Islamic Superheroes Save the World this Weekend

In the context of protests for greater equality occurring around the globe this weekend, it seems fitting that a film has debuted chronicling The 99, an Islam-inspired comic book series focusing on community, tolerance, and compassion.

Isaac Solotaroff's "Wham! Bam! Islam!", which shows in New York and L.A. tomorrow night on PBS, depicts the behind-the-scenes story of Kuwaiti psychologist Naif Al-Mutawa's fight to spread positive narratives about Islam while meeting with resistance from the religious establishment at home and Islamophobic groups abroad.  As Al-Mutawa discusses his journey, as well as The 99's recent release of its own feature length film, his words come quickly. He, like protestors, is not interested in self-censorship.

The 99, first published as a comic book in the Middle East in 2006, features a team of superheroes who work to spread hope and fight evil with superpowers determined by supernatural “Noor (Light) Stones.” Inspired by the 99 attributes of Allah, the series is one part X-Men, one part Captain Planet, and fully aimed at depicting Muslim culture in a positive light.

While the project immediately met with support in the U.S., it has garnered suspicion in the Arab World for its adoption of religious themes. Its goal, is to focus on human rather than religious elements, however, says Al-Mutawa. “I wanted to create supernatural characters that aren’t necessarily God-like but are very human. Overcoming their dark elements is a process we all relate to. We are creating something inspired by religion rather than being religion.”

Taking funding from an Islamic bank lent the project more legitimacy in the Arab World, and yet then caused fear in the U.S. that Al-Mutawa is trying to “Islamify” youth. At the pinnacle of The 99’s success this summer, as he prepared its launch as an animated TV series in the U.S., a sudden rise of Islamophobia forced him to delay.

Andrea Peyser of the New York Post urged the cancellation of the series, writing, "Coming soon to a TV in your child's bedroom is a posse of righteous, Sharia-compliant Muslim superheroes -- including one who fights crime hidden head-to-toe by a burqa. These Islamic butt-kickers are ready to bring truth, justice and indoctrination to impressionable Western minds."

These perceptions couldn’t be more misguided, says Al-Mutawa. “The stories in comics like Superman are universal archetypes that can be traced back to the Bible. I wanted to create similar storylines about values that Islam shares with the rest of humanity. I believe that arts and culture are the best tools for fighting extremism.”

Like The 99, Al-Mutawa has learned to adapt. He has now combined the first four episodes of the show into a feature length movie, which he showcased at our recent event CoE Animate 11, and debuted at the New York Film Festival on October 1st to positive reviews.

His evolution as an entrepreneur has often involved overcoming his own personal demons, he described in his Celebration of Entrepreneurship talk last year, "The 99 Mistakes I Made." Yet he has also shrewdly mitigated risk, both financially and creatively, by diversifying his products. He works with a team of designers and writers from various backgrounds who span four continents, to build products specialized for different Arab countries and a global audience.

Addressing a global market has been far easier than selling to the Arab World, Al-Mutawa explains bluntly. “I don't believe that there's a market in the Arab World for Arab content when it comes to kids shows and animation. Media channels pay a fraction of what U.S. channels pay, and our market cannot sustain licensing, due to piracy. So most of the revenues come downstream from toys and games. But there is certainly a viable global market for Arab World-inspired animated content.”

Does this mean we will we see a game for The 99? Absolutely,” he says. “We hope to create toys and games by licensing our content to a development company. We’re looking at few options and waiting for the right moment.”

In general, Al-Mutawa advises entrepreneurs to stick to their guns. “Don't ask for permission; ask for forgiveness if you have to. You can't make everyone happy. If you keep compromising to please others, and you don’t have an honest answer for why you made a decision, you’ll look fake. Defend your passion.”

Wham! Bam Islam! shows in LA and New York tomorrow night, October 16^th, on PBS, as part of its Independent Lens series. Those outside the U.S. can download it on iTunes.

For updates, follow @DrNaif on Twitter or see The 99's Facebook page, and check out the trailer for the 99's new animated series below.