Indian American Hasan Minhaj among Time’s 100 most influential people of 2019

“Hasan is America. And America is Hasan,” writes Minhaj’s former Daily Show colleague Trevor Noah.

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Indian American comedian Hasan Minhaj has been named one of the 100 most influential people of 2019 by Time. The host of the Netflix show Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj is the only Indian American on the list, which also includes President Donald Trump, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, former First Lady Michelle Obama and sporting icons Tiger Woods and LeBron James.

Three Indians, billionaire Mukesh Ambani and public-interest litigators Arundhati Katju and Menaka Guruswam, who were instrumental in the scrapping of the discriminatory Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, also feature on the list.

Minhaj is listed among nine other “pioneers.”

An accompanying write-up on the comedian was authored by his one-time Daily Show with Jon Stewart colleague Trevon Noah.

Noah, who now hosts The Daily Show, writes: “See, Hasan is a first-generation, Indian American Muslim. But Hasan also loves the NBA, struggles with a ‘crippling’ sneaker habit and speaks fluent hip-hop. Patriot Act is the manifestation of Hasan’s whip-smart commentary, charisma and sincerity. It’s also a consistent reminder that Hasan is America. And America is Hasan.”

“Honored to be included in the 2019 #TIME100 — my brother @trevornoah gave me that co-sign!” Minhaj tweeted on Wednesday.

“After hosting the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and releasing his stand-up special Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King in 2017, the opportunity for a late-night show of his own wasn’t just obvious, it was necessary,” Noah writes. “We’ve needed Hasan’s voice since Donald Trump came down that golden escalator and turned immigrants and Muslims into his targets.”

Others featured on the list include Pope Francis, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Israeli Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu, UAE Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Zayed and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

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