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Some Pakistanis suspicious that Marvel Comics’ new Muslim girl superhero a “conspiracy” to “damage our religion”

Jan 22, 2014 2:18 pm By Robert Spencer

Marvels-Muslim-teenage-girl-superhero-spurs-mixed-Pakistani-reactions

You can’t please everyone. But the comparison to Malala Yousafzai is rather unfortunate, since Islamic jihadists attacked her and tried to murder her. Maybe part of the storyline for Kamala Khan could be her eluding Taliban jihadis who are bent on killing her. Conspiracy Paranoia Update: “Marvel’s Muslim teenage girl superhero spurs mixed Pakistani reactions,” by Shehryar Warraich for UPI, January 22:

LAHORE, Pakistan, Jan. 22 (UPI Next) –Some Pakistanis are embracing a new Marvel comic-book superhero modeled on a Pakistani Muslim teenage girl living in the United States as a chance to burnish Pakistan’s image in the West, while others express reservations.

The latest incarnation of “Ms. Marvel” — there were two earlier versions — is to hit store shelves Feb. 5. Marvel Entertainment, the creator of Spider-Man, Hulk, Iron Man and other fictional superheroes, announced in November it was introducing Ms. Marvel, whose secret identity is “Kamala Khan,” a 16-year-old daughter of Pakistani immigrants living in Jersey City, N.J., and dealing with life between two cultures.

Some Pakistanis told UPI Next, the introduction of Ms. Marvel presents a chance to improve the image of Pakistan, often maligned for widely reported brutal treatment of women, religious extremism and terrorist violence.

Several women in Pakistan said seeing a Pakistani girl as a superhero would be novel for the patriarchal society.

“I’m excited about the concept,” Qurat Ul Ain Arif, a 22-year-old Lahore graduate student told UPI Next.

“It will be interesting to see how a teenage Muslim girl being a superhero juggles traditional family values and a most advanced culture like the U.S. at the same time,” said Arif, who studied for a semester in Pittsburgh.

“A positive image of Pakistan will be portrayed through the character of Kamala Khan. I am sure Kamala Khan is going to represent the true picture of Muslim families living in U.S. Moreover, girls are facing the same situation which Kamala Khan’s story represents.”

Anum Kazmi, an FM radio announcer in Lahore, said she expects the character will represent a combination of traditional values and modernization.

“The positive impact of the new Ms. Marvel will give Pakistani girls the confidence that they have a role to play for the betterment of the society,” Kazmi told UPI Next.

Ruby Razzaq, a senior journalist based in Lahore, sees Kamala Khan as a part of the evolution of women’s status in Pakistan.

“Kamala Khan will help mothers to have faith that their daughters can play an important role, as do their sons, in building the future,” Razzaq told UPI Next.

Mobarak Haider, a Virginia-based Pakistani author who wrote “Taliban: The Tip of a Holy Iceberg,” a book about fundamentalist Muslims, sees Ms. Marvel as an amalgamation of Muslims living in the United States.

“Pakistanis will feel proud to see their girl helping people and playing a positive role,” Haider told UPI Next. “Kamala Khan is not only representing her compatriots in this role, but Muslims as a whole. Her character could have a great impact on Muslim families living in the U.S. The concept will make parents understand that by giving girls confidence, they can build a fabulous future.”

Not everyone is thrilled. Some women voiced strong concerns, even expressing suspicion of a conspiracy to discredit Pakistani society.

“It is unrealistic for a girl to be a superhero,” housewife Sanam Iqbal told UPI Next. “The dress Kamala Khan will be wearing doesn’t represent our Muslim culture either.

“I can’t expect that Kamala Khan is going to build our country’s image. I am sure there will be a conspiracy behind this idea, either to disrespect our family values or to damage our religion.”

Hina Gulraiz, a Lahore dentist with in-laws in the United States, said Kamala Khan would create problems in Muslim families trying to follow their normal ways.

“I visit the U.S. often and I am sure that if Kamala Khan’s character hurts our values in any case it will not be accepted. We don’t want our girls so open to the world, because it is against our religion and values,” Gulraiz told UPI Next….

Amjad Saleem, owner of Saanjh Publications, which publishes novels, poetry and Muslim philosophy books, predicted that readers will rush to buy comic books depicting Kamala Khan.

“Kamala Khan will be the talk of the town, like Malala Yousafzai,” he said referring to the well-known teenage Pakistani girls’ education activist….

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Filed Under: conspiracy paranoia, Pakistan Tagged With: featured


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Comments

  1. Champ says

    Jan 22, 2014 at 2:32 pm

    Damage your religion? lol!

    Your “religion” is already damaged goods due to how inherently evil islam is ; begininng, but not ending with, muhammad (perdition is upon him). And I’ll include the unholy quran for good measure.

  2. Brian C. Hoff says

    Jan 22, 2014 at 3:13 pm

    Champ then why is Islam the fastest growning religion in the world. Mosque in america are growning no matter what you anti-Islam people are doing. There are hate crimes done on mosques and muslum in america everyday by bigot like you and your kind. Some mosque where burn down by bigot like you in america.

  3. Champ says

    Jan 22, 2014 at 4:00 pm

    Brian C. Hoff wrote:
    January 22, 2014 at 3:13 pm
    Champ then why is Islam the fastest growning religion in the world.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    This is of course a *false* claim …

    Excerpt:

    Many have claimed that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. As proof, they usually present unverifiable claims and baseless media quotes. Apparently ABC News had claimed “Already more than a billion-people strong, Islam is the world’s fastest-growing religion”, a quote which cannot be traced to its source. Also CNN World News stated “Fast-growing Islam winning converts in Western world”, a statement which they fail to back up with any evidence. Here we examine the actual data available for Islam to see if any of these claims are based on fact.

    According to “The Future of the Global Muslim Population,” published in January 2011 by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, the growth and anticipated future growth of Islam is primarily due to “their relatively high birth rate, the large number of Muslims of childbearing age, and an increase in life expectancy in Muslim-majority countries” and conversions play little part in the increase due to available data suggesting “Islam loses as many adherents via conversion as it gains.”[1][2]

    In 2006, countries with a Muslim majority had an average population growth rate of 1.8% per year (when weighted by percentage Muslim and population size).[3] This compares with a world population growth rate of 1.12% per year[4], and according to the World Christian Encyclopaedia, between 1990 and 2000, Islam received around 865,558 converts each year. This compares with an approximate 2,883,011 converts each year for Christianity during the same period.[5]

    More here:

    http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Fastest_Growing_Religion

  4. Rojm says

    Jan 22, 2014 at 4:04 pm

    There is a problem in the muslim world brian. The religion started as a state religion with armies. Christianity was an underground and stateless religion for 300 years. Nowhere in the world are Christians trying to be a state religion because the fact its origins was a stateless religion. The radical islamists all over the world dream of the original Islam which was a state religion with armies. Go on the internet, see what jihadis are doing in Syria. They even had women in full burkhas with guns. The radical islamists in Syria banned music which is considered unislamic. This is just one of the many bans. If Islam believers all over the world gave up the idea of a state religion as not a good idea then that would be an important step in stopping radical Islamic terrorism all over the world. Another idea that all people of world need to advertise is that there is and will never be any rewards for killing oneself and others by any god or gods. If any god or gods rewards one for such behavior that god is not worth worshipping. If the Islamic community could ban together with these principles then a peaceful world is possible.

  5. Mike says

    Jan 22, 2014 at 4:11 pm

    Brian C. Hoff wrote:
    January 22, 2014 at 3:13 pm
    Champ then why is Islam the fastest growning religion in the world.
    ——————————————————-

    Assuming for the sake of argument that your claim is true, astronomical birth rates among Muslim mothers and the death penalty for anyone leaving the religion might be two pieces of the jigsaw.

    How could anyone be so dumb as to think that the rate of growth of some ideology demonstrates its truth?

    • Petey says

      Jan 26, 2014 at 6:47 pm

      Thats what we call propaganda

  6. Tayloch says

    Jan 22, 2014 at 4:13 pm

    @Brian C. Hoff
    January 22, 2014 at 3:13 pm

    There are hate crimes done on mosques and muslum in america everyday by bigot like you and your kind. Some mosque where burn down by bigot like you in america.

    Got proof? Nah, didn’t think so. Typical mooslime playing the victim card.

  7. Champ ✿ says

    Jan 22, 2014 at 6:49 pm

    Tayloch wrote:
    January 22, 2014 at 4:13 pm
    @Brian C. Hoff
    January 22, 2014 at 3:13 pm

    There are hate crimes done on mosques and muslum in america everyday by bigot like you and your kind. Some mosque where burn down by bigot like you in america.

    Got proof? Nah, didn’t think so. Typical mooslime playing the victim card.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Good point, Tayloch …

    And since this preposterous comment by “Brian C. Hoff” was directed at me, then I would also like to point out that I have never engaged in criminal activity like burning down a mosque; nor have I ever promoted this kind of criminal activity. Everything this poster wrote is a bald-faced lie.

  8. Tayloch says

    Jan 22, 2014 at 7:06 pm

    I would ignore “it” (e.g. Brian C. Hoff)…just another stupid troll muslim wearing his PJs in his momma’s basement.

  9. Robert Spencer says

    Jan 22, 2014 at 7:12 pm

    Brian C. Hoff is a guy I banned a long time ago at the old site. He was known for his often funny mangling of English. I forget the name he posted under, but I think it may have been “American Muslim.”

    • gravenimage says

      Jan 23, 2014 at 9:17 pm

      Robert Spencer wrote:

      Brian C. Hoff is a guy I banned a long time ago at the old site. He was known for his often funny mangling of English. I forget the name he posted under, but I think it may have been “American Muslim.”
      …………………………

      Robert, I recognized his misuse of “than” as an all-purpose article on another thread.

      “Brian C. Hoff” is the semi-literate ‘revert’ “DefenderofIslam”.

  10. tek says

    Jan 22, 2014 at 7:40 pm

    Well, Ms. Marvel is not allowed to leave the house unless accompanied by Captain Marvel, right?

    • Abdul Malik Talib says

      Jan 26, 2014 at 5:50 am

      Did the wonderful Ms. Marvel undergo FGM ?

  11. mortimer says

    Jan 22, 2014 at 7:49 pm

    This whole discussion, as well as the article, shows how Muslims normally VEER OFF TOPIC, because Islam never teaches independent thought, but only vain repetition of formulas that are no more than claims without evidence or fallacies and illogical conclusions. They do this because a frontal attack on the facts is impossible.

    The Pakistanis are afraid of a girl superhero, because she will increase the value, prestige and empowerment of women in society…BAD! Women must be held down…out of sight behind veils and out of mind!

    Once more, real Muslims speak: “REPRESS THOSE WOMEN AND KEEP THEM REPRESSED!” Even a positive cartoon sends them into delirium! What a controlling bunch of insecure morons!

  12. JamesonRocks says

    Jan 22, 2014 at 8:11 pm

    She will, no doubt, succumb to an honor killing at the hands of her father in the final edition.

    • dumbledoresarmy says

      Feb 10, 2014 at 5:17 am

      Nah.

      What would be much more interesting would be to have a character like this who followed the trajectory you see in, say, Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s “Infidel” or that of other apostates from Islam (get Ibn Warraq or Taslima Nasreen or Wafa Sultan – or for that matter, Bosch Fawstin, graphic artist and inventor of the “Pigman” character; he apostasised from Islam as a teenager living in the USA – to advise on a suitable story arc), and…**apostasised**.

      Anybody lurking here from Marvel Comics? That’s my suggestion. That would be a *really* revolutionary and dramatic storyline: a story for the 21st century.

      You don’t have to have her do it at the outset; it would indeed be more realistic to build up to it gradually through a series of adventures and incidents. I assure you, loads of drama and psychological angst involved.

  13. Semeru says

    Jan 22, 2014 at 9:17 pm

    Champ wrote

    This is of course a *false* claim …

    And then quotes from Wikislam.

    Oh dear Oh dear

    ☆☆☆☆☆

    Islam, the world’s fastest growing religion.

    http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/c…?story_id=3835

    Islam has the highest growth rate (1.84 followed by the Bahai faith.

    Interesting to note is the source of birth rate statistics:

    *Growth rates over the period from 2000 to 2005; all figures from the nondenominational World Christian Database, a project of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

    Also interesting to note is that they claim that “birthrates have stagnated” in the Christian population of Europe, yet “High birthrates and conversions in the global South” keep the growth rate relatively high.

    “Islam also happens to be the fastest growing religion in Europe, where an influx of Muslim immigrants from North Africa, Turkey, and South Asia has sent shock waves into a mostly Christian and secular population whose birthrates have stagnated.”

  14. Bradamante says

    Jan 22, 2014 at 10:06 pm

    I suspect the people at Marvel mean well, but they don’t know what they’re getting into. Though the book is authored by a Muslim, is it not?

  15. shiva says

    Jan 22, 2014 at 10:42 pm

    testing

  16. Champ says

    Jan 23, 2014 at 12:11 am

    Mike wrote:
    January 22, 2014 at 4:11 pm
    …………………..
    How could anyone be so dumb as to think that the rate of growth of some ideology demonstrates its truth?

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Precisely, Mike! …great point.

    • Tayloch says

      Jan 23, 2014 at 4:18 am

      Ditto!

    • CornHolio says

      Jan 23, 2014 at 2:57 pm

      “How could anyone be so dumb as to think that the rate of growth of some ideology demonstrates its truth?”
      —–
      Whenever any Muslim points out number of conversions, I just point to the usually far greater number of conversions to Christianity, which pretty much invalidates that argument.

      But there’s always denying the stats, right? Them Joos are always out to discredit Islam.

      It’s amazing how many people seem to have woken up one morning and wondered, “Which faith should I dedicate myself to unfairly discrediting? Oh, I know, I’ll pick Islam completely at random! Everyone needs a hobby!”

  17. mortimer says

    Jan 23, 2014 at 1:09 am

    They’re petrified that an empowered young Pakistani cartoon woman will inspire real Pak women to rebel against the mullahs and patriarchs and ‘kick butt’ in Pakistan. There goes the male chauvinist setup of Pakistan!

    These tyrants are very insecure, but they should be. The end of female repression is nigh. The Muslim women are getting ready to exert their rights. It will be the end of Islam.

  18. gravenimage says

    Jan 23, 2014 at 9:40 pm

    Some Pakistanis suspicious that Marvel Comics’ new Muslim girl superhero a “conspiracy” to “damage our religion”

    You can’t please everyone
    ………………………………………….

    Of course, what you mean is you *appease* everyone. Taqiyya-spewing Muslims in the West are thrilled by this because it makes Islam look civilized, but serious are disgusted by anything that implies that Muslim girls might be “empowered”.

    More:

    But the comparison to Malala Yousafzai is
    rather unfortunate, since Islamic jihadists attacked her and tried to murder her. Maybe part of the storyline for Kamala Khan could be her eluding Taliban jihadis who are bent on killing her.
    ………………………………………….

    Now, that would be “Islamophobic”—and *way* too realistic…

    More:

    “It will be interesting to see how a teenage Muslim girl being a superhero juggles traditional family values and a most advanced culture like the U.S. at the same time,” said Arif, who studied for a semester in Pittsburgh.
    ………………………………………….

    Of course, if she were dealing with *real* “traditional [Muslim] family values”, she’d have to figure out how she could still fight crime while being forcibly married back in Pakistan. Her family would “Honor Kill” her for going out without her husband’s permission…

    …but that might make for a rather grim story line…

    More:

    “Kamala Khan will help mothers to have faith that their daughters can play an important role, as do their sons, in building the future,” Razzaq told UPI Next.
    ………………………………………….

    You mean they will get to blow up girls’ schools, as well?

    More:

    Not everyone is thrilled. Some women voiced strong concerns, even expressing suspicion of a conspiracy to discredit Pakistani society.

    “It is unrealistic for a girl to be a superhero,” housewife Sanam Iqbal told UPI Next. “The dress Kamala Khan will be wearing doesn’t represent our Muslim culture either.

    “I can’t expect that Kamala Khan is going to build our country’s image. I am sure there will be a conspiracy behind this idea, either to disrespect our family values or to damage our religion.”
    ………………………………………….

    You mean there are Muslim women who don’t *want* to be empowered? sarc/off

    More:

    Hina Gulraiz, a Lahore dentist with in-laws in the United States, said Kamala Khan would create problems in Muslim families trying to follow their normal ways.

    “I visit the U.S. often and I am sure that if Kamala Khan’s character hurts our values in any case it will not be accepted. We don’t want our girls so open to the world, because it is against our religion and values,” Gulraiz told UPI Next….
    ………………………………………….

    Well, being a dentist seems pretty Haram, as well…

    More:

    Amjad Saleem, owner of Saanjh Publications, which publishes novels, poetry and Muslim philosophy books, predicted that readers will rush to buy comic books depicting Kamala Khan.

    “Kamala Khan will be the talk of the town, like Malala Yousafzai,” he said referring to the well-known teenage Pakistani girls’ education activist…
    ………………………………………….

    Of course, Malala Yousafzai is mostly the “talk of the town” because she was shot in the head for daring to advocate for girls’ education, and plenty of her pious coreligionists in Pakistan want to finish the job…

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