Islamists attack television series that portray Muslims in a positive light

Islamists attack television series that portray Muslims in a positive light

The mixed reactions from Muslims to the recent television series Ms. Marvel (streaming on Disney+), which portrays a Muslim American superhero, illustrates the divide between Muslims and Islamists in the West.

Some Muslim commentators have praised the series with Qatar-focused news site Middle East Eye descriptive the character as “the superhero that American Muslims needed.” Hardline Islamists, however, are less pleased. In fact, their harsh criticism of the series confirms how much they oppose the integration of Muslims into Western countries. This split highlights the waning power of unified Islamism in America and suggests that there may be more opportunities for moderate Muslims to reject Islamist control over their communities.

Qatari news channel Al Jazeera described the act as “an act of a Pakistani-American teenager.” [played by Pakistani-Canadian actress Iman Vellani]WHO develops She has incredible powers and is pursued by supernatural villains, while also struggling with family and religious obligations.” While the show was well received overall low ratingsThe Muslim spectators were enthusiastic.

How it can be observed Ms. Marvel’s numerous positive reviews appealed to many Muslims See “Something they had never seen before in pop culture: themselves – in a normal light.” In fact, several praised the series for providing a welcome contrast to the “Muslim roles in franchises like Marvel.” [that] it usually was descended to villains or terrorist characters.”

Some applauded Ms. Marvel for this represent “A large number of Muslim women who do not wear a headscarf and are not plagued by fear for their faith.” In one piece published The author criticized previous “frustrating” portrayals of Muslims as “oppressed housewife or daughter of violent terrorist” published by the Independent titled “Ms Marvel is the Muslim portrayal I’ve been waiting for”.

G. Willow Wilson, the author of the Ms Marvel comics, and Sana Amanat, the comic’s editor and executive producer of the series, claims “knowing the many lines along which the character runs.” [of Ms. Marvel] could be criticized and that traditional Muslims might want her to be more modest.”

In reality, many Islamists didn’t want Ms. Marvel at all. One said that “no self-respecting Muslim has ever asked for this,” another asked if Muslims could “please be portrayed as terrorists again?”, and a California-based cleric described Ms. Marvel as “a character who appears young.” [Muslim women] the road to hell.”

Even if Wilson and Khan had created a character wearing a hijab, it would not have solved the issue of Ms. Marvel’s supernatural powers, which some Muslims viewed as completely un-Islamic. But while Wilson mentioned Although she has been criticized by right-wing bloggers who denounced her work as an attack on American values, she has not acknowledged the numerous Islamists who see her work as an attack on Islamic values. The Islamists’ fears would certainly be confirmed by Wilson’s claim created a “socialist-Muslim-homosexual alliance” and that she loves it.

Reacting to the series, Samir Hussain, a Canada-based Islamic studies teacher who is respected by many American Islamists, said: wrote that “positive ‘Muslim’ representation is overrated” and that what is really needed is “positive Islamic representation.” Hussain pointed out that “the overemphasis on the former has led to an increase in persons who only identify themselves as Muslims but do not bring any benefit to Islam as a religion.” He concluded that “their portrayal, if not leads to a better understanding of Islam, is fruitless or, worse, counterproductive.

AJ+, a social media channel run by Al Jazeera that is often seen as its left-wing and seemingly Westernized cousin, faced major resistance at the time explained that the show was “a step in the right direction after decades of Hollywood undervaluing Muslim and South Asian stories.”

In the comments section a mother complained about having to explain to her daughters that “some Muslims love their own desires more than.” [God]” and expressed concern that her children were confused about what was Islamic and what was not.

Other Muslims sentenced the show as an attack on Islam. One wrote that “the most heinous crime one can commit as a Muslim is associating partners with Allah,” and condemned Ms. Marvel as “just another attempt to expand their market and attempt to dilute the Muslim creed.” “. Another completed: “I guess Hollywood doesn’t understand Islam enough, to the point that they think it’s all about how you carry yourself or talk, that’s not the case!”

Abdullah bin Hamid Ali, founder of the Islamist Lamppost Institute, wrote that “Disney attempts to subtly ridicule Islamic norms and portray them as too strict,” and shared a friend’s warning to Muslim parents that “our children are being exposed to the seeds of rebellion and individualism.” One of his followers replied: “I’m already disgusted by the girl’s choice of clothing during interviews on talk shows.”

Concerns about the future of Muslim children were reiterated elsewhere. Abu Eesa, a Britain-based Islamist cleric who regularly lectures in the United States for the AlMaghrib Institute, told His followers said that “parents realize every day how much filth, lies and kufr [disbelief] lies in the content their children love so much and consume so innocently” and that “parents now also see the intentions of storytellers, whether it be Disney, Marvel or even their favorite authors.”

He warned parents: “If your children go off track in a variety of ways in the next few years, you have only yourself to blame.” A Muslim convert complained about how there is “so much sophisticated, flashy stuff trying to seduce our children away from us.”

Mohamed Boonaa, a Canadian artist with a history of anti-Semitic comments, expressed his “theory that shows the same thing […] Ms. Marvel presents a palatable, whitewashed version of Islam that is non-threatening, apolitical and devoid of religious integrity,” calling instead for “a pop culture that uncompromisingly reflects our values ​​and beliefs and does not have to adhere to the eternal.” changing the moral standards of others.”

Siraaj Muhammad, founder of the Islamist publication Muslim Matters, described an episode of the Ms. Marvel series as “hot trash” in a since-deleted post on Facebook. Mohammed completed: “Can we please be portrayed as terrorists again?” I prefer culturally clueless Hollywood writers to compliant traitors who need to decolonize their minds.”

Muslim disagreements over representation are, of course, not new. In 2021, the hardliner Islamist Daniel Haqiqatjou mocked Muslims who “seem to have no problem living alone, no marriage, no children” and believe it’s all worth it “as long as Hollywood releases movies with hijabi characters (lesbian stoner hijabis, of course).”

In 2017, Haqiqatjou had already done this asked his followers if they thought that videos that “normalize” Muslims by showing them “drinking, sleeping around, eating bacon, being gay” were helping or hurting Muslims.” He was relieved to find out that his Followers agreed with him that such videos were “equally harmful to Muslims and non-Muslims.”

These divisions over “representation” are perhaps inevitable as a new generation of Muslims born and raised in the West come to understand Islam as an important cultural dimension, rather than viewing the religion as a “complete way of life” as Islamists so often describe it. While many Muslims enjoy watching films and series with Muslim characters with whom they can identify, Islamists reject any depiction of Islam or Muslims that does not promote Islamist goals, seeing this as a dangerous threat to Islamist ideology. As Muslim demands for realistic portrayals grow with the resulting Islamist backlash, will more Muslims realize that Islamists are the ones most determined to impose an extremist interpretation and portrayal of Islam?

Martha Lee is a research fellow at the Middle East Forum’s Islamist Watch and is a regular contributor to publications such as The American Spectator, The Daily Wire and The Algemeiner.