CAN A COMIC BOOK CHALLENGE WESTERN
PREJUDICES, STEM THE TIDE OF EXTREMISM, PROVIDE POSITIVE
ROLE MODELS FOR MUSLIM CHILDREN, AND MAKE A PROFIT?
~ Tenth Season of
PBS’s Independent Lens Premieres on October 13 with
Wham! Bam! Islam!~
October 2011
(San Francisco) – Wham! Bam!
Islam! follows one of the most intriguing recent stories
to come out of the Middle East: the creation of THE
99, the first Muslim superhero comic book created by
Kuwaiti entrepreneur Naif Al-Mutawa. Wham! Bam! Islam!
follows the tumultuous journey of THE 99 from concept
to reality, from acclaim to censure by Muslim religious
leaders, from the edge of bankruptcy to plans for theme
parks, as Al-Mutawa dodges cultural minefields and doggedly
pursues his vision amidst obstacles only a superhero
could surmount.
In 2003, Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa
– a Kuwaiti psychologist, graduate of Columbia Business
School, and father of four boys – had a unique idea:
create a comic book series with roots in Islam and Islamic
culture. Al-Mutawa came up with the concept of THE 99,
a team of superheroes who each exemplify one of the
99 attributes of Allah and fight together against evil.
He saw THE 99 as not only
a smart business model, but as an idealistic social
endeavor. Believing that “Muslim children need new heroes,”
Al-Mutawa’s THE 99 would reinforce the traditional Islamic
virtues of compassion, understanding, and tolerance,
and provide a positive alternative to some of the extremist
messages fed to young Muslims. He also hoped that THE
99 would help improve the image of Islam in the West.
Despite facing a daunting
task that had never been attempted – comics were relatively
unknown in the Arab market except for a few Western
imports – Al-Mutawa managed to raise $7 million in initial
capital from 54 investors across four continents. He
evens lured a team of Marvel comic veterans to the creative
team for THE 99. But when the first issue is released
during Ramadan 2006, the initial positive media whirlwind
is offset by suspicions from cultural gatekeepers who
ban the comic in Saudi Arabia, causing rumors of a possible
fatwa to surface.
Engrossing and fast-paced,
Wham! Bam! Islam! is a fascinating look at what happens
when ideals, money, religion, and pop culture collide
in the global marketplace. Directed by Isaac Solotaroff,
the film will kick off the tenth season of the Emmy
Award-winning PBS series Independent Lens on Thursday,
October 13, 2011 at 10:00 p.m. (Check Local Listings).
To learn more about the film and the issues involved,
visit www.pbs.org/independentlens/wham-bam-islam.
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