Staff photo by Fritz Busch Drawing lots of audience laughs, Minneapolis comedian Ali Sultan tells a wide variety of jokes at the New Ulm Public Library Saturday.

NEW ULM — Like a breath of fresh air, an African Arab provided nearly an hour of comic relief, hitting many subjects to an appreciative audience Saturday at the New Ulm Public Library.

Ali Sultan, who moved to a Twin Cities suburb from Yeman at the age of 15, had to learn English before growing the desire to go on stage.

Several years ago, he became the first Yemeni American to make a stand up television network debut on The Lake Show with Stephen Colbert. He’s been on Comedy Central’s Hart of the The city with Kevin Hart.

Sultan recently represented Minnesota and won the Best in the Midwest award at Gilda’s LaughFest, America’s first-ever festival of laughter, an emotional health support community of children, adults, families and friends on any kind of cancer journey or those grieving a death due to any cause, at Gilda’s Social Club in Grand Rapids, Mi.

“I was born a devout, Muslim and one I accidentally tried bacon and found Jesus that day,” said as an opening joke. Much of his comedy leaned into ethnicity.

Sultan told a story about nearly being mugged at 2 a.m. one night.

“A guy pulled a gun on me at a fast food restaurant after I told him to get out everybody’s way after he demanded everybody get out of his way. I was full of the spirit of Jack Daniel’s (whiskey),” he added.

“Then I told the guy I was from Yeman. He hugged me, said he was from Palestine and invited me over to his residence. I wound up on his living room couch,” Sultan joked.

Other jokes poked fun at European colonization.

“I am scared of alien invasion and the only thing that gives me hope is white men because they are the best at conquering other civilizations,” Sultan said. “If we find life in another planet we just need to send 10-15 Chads to space.”

“Riding an airplane, I pretend to be from Puerto Rico,” he said with a Spanish accent.

Ali’s album Happy to Be Here and Funny First can be heard on Spotify, Sirius Xm and has over 1 millions streams on Pandora.

When not doing stand up comedy, Ali makes short videos. His short Zoom Legend won the Best Short Mockumentary Film Award at the 2021 Reno Film Comedy Fest.

The program was made possible by the Friends of the New Ulm Public Library.