, even one I enjoy, where I can’t help but count the minutes a little. However, with Aatif’s effort I actually felt like asking “Is that all there is?” only to realize a full hour had indeed elapsed.

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If you want taboos broken, and to see a man on a genuine quest to save us from our own prejudices, this show definitely deserves your attention. A worthy cause fought by a worthy contender. The fact that it’s on the free fringe only makes it even more essential. I didn’t laugh until it hurt, but if you’re a good, clean-living human being on a true quest for tolerance then you probably will. FOUR STARS

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