Is 'Ms. Marvel' Djinns Portrayal Hurtful To Islamic Community?
Iman Vellani has become a role model to many Muslim American teenagers, but what other elements of the series might be considered damaging to Islamic community?
The latest Disney+ series has been widely acclaimed for its truthful portrayal of what it is like to be a Pakistani-born American teenager in the modern Western world, but not all Muslims seem to agree with the way their cultural heritage is viewed in the MCU. The most notable complaint is the concept of the Djinn, an ancient demonic creature dating back to the early years of Islamic culture. In the series, Kamala Khan 's main villains, the Destin Clan, refer to themselves as Djinn, and Kamala herself possesses their powers. Although this does not sound contradictory at all, some Muslim families have completely banned their children from watching the series for this reason.
"As a Muslim, it's annoying that they're making her a djinn. My little nephew and niece's aren't allowed to watch Ms. Marvel because their religious Muslim dad heard that the show is about djinn. Like, poor Muslim kids who have more religious parents can't watch the show because of this stupid comic inaccurate change. And ironically, this show is supposed to be about Muslim representation." – /Ok_Minimum8726.
In the original Marvel Comics, Kamala had nothing to do with Djinn; her powers came from the Inhumans. But for some reason Kevin Feige decided to use a retcon in this series, completely changing her origin story to a more cultural, but ultimately more controversial one.
"Well as muslims, they believe djinn are real and these kids are at a young impressionable age. It honestly would just make more sense for marvel to not have made Kamala a djinn, I mean that's so out of left field." – /Ok_Minimum8726.
However, not all fans are offended by this decision, applauding the series' creative team for taking a risk with a new and quite exciting storyline.
"Her "Inhuman" part of her origin is probably the worst part of the character in the comics. Everything else about her is what makes her unique, so I'm glad they're trying for something new. If you prefer the comics, they're always there for you to read." – /Leggerrr.