Using Muslim superheroes to battle radicalism in youth
The Cornfed Gamer tipped us off to this AP story about new efforts to create fiction and games based on Muslim superheroes. From the Jakarta Globe:
From video games like “Bab el-Hara’’ to a Kuwaiti entrepreneur’s comic book empire featuring Muslim superheroes, the Arab world’s private sector is leading a push to provide Muslim and Arab youth with homegrown heroes, as a bulwark against the trend toward radical Islam throughout the Middle East.
Clearly, superheroes won’t offset all the problems that stoke radicalism — anger at corrupt Arab regimes and at Israel over its treatment of Palestinians — but El-Zanaty said he hoped these pop culture characters could give young people a positive image of themselves as Arabs.
“We wanted something that reflected our culture … developed with an Arab perspective,’’ he said.
In Kuwait, Naif al-Mutawa had a similar vision. The Teshkeel Media Group founder, a psychologist, drew some inspiration for his comic book empire from treating Iraqi soldiers suffering trauma after the first Gulf War in 1990. Some of these men told him they’d been raised to view Saddam Hussein as an Arab hero .
“What kind of message are we sending to our children about what a hero is, and what a hero does?’’ al-Mutawa asked. His “The 99’’ — as the comic book series is called — draws from the heyday of Muslim civilization. Each hero is named after one of the 99 qualities the Quran attributes to God, such as “The Powerful’’ and “The Loving.’’
Cornfed asks “Are there any Arab or Muslim heroes in comics today?” I’m sure there is someone really obvious I’m missing, but I can’t think of anyone. Frankly, Nightcrawler is the only character I can think of whose religion is ever mentioned. My brain is also fried today, so I’m waiting for all the other examples I’m forgetting.
Isn’t Black Adam a Muslim? He’s kind of heroic, sometimes, in his own way.
Dust is a Muslim member of the Young X-Men. Kitty Pryde was regularly mentioned as Jewish, even waving around a Star of David at times.
http://www.adherents.com/lit/comics/comic_book_religion.html
This site is pretty interesting.
@ Doom DeLuise – Black Adam isn’t Muslim, if anything he’s a Pagan, as are the other members of the Marvel Family.
He is, however, an Arab, and his ethnicity has been addressed explicitly at least since Infinite Crisis (IIRC, when Captain Nazi tells him he’s going to enjoy killing him because he’s not Aryan).
Isis probably is a Muslim, at least in her un-powered form. It’s certainly implied by her appearances before Billy gave her the power to channel her divine abilities through the mystic scarab.
While I like that Adam’s ethnicity is being highlighted given his recent popularity, the ugly turn that Isis’ character has taken as a vindictive, hateful person who was “wrong” about mercy and redemption has me a bit concerned; maybe it’s for the best that her ethnicity and/or religious beliefs aren’t examined too closely, after all.
As a fan and follower of the Marvel Family, I’d say you have a lot of reasons to be concerned, Jeff.
Can you think of a bigger mess right now, honestly? These characters are being put through the ringer.
Agreed, Doom DeLuise. I didn’t mind when they changed Mary’s costume colors (I also thought her cape should have been blue with gold trim, though), but I knew when they changed Junior’s cape so that Super
skankSupergirl could have her “own look” there was movement afoot to do-in the Marvels.I don’t get the argument that Cap can’t be made to work today. I think the bigger problem is that DC doesn’t know how/isn’t willing to invest in the characters to make them work.
Superman works today, and (though I don’t like the character much), he’s been able to do it without becoming a dark, brooding, vigilante anti-hero.
Supergirl works today, albeit barely and only recently. And now that she’s being portrayed more as a 16 year old and less as an anorexic pin-up girl, I’d go so far as to say that she’s both bad-ass and wholesome, at least for now.
The JSA always made sense for the Marvels. Immediately post-Crisis (the first one, not the last two), I thought for sure that the Marvel Family would have filled-in the holes in the JSA lineup that were left by porting Superman and Wonder Woman exclusively to the present day. Hell, they could have left the pre-Crisis Marvel Family origin completely intact (the Suspendium thing). When they finally got around to actually putting Cap in the JSA lineup, I was thrilled. What the f*ck they’re doing now, I have no idea. 😥
Billy’s lack of interest/concern/angst over what his sister’s gone through is inconceivable, especially if you choose to acknowledge The Trials of Shazam! as continuity (personally, I don’t). Not only is it totally out of character, it creates continuity baggage that desperately needs to (but probably never will) be addressed.
The other thing that really pisses me off (since I’m on a roll) is the implication that Captain Marvel is “just another Superman,” as seen in that recent Final Crisis spin-off. Someone please explain to me just how Captain Marvel – *any* Captain Marvel – can be considered one of the multi-verse’ Supermen if the 52-multiverse origin is cannon? If I understand how the current multiverse came into being, there should be 52 Captains Marvel *and* 52 Supermen and in one corner of the multi-verse (Earth 5, specifically) Captain Marvel eclipses Superman the way that Superman eclipses everyone else, everywhere else.
OK, I’ve said enough. Someone get me a cocktail!
Arabian Knight from the 2006 Union Jack mini-series is Muslim.
Serba (from the same mini) and Kitty Pryde are Jewish.
Just a couple off the top of my head…