Muslim Superhero Immortalized on Celluloid

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Her name is Asimah

It means ‘Protector’ in Arabic.

Her parents somehow knew she was destined for something spectacular; that she would undoubtedly dodge the tedious path that has been traveled by millions.

 

Asimah grabs a hold of a wrongdoer by the scruff of his neck, swings him around effortlessly like a yoyo and smiles a smile that beams like the sun.

The wrongdoer goes around and around, his equilibrium quickly unsettles, his thoughts all jumbled up.

He tries to figure out what he is looking at for Asimah is fully covered from head to toe, in a geometrically-patterned ash gray burqa.

It is her choice.

It is her right.

She looks good doing what she does.

The burqa helps to conceal her identity and protect her dignity.

She kills two birds with one stone; metaphorically speaking, or course.

For she does not have an ounce of hate in her hate to commit something so criminally vulgar, like killing an innocent bird.

 

‘I’m sorry! I won’t steal from helpless old women ever again! Let me go, please!’ the wrongdoer squeals.

‘Excuse me?’ Asimah’s tone laced with contempt.

‘I mean I won’t steal from anyone ever again! I’m sorry!’ the wrongdoer begs.

‘That’s better,’ Asimah grins, satisfied.

She lets him go, have tremendous faith that he would keep his word.

‘In shaa Allah,’ she mutters softly, her voice all throaty, pretending to be Batman.

The theaters goes dark again before another movie trailer projects on the big screen.

Almost everyone in the theater is buzzing over the trailer for Starlight Crescent; the next big budget comic book superhero film.

 

A Muslimah superhero.

And why not?

According to the latest World Muslim World statistic, Muslims make up 28.26% of the world population, more than a quarter of humanity.

That’s 2.08 billion mind, body and soul sharing similar beliefs.

Kaching!

Big time movie producers in Hollywood should be drooling over this idea right?

Warner Bros, Universal Studios, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Miramax Films would all be neck deep in a ferocious bidding war for the rights to ‘Starlight Crescent.’

Not really.

Not even close to happening.

Next!

So this begs the question.

Why hasn’t there been a Marvel or DC superhero who is a Muslim?

I’m talking about lead characters, with complex story arcs revolving around them, not those recurring ones like Sooraya Qadir also known as Dust (From the X-Men comics; a Sunni Muslim girl who has the ability to transmute into a sand-like substance) or Veil (Former member of the Iraqi mercenary group known as Desert Sword with the ability to secrete chemicals from her skin that would form a thick green fog once they come in contact with air, which she would use to her advantage, obscuring vision, choking others and levitating herself).

 

The superhero would not have to be ‘in your face’ religious or anything like that.

The multi-layered plots would contain spiritual and religious undertones; nothing too overwhelming in order not to alienate the remaining 71.74% of humanity.

Because…Kaching!!!

I’m just kidding.

It’s because we are all the same at the end of the day.

We bleed red.

We all have goals and dreams yet to be realized.

Like my vision of Starlight Crescent, being delivered to the masses by way of good old celluloid.

 

‘In shaa Allah,’ Starlight Crescent says, winking at me.

‘In shaa Allah,’ I tell her, showing two thumbs up.

___

Ab Syahid
A young Singaporean whose life revolves around writing, live music, ice-cream, Arsenal Football Club, and sometimes, drifting in and out of existential crisis. He is currently working on a book of short stories titled, ‘Singaporeans Cried When They Found Out Their Hearts Were Made In China.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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