Superman, Batman, and... Mumita! - Islam Conqures Comic Book Genre

A quick post: I've been noticing interesting mixtures of religion and popculture lately, mostly because I think people are wrong to believe that the appeal of popular culture exists only among certain brands of Christian Protestantism seen to be crassly consumerist and dumbed-down accomodationist. But the effort to remain lively and relevant are found among all religious orientations.

Enter the 99!

Created by Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, the 99 is a comic book series in the style of Justice League or X-Men that unites a band of superpowered youth to bring peace into society under the leadership of the brilliant Dr. Ramzi.

The backstory returns to the Middle East, the attempt to preserve a library of knowledge being destroyed by war, and a mystical-chemical process of inscribing knowledge into 99 gemstones. Fast-forward to our modern day, and our heroes discover their powers and their brilliant mentor form a team to save the world.

The "origins issue" can be downloaded online.

The writers freely draw on allusions of other successful comic book series. After all, they want to be successful and believe they can learn from the models of the greatest characters created in the past century.

But perhaps the most interesting is the upfront attempt to introduce comic book heroes that reflect the virtues of Islam and are consistent with beliefs of Muslims worldwide. This makes the development of this graphic art series ripe for sociological study: how do the comic book creators fashion an Islamic-friendly graphic that can appeal to the various, globally-diffused orientations within Islam?

I've not read much of the series, so I have yet to see blatant reference to prayers or readings from sacred texts. At most, someone online has already joked about Wonder Woman being "fully clothed" in an forthcoming six-issue team-up with DC comics JLA in October. Besides this, it is hard to tell just how "religious" this series will be.

But I do know this: What is special about the number 99? Why are there 99 gemstones and 99 heroes? Because the characters are intended to display the 99 attributes of Allah.

Just like the Hollywood Christians I write about in my book Hollywood Faith, the series is intended to support and accentuate religious values. Yet it is intended to do so in a way that is unobtrusive to telling a good story. When you read the last page of the "origins issue," the creator is clear that the comic is intended for a Muslim audience, fashioned in what he calls an "East-Meets-West" fashion that combines the fierce independence of heroes of the West (Superman, Batman, Spiderman) and the team-work comeraderie of the East (a la Pokeman).

More on the use of popculture in the Arab world is found in a talk given by Shereen El Feki.

Overall, the intent is to correct the view of Islam as an intolerant religion through a humble framework, accessible to children. There is even a 99 theme park in Kuwait prominently displaying the heroes as awe inspiring icons. According to this news story, this is the Middle East's first theme park.

And while success is hard to measure, the comic is already translated in various languages, is conveniently available online for digital download, has already been put into a computer animated format, is teaming with other important comic book publishers, receiving good media attention, and the creator is committed to making this bold venture a striking presence on the global stage.

Watch a TED talk from the creator and more on the comic book series.

Muslim Televangelists Inspire Revival in the Arab World

Doing the background research for Hollywood Faith, I saw how the history of religion and media is almost entirely Christian history. This past weekend's New York Times provides a glimpse at how religious media is diversifying in a story about a new brand of religious programming -- Muslim Televangelists.

Spiritual Biography Inspires Religious Revival

As a college student in Long Beach, California, Ahmad al-Shugairi lost his religion. Handsome, athletic, and wealthy, he stopped praying and started pursuing alcohol and women. After marriage, he shifted and became hyper-religious. He was so extreme in his practices that his marriage ended in divorce.

Later, through the study of Islamic theology in Saudi Arabia, he found a way to appreciating tolerance, diversity, and new ideas through his religion.

Shugairi's story of backsliding and re-conversion fuels his preaching a revitalized--and more moderate--form of Islam. According to The New York Times, he's part of a growing group of Muslim media celebrities promoting forms of Islam more connected to the modern world while stimulating revival.

Rise of Muslim Media

The rise of religious programming among Muslims is fascinating and presents a great opportunity for researchers. While Christian media has often been considered a crass form of marketing to gullible viewers, a more broad view shows that religion always takes advantage of new media technology.

The faithful of all religions feel the responsibility to pass along their faith to the uninitiated (whether children, friends, or strangers). Mass media are excellent channels for passing along the faith. And when we recognize non-Christian religious media, we may begin to appreciate the dynamics of media and religion aside from past stereotypes and prejudices.

The time is ripe for a comparative, context-sensitive study of televised religious media.

The Times writes,

Mr. Shugairi is a rising star in a new generation of “satellite sheiks” whose religion-themed television shows have helped fuel a religious revival across the Arab world. Over the past decade, the number of satellite channels devoted exclusively to religion has risen from 1 to more than 30, and religious programming on general interest stations, like the one that features Mr. Shugairi’s show, has soared.

What accounts for their popularity? According to the article,

Mr. Shugairi and others like him have succeeded by appealing to a young audience that is hungry for religious identity but deeply alienated from both politics and the traditional religious establishment, especially in the fundamentalist forms now common in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

The explanation here is young adults wanting religion while side-stepping the constraints of tradition. But the article also mentions Shugairi's preaching as a form of entertainment:

[H]e worked the crowd as masterfully as any preacher, drawing rounds of uproarious laughter and, as he recalled the Prophet Muhammad’s death, silent tears.... When he finished, the packed concert hall erupted in a wild standing ovation.

Shugairi, who earned an MBA while in California, says that Islam is “an excellent product that needs better packaging.”

Religious Media Opportunity Means Criticism

Opportunity results in criticism as the article notes how old school clerics see Shugairi as Islam-lite. And the non-religious are not his fans either. According to the article, non-religious Arabs are concerned with ministries like Shugairi's spreading a new form of Islamization among educated elites.
Image via Wikipedia
Hearing about the enthusiasm of Muslims to Shugairi's message reminds me of the appreciation I constantly heard for the re-framing of tradition in interviews in innovative congregations for my own research. The criticisms feel familiar also.

I've written a bit on this blog about the recent controversy over Rick Warren, and it strikes me that the criticisms of Shugairi mirror those of Warren and others committed to a more contemporary expression of religion. (I've written much more on the ministries of pastors Erwin McManus of Mosaic and Philip Wager of Oasis).

One key question the extent to which this new Muslim media is a form of religion only for young adults. In my own conversations, people think of new religious media as mostly reaching younger generations. Yet, even in ministries that cater to young adults, enthusiastic older adults are often integral to the ministry. Older enthusiasts don't tend to attract as much attention. We need to understand them more, especially as the Baby Boom continues to age at the same time that new congregations often focus their outreach on those in their 20s and 30s.

The article also points out that not all Muslim media is moderate. Of course, we know conservatives and extremists (of all relligious brands) readily take up media as well. So, media is not automatically liberal or liberalizing. It is also used to further promote fundamentalism broadly (and often quite cheaply).

What do you think?

Related articles

Several Resources Available on the Religion and Ethics website
Another Muslim Preacher on YouTube
Profile of Yet Another Muslim Preacher
Satellites and Saudis - A Unique Climate for Televised Islam
Muslim Televangelist at Rice University