Whether discussing white nationalism, his disdain for Batman and Superman, or the importance of having Indian aunties in your corner, comedian, Trevor Noah brought equal doses of wit and wisdom to a variety of social justice issues. “The Daily Show” host  sat down for a wide-ranging conversation with journalist Mehdi Hasan Friday night in Houston, Texas, as part of the 56th annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America.

Noah – who hails from South Africa and has hosted his popular night-time news comedy show since 2015 when he succeeded Jon Stewart – was joined onstage by Mehdi Hasan, a British journalist for Al Jazeera News.

The two opened the talk by addressing the current political climate in the United States, with Hasan referencing what he called “depressing, dark times in America” and asking Noah’s advice for Muslims living in the era of Donald Trump.

Noah didn’t mince words, encouraging his audience to use their circumstances to affect change, saying, “No major societal change has come from being comfortable.”

In fact, he encouraged young people to use their voices and their energy to fight for change and to speak out against bigotry, racism and injustice in their country.

Oh his advise to young people, Trevor Noah encouraged advocacy, “Every movement that has changed the world has come from young people.”@AbtIslamNet #trevornoah #isnacon2019

— Carissa Lamkahouan (@cdlamkahouan) August 31, 2019

“What’s going on right now feels like an assault, but these moments in time are a test of who we are,” Noah said.

Addressing the narrative that Pres. Trump is advancing white nationalism, Noah stopped short of calling the president a white nationalist but said he believed he embraced the ideology, in part, to appease one part of his conservative base and to retain political power. He said this is one reason why he won’t host the president on his show or interview him. To do so, he said, would give Trump the legitimacy he wants, something Noah said he isn’t willing to do.

“I won’t afford him the fear and reverence that he so desperately seeks because he doesn’t deserve it,” he said. “He wants to be treated like a great leader, but he’s not, so I choose to treat (his presidency) with humor.”

In that vein, Noah urged the audience not to take everything the president puts out there seriously, arguing doing so would only contribute to the tumultuous and often dizzying news cycle the president generates every time he opens his mouth, signs an executive order or takes to Twitter.

Biased Media

He said news today is defined by a “completely new and chaotic news cycle” where, when it comes to cable news broadcasts, many viewers have a hard time distinguishing what’s unbiased, legitimate news information and what’s entertainment. To that, Mehdi asked Noah how he viewed his public role, particularly when he’s sitting behind the anchor desk of “The Daily Show.”

Noah called himself an aggregator. “I sort through all the muck and cut it down for you to save you time,” he said. Still, he didn’t let his audience off the hook when it comes to informing themselves about what’s going on in the news, not only in the United States but around the world.

“Read your news,” he said. “It’s boring, but read your news.” He added people should focus on the long-term implications and big-picture perspective of news rather than only what’s happening in the moment.

The event, which drew a packed house, hit on several other topics including “the squad,” a four-female contingency of U.S. House of Representatives members – Ilham Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts – which Noah praised as a group of women of color speaking their mind.

“Which blows Trump’s mind,” Hasan quipped.

Talking questions from Hasan and the audience, Noah discussed his upbringing in apartheid South Africa, his relationship status -“single” and “married to my work” – his opinion on which Democratic presidential candidate can go toe-to-toe with Trump in a debate – Bernie Sanders because “ he doesn’t care about niceties” when dealing with Trump” – and what he likes best about America.

“There’s a feeling of unlimited opportunity here that’s hard to create or find anywhere else in the world,” he said, adding the great advantage of living in a society that values freedom and freedom of religion. “America celebrates your right to be Muslim.”

When it comes to what he doesn’t like, Noah again centered on politics, saying he was baffled by the lack of choice in the American political system, particularly the two major parties Republicans and Democrats.

As the talk wound down, several audience members questioned why Noah accepted ISNA’s speaking invitation. His answer was simple.

“You should foster community to make the larger community a better place,” he said. “You should celebrate your community.”