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0 - Issue 40
THE 99: Changing stereotypes through Muslim cartoon characters
by Mehdi Rifai
God’s 99 Holy Names in Islam receive a bold twist by caricature entrepreneur and winner of the World Economic Forum’s 09 Social Entrepreneur of the Year award, Naif al-Mutawa
People have always needed heroes: characters to look up to, have faith in, emulate their actions, and learn their values. Literature kept up with this desire, providing characters that faced supernatural foes and insurmountable tasks and overcame these odds to become victorious. None were so glorious, however, as the heroes that emerged in mid-twentieth century America, when the protagonists took on the mantle of the paranormal in order to fight these foes, becoming of humanity yet above them. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, all people far from normal yet put to the service of the everyman, sacrificing their lives and normalcy for the rights of us all to life, liberty and, for the most part, the American way.
But what of the rest of us? Where were the heroes that represented the haughty values of other countries? Who would rise to protect their beliefs and traditions? For the Muslim world, the answer has come in the form of “THE 99”: A group of heroes given the names of God’s holy characteristics, and sent to fight an enemy who would hold the entire planet hostage. “It’s based on the Islamic message, but the values all my characters represent are universal,” says Naif al-Mutawa, the creator of the series and head of the newly formed Teshkeel Media. “I also chose to have characters from around the world, because these are principles everyone can believe in, no matter their faith.”
Originally a psychologist treating the victims of political torture, or as he says “treating people who grew up idolizing their leader only to be tortured,” Mutawa took a break from this grueling work and pursued a degree in business. His life, like everyone else, took a change after the attacks of 9/11: radical Muslims had perpetrated an attack not just on Americans and the West, but also on Islam itself. “Everyone in North America thinks of 9/11 as 9-1-1, or the emergency call number, but for me it had a different meaning,” says Mutawa. “Nine times eleven is 99 [as above, God’s holy characteristics] and if read in Arabic, 911 looks eerily similar to the word ‘Allah’ or God. Someone had tarnished the name of Islam, and I wanted to go in and help rebrand it.”
This was the birthplace of the initial story: Starting with another attack on Islam, the burning of Dar al-Hikma Library in Baghdad by invading Mongol forces led by Ghengis Khan, Mutawa asked what if all that knowledge wasn’t lost in the attack? What if the librarians of the “House of Wisdom” had perfected a technique to save the cumulative knowledge from the book of the library and steal them away to safety? The premise had these scholars take 99 stones of wisdom to Andalusia, where they would then slowly migrate across the globe, giving their bearers incredible powers. “The powers are based on generosity, wisdom, foresight, and dozens of other words that were not used in connection to Islam in the world media until we came up,” says Mutawa.
Emailing this story to his business class, and explaining how he wanted to use it to improve the image of Islam worldwide, Mutawa was introduced to Constantine Valhouli, director of the documentary “Sex, Lies, and Superheroes,” who in turn took him to meet the heads of Marvel and DC comics, the two giants in the American graphic story-telling industry. It was here that he was convinced to use his story as a basis for an ongoing comic as opposed to any other form. “It was not easy for me to convince talented writers and artists to come work on the project, however, particularly since by this point it was only two years after 9/11,” he says. “To assuage fears that this wasn’t an Islamist project, I bought the satire magazine ‘Cracked,’ [among the most irreverent humor comics in North America]. This was able to convince a lot of people that my motives were not religious, and that I was seriously committed to the project.”
With 27 issues out in English over the last five years, the project has spread all over the globe, featured in Indonesia for the last three years, India for the last year and a half, and recently acquired in Turkey, and recently negotiations have concluded about a deal in China. The concept has grown beyond the comic, with merchandise such as backpacks and stationary distributed for the last two years as part of a back-to-school deal in certain markets, with a deal closed in Turkey for a permanent line. A theme-park based on the storyline and characters, THE 99 Village was also opened mid-2009 in Kuwait, with more than a quarter-million people walking through the gates in the first seven months alone. “This is huge for what it is, and we are now working on creating six more theme parks in cooperation with our partner [the United Entertainment & Tourism Company],” says Mutawa.
The concept just keeps growing with two new collaborations in the near future. Following President Obama’s speech committing the US to engage with the Arab world, Mutawa seized the opportunity to propose a crossover with the heroes of DC comics. The deal is underway to have heroes from the Justice League help out their new comrades, Jabbar, Jami, and Widad under the guidance of Dr. Ramzi as they battle Rughal to protect the stones of wisdom. This cast will also find its way to televisions soon, as Teshkeel Media enters into a partnership with UK animator Endemol. “The message, that there are 99 ways of solving problems, not just barging in and making it happen, has been very well appreciated,” says Mutawa. “With the comic, the television cartoon, and the theme park, the idea that it’s through teamwork, and cooperating with people from across the globe, will reach a wider audience.”
Aleem, the All-Knowing
Qatar has its own hero among THE 99 set: Naser Ali discovers one of the stones to become Aleem, a young boy with the ability to see the future. Aleem helps the team with his sporadic predictions, but with the added twist that none of his predictions are set in stone, and that the future can change and be changed. Mutawa deliberately chose a knowledge-based power for the Qatari hero to match up with the country’s own ambitions and self-perceptions. Working towards a knowledge-based society with their eyes ahead, Aleem is the perfect representation of everything the new generation in Qatar hopes to achieve. “With the Education City and the Qatar Foundations sponsoring of culture and art, the positioning for this character seemed perfect,” says Mutawa.
THE 99 receive praise from Obama
President Barak Obama praised THE 99 at the 2010 Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, taking place in April. The American president heaped praise on Naif al-Mutawa, whose superhero comic book, “THE 99” – ubiquitous at the summit – features Islamic themes. The President said that Mutawa had borrowed a page from Obama's Cairo playbook by introducing Superman and Batman to their Muslim counterparts. “And I hear they're making progress, too,” said Obama.
At the same time, negotiations with a major US cable broadcaster to air THE 99 animation series beginning this fall is in its final stages. A formal announcement is imminent. Private screenings of early episodes have already led to demand for another twenty-six. A new round of financing to produce the second season is now being subscribed to.
