Terminal 5’s Muslim stand-up comics take to the stage in St. Louis

Adil Qaisar is ready for takeoff. On July 30, the comedian and the Terminal 5 comedy tour land in St. Louis, bringing a diverse set of comics and backgrounds to the stage.

Along with Qaisar — who earlier this year opened for former “Patriot Act” host and comedian Hasan Minhaj — the Terminal 5 tour brings a total of six Muslim comics to the High Low literary arts cafe.

As Qaisar explained on Friday's St. Louis on the Air, the group’s name is inspired by a real-life airport terminal in Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Like the rest of Terminal 5, Qaisar was born outside the U.S., making them “international comics.”

The group’s members hail from different countries and heritages, from Syria to Palestine to Saudi Arabia. Qaisar noted that while his own material often delves into his upbringing, he’s not the sort of comic to punch down at his faith and traditions.

“I make sure it's not the butt of the joke,” he said, noting as example a story he tells onstage about his immigrant parents, who at one point during his childhood did not know enough English to understand his teachers when they called to report his misbehavior.