General

Truth, Justice and the Islamic Way

Muslim superheroes are coming to British TV

The world’s first Muslim cartoon superheroes have taken the Arab world by storm, and now they are headed for British television screens. Named the 99, as each possesses one of Allah’s 99 attributes, the characters include a burka-clad woman named Batina the Hidden and a Saudi Arabian Hulk-type man named Jabbar the Powerful. They have proved a hit from Morocco to Indonesia and were recently named as one of the top 20 trends sweeping the world by Forbes. Now they are being brought to British TV by Endemol, the production company behind Big Brother, with a mission to instill Islamic values in children across all faiths. The 99 were created by Naif al-Mutawa, a clinical psychologist from Kuwait, who felt Muslim children needed a new set of heroes to look up to, to counter jihadist role models. “It hit me that the stories I was hearing were from men who grew up believing that their leader, Saddam, was a hero, a role model—only to one day be tortured by him,” he said. “I decided the Arab world needed better role models.” However, despite being called the 99, there will never be a full cast of 99 superheroes since it is forbidden to depict all Allah’s attributes. Al-Mutawa hopes his creation will have universal appeal: “It is based on attributes such as generosity and mercy. These are not things that Islam has a monopoly over.”

The Telegraph

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.