Why not a Muslim superheroine comic?

What i think would be a better idea would be for a cartoon with a multi-ethnic youth team (like a new Captain Planet or something) to have one of the characters be a Muslim teen girl. Something similar to Linka (again Captain Planet), to just demonstrate the whole Not So Different concept.

Super-villains like large crowds to either sway or endanger. <shrugs> And, taking down the Smug Snake that let them just do whatever they wanted out of short-sighted greed is always nummy.

edited 5th Jun '13 8:56:08 PM by Euodiachloris

For that concept to work she wold have to be so religiously moderate she would be boarding on being a muslim In Name Only

At least one deviantArtist (and a Muslim one, at that!) seems to have tried his hand at a "Muslim superheroine": Gentlemen, may I introduce you to Niqabinja!

edited 6th Jun '13 8:05:59 AM by MarqFJA

@Joey: Why so?

Long story short she would have problem working with other stripperiffic super heroines.

I guess she could go solo. That might work.

I think the whole point is she's wear a niqab or something.

Hell, go the whole hog. She could wear a Burqa, carry a scythe and call herself "The Reaper". That would be badass.

@Joey: I dont see why. Tolerance of other women's choices doesn't imply they she is any less committed to her own.

@Elfive: There are plenty of young muslim women in the world who wear nothing special.

Not all Muslims wear burkas or anything. If you look at any American highschool, where the vast majority of people will be Christian, it'd be easy to forget Christian women are not supposed to show their knees or anything like that.

Or really, and major Western city ever.

Those arent really equivalent expectations. Still, there are plenty of women running around Cairo or Istanbul with nothing on their heads at all.

There are college age women in Iran who wear Levi's and have nothing on their head, so she doesn't need to be "Captain Ethnic" by wearing a headscarf or anything.

There aren't all that many superheroes with a canon religion these days, really.

I just think the concept of making her a Captain Ethnic is kind of obnoxious. Like if they made a Christian superhero who was dressed as a medieval crusader and never stopped ranting about god and chanting bible verses as he sliced open bad guys with a broadsword. I'd think that was pretty obnoxious too.

Altogether I just don't like anvils like that. Saying "Hey look! We're trying to push this stereotype/agenda above the importance of telling the story itself! LOOK AT IT! LOOK AT HER HEADSCARF DAMNIT!" would make me not be interested in said comic.

Honestly, if she wore a headscarf I think it would be better if it wasn't normally mentioned. Have it be part of her clothing/costume and move on. Let her religion enhance the story instead of being used for heavy handed morality.

If her religion is an important part of her characterization, then it will arise naturally as a plot point when the story demands it. That would be enough. She might have some outspoken opinions regarding the War on Terror, for example.

I recall I had a muslim superhero once, and he was a very religious Boisterous Bruiser Master Swordsman. I actually quite liked how religion played a role in the character.

Thread Hop

Did anyone mention The99 yet?

Yes.

@Barkly: Iran was as decadent as any other western nation untill this wonderful man named Ayatollah Khomeini took over and made himself supreme leader of the islamic republic.

edited 7th Jun '13 6:54:06 AM by joeyjojo

Stay on topic, please. This isn't the "bash Iran" thread.

Umm... she could be some sort of iranian rebel, or if you know if you really want to be edgy. A supporter of the regime.

Or she just doesn't like collateral damage. If she has superpowers, then perhaps she regards herself as a more effective weapon than an American drone. This would put her somewhere in the middle of the conflict.

A conscientious objector superheroine could be interesting. A super woman who refuses to pick a side and instead focuses simply on saving as many people as she can. Despite knowing she could probably end the war tomorrow if she decided to take up arms.

Admittedly most superheroes take this neutral position by default. Superman will put out oil fires in the Middle East but he won't stop to topple the regimes that start them. But all his loved ones live safely in New York metropolis. The implications of sticking to your Silver Age values in a Dark Age world are never explored.

Why not just stop both sides from fighting and force them to solve it diplomatically/peacefully? No picking sides involved.

Supernanny? Hasn't that been done?

edited 7th Jun '13 11:12:05 PM by Euodiachloris