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| Source: Marvel Entertainment |
The new Ms. Marvel series is mainly the work of two women: G. Willow Wilson, a convert to Islam who created the character, and Sana Amanat who edits it.
Here's how Wilson describes the main character of the comic: "Islam is both an essential part of her identity and something she struggles mightily with. She's not a poster girl for the religion, or some kind of token minority. She does not cover her hair –most American Muslim women don't—and she's going through a rebellious phase. She wants to go to parties and stay out past 9 PM and feel “normal.” Yet at the same time, she feels the need to defend her family and their beliefs".
Ms. Wilson says the series is “about the universal experience of all American teenagers, feeling kind of isolated and finding what they are.” Though here, she told New York Times, that happens “through the lens of being a Muslim-American” with superpowers.
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| Source: Marvel Entertainment |
The Marvel series is set for launch in February, 2014. Earlier this year, Pakistan's GeoTV launched Burka Avenger. Its superhero is a mild mannered school-teacher who fights feudal villains and terrorists getting in the way of girls' education. Burka Avenger series is inspired by the story of Malala Yousufzai, a Pakistan teenage school-girl who miraculously survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban in Swat valley last year. Malala has since become an international icon for girls' education worldwide. The United Nations declared Malala's 16th birthday this year on July 12 as Malala Day to focus on girls' education.
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Here's Express Tribune on Mir Zafar Ali, Pakistani-American Oscar winner Mir
Richard Parker swims in the Life of Pi ocean. Afterwards, the 10 million hair on the Bengal tiger’s body are wiped down, his fur gradually morphing from dripping wet to dry. In Frozen, we watch the little girl Elsa create snowfall and her enchanting ice world emerge. The line between fantasy and reality blurs, so real are the images. But this much is clear; the artist behind this graphic wizardry deserves the three Oscar awards he has received in six years.
The recognition from the industry for Pakistani visual effects artist, 38-year-old Mir Zafar Ali, has been nothing short of a dream come true. His latest Academy Award, for Frozen, was the first in the animation category for the Walt Disney Animation Studios. The 3D musical fantasy-comedy film is now the highest-grossing animated film in history, beating the Lion King and Toy Story 3. It has also made it to the top 10 biggest films, leaving far behind the likes of Star Wars and the Pirates of the Caribbean series.
Ali’s first Oscar came for The Golden Compass in 2008. He recalls the moment as being “very, very surreal.” “My wife Tamanna Shah was working at Paramount Studios at the time and we were invited to one of their Oscar parties. So we’re talking to people, having a good time and then the nomination for the best visual effects category came up and I almost dropped my drink when they announced The Golden Compass as the winner,” he said in a telephone interview with The Express Tribune.
It was a tough competition. They had been up against Transformers and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. “It took a good few seconds to sink in,” he recalled.
Ali’s forte is to mainly recreate natural phenomena such as water, fire, destruction and snow as well as visually recreate fantasy. This takes hundreds of hours of reference research, watching footage of natural phenomena such as tsunamis and storms and poring over science papers.
His second Academy Award came last year for the Life of Pi, a movie based on Yann Martel’s acclaimed novel. The Bengal tiger named Richard Parker stars in most sequences, although the real 300-pound tiger was only used when Pi and Richard are not in the same shot. The rest of the scenes consist of computer-generated images that give life to an extremely challenging script. It was in Life of Pi that a real animal and a digital one were used interchangeably for the first time. A team of 15 people were dedicated to creating just the fur by placing and combing all 10 million hair on his body.
But in the United States, even Oscar wins don’t promise job security. After the successes of Life of Pi and The Golden Compass, Ali found himself unemployed for some weeks. “After being in business for well over a decade, the company I worked for, Rhythm & Hues, filed for bankruptcy in 2013,” he said. “That was right after we won the Oscar for Life of Pi. There were major layoffs and I ended up on the chopping block after I wrapped up Percy Jackson 2 in April.”
The layoff came as a near blessing though and a couple of weeks later he was offered a job at Disney where he was assigned Frozen, leading to his second consecutive Oscar win. “The timing worked out perfectly for me.”
Ali grew up in Karachi watching a wide range of films and was particularly interested in science-fiction and fantasy movies. Jurassic Park was his first main inspiration. “It completely blew me away!” he said.
He studied at the BeaconHouse School Systems and always wanted to go to art school. “But back in the day, going to art school wasn’t thought of as a good career move — hell, it’s still not thought of as a good career move,” he admitted. As a result, it took him a while to figure out what he wanted to do..
http://tribune.com.pk/story/694984/karachi-to-hollywood-pakistani-visual-effects-artist-wins-third-oscar/
The 36-year-old filmmaker got her first break in 2001. She was offered a chance by the New York Times Television production company to make her film Terror's Children. In the film, she documented the lives of eight Afghan children that were refugees in the city of Karachi and showcased their daily struggles.
In 2012, eleven years after that first chance, Chinoy won an Oscar for her film Saving Face, which chronicles the journey of a plastic surgeon who treats acid attack victims. Her work's main focus is on human rights and gender issues. Her film Pakistan's Taliban Generation won an Emmy in 2010. Chinoy has, meanwhile, produced 12 award winning documentaries in 10 countries.
She is also the founder of The Citizens archive of Pakistan (CAP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultural and historic preservation which educates citizens about their heritage. In a DW interview, Chinoy talks about her latest project Three Braves (Teen Bahadur), an animation film for children, and the changing face of Pakistan's film industry.
DW: Tell us about your latest project Three Braves (Teen Bahadur).
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy: Three Braves is a quintessentially a Pakistani story - replete with unlikely heroes, menacing villains, fumbling thugs, dark horses, and moments of triumph and bouts of despair. Based in a fictional town in Pakistan, eleven-year-old Amna, Saadi and Kamil set out to save their community from the many evils that plague it.
This film is fiction and very different from your previous line of work. What made you choose this medium?
Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy Regisseurin von Three Braves/Teen Bahadur
Chinoy says Pakistani film industry stands to be "a formidable force in the near future"
I had wanted to do something for children for a long time because we, as a nation, have completely neglected this demographic. Our youth makes up the largest and, undoubtedly, the most important section of our society and now more than ever, they need local heroes to look up to.
After experimenting with many mediums, we settled on animation because its creative freedom allows us to speak to children in a way that no other medium can. I want Pakistani children from every nook and cranny to see Three Braves and be entertained and inspired. I want them to finally be able to see their reflection in movies, with superheroes that look and speak like them.
What kind of subtle messages are packed into your film Three Braves?
The great thing about animation is it offers a lot of scope for creativity and imagination. On the surface Three Braves might appear to be about superheroes and mystical creatures. But underneath that commercial cartoon value is a force that seeks to engage, empower and motivate today's youth. The film is a journey of fighting back, taking charge, and finding support and love in the most improbable of places.
http://www.dw.de/pakistan-is-a-great-place-for-budding-filmmakers/a-17781296
San Franciscans have been getting a dose of real live super-heroics lately, after an anonymous do-gooder took it upon themselves to do battle against a series of Islamophobic bus ads in the single most awesome way possible: By calling upon the highest profile Muslim superhero in the Marvel comics universe.
Recently riders of the San Francisco bus system have been forced to make their daily commutes to and from work on busses with covered in ads which compare Muslims to Nazis, and call for an end to all US aid to Muslim countries. Purchased by the American Freedom Defense Initiative (a wing of Stop Islamification Of America – an organization listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group) the ads are similar to ones the group has run in both Washington DC and New York.
Knowing San Francisco, and that city’s history of proud progressivism, it’s not surprising, then, that the offensive ads provoked a strong reaction. What is surprising, though, is just how wonderful the response has been. As first noticed by Street Cred – Advertising For The People’s Facebook page, someone has been, *erm* “upgrading” the ads by plastering them over with images of Kamala Khan, known to comic book fans as Ms. Marvel.
The ads now feature Khan urging viewers to “stamp out racism” and reminding them that “free speech isn’t a license to spread hate”
http://magazine.good.is/articles/ms-marvel-fights-islamophobia-on-san-fran-buses
How comic books are combatting extremism in #Pakistan. #terrorism #TTP http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2015/0706/How-comic-books-are-combatting-extremism-in-Pakistan?cmpid=addthis_twitter
The graphic novel, entitled "The Guardian," chronicles the disparate journeys of two young men, Asim and Munir. Wooed by its charitable activities, the pair decide to join a militant organization, but when they land in a training camp, Munir embraces the group's violent message while Asim questions it and ultimately leaves, reports the Associated Press
The #Karachi Whiz Kid And #Pakistan's First Hand Drawn Animated Flick, The Glassworker via @forbes. @usmanriaz1990 http://www.forbes.com/sites/sonyarehman/2016/02/21/the-karachi-whiz-kid-and-pakistans-first-hand-drawn-animated-flick/#8fadf015e98a …
In 2012, a young, unassuming Pakistani musician from Karachi created waves after being selected as a TEDGlobal Fellow, following the success of his brilliant composition, Fire Fly, which went viral a year before.
Sharing stage space at TEDGlobal – a conference that brings together trailblazers from across the world to deliver inspiring talks – with his idol, the renowned guitarist, Preston Reed, Usman Riaz was quickly propelled into fame.
This year, while still in its initial stages, Riaz’s The Glassworker, Pakistan’s first hand drawn animated production, brings with it the magic and innocence of a Studio Ghibli film.
Judging by the production’s teaser, which was also showcased at TED this year, The Glassworker is an enchanting visual treat.
Little wonder then, the fact that Riaz successfully met his Kickstarter funding goal in just sixteen days, this month.
“I’ve always loved the beauty of glassblowing,” Riaz said, speaking about the production’s concept. “It’s one of those rare art forms where the process of creating it is as beautiful as the finished result.”
Riaz, who stands as the production’s writer, director, and unsurprisingly, composer of The Glassworker’s musical score, began drawing well before his interest in music blossomed. “I’ve always loved art and animation,” the Studio Ghibli fan stated, mentioning that after studying a degree in fine arts, music and film overseas, he felt a strong desire to channel each medium into a work of art.
“What better way than to combine my work in art, music and storytelling than with animation?”
The last time we checked in on Disney+ and Marvel Studios' live-action series Ms. Marvel, fans were learning that newcomer Iman Vellani has been tapped to play Kamala Khan. Vellani is joining previously-announced directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life), Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness), and Meera Menon (The Walking Dead, Titans) on the project- and now thanks to Disney's investors day event, we're getting a look behind the scenes.
https://bleedingcool.com/tv/ms-marvel-star-iman-vellani-ep-bisha-k-ali-preview-kamala-khan/
In the following clip, Vellani, head writer/EP Bisha K. Ali (Hulu's Four Weddings and a Funeral), and Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige discuss the show's journey from page to screen, why bringing Kamala to life is so important, and even more. Plus, what fun would a sizzle reel clip be if it didn't show viewers at least a little bit of how the show's going to look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRNI9TtBM5E&t=2s
First introduced in the comics in 2012, Ms. Marvel focuses on Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American teen who juggles being a teenager with being a superhero while fighting against the prejudice she receives for her Muslim faith- all while attempting to forge her own path. A search is still underway to cast the lead character, one that Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige says will play a much larger role on both streaming and theater screens as the MCU enters into its next phase.
Last summer, Feige announced three Disney+ live-action series: Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk. Since that time, we learned that The Umbrella Academy series creator Jeremy Sister was tapped to develop and lead the writers' room on Moon Knight, Emmy award-winner Jessica Gao (Adult Swim's Rick and Morty) is developing and leading the writers' room on She-Hulk, and Ali was on board to write and serve as showrunner on Ms. Marvel. Disney+ also has a number of other live-action series coming up, including the Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany-starring WandaVision (set for January 2021), The Falcon and the Winter Soldier with Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie (set for March 2021), the Tom Hiddleston-starring Loki, (set for May 2021) and animated anthology series What If…?, (set for later in 2021). Samuel L. Jackson returns as Nick Fury in Secret Invasion and Don Cheadle returns to the armor for Armor Wars, while the next generation gets the spotlight in Ironheart.
Marvel Studios will be releasing Ms Marvel exclusively in cinemas only in #Pakistan. #Disney will create a cinema format version of the 6-episode series for Pakistan, split into 3 parts, to celebrate the first Pakistani Marvel #superhero Kamala Khan. https://images.dawn.com/news/1190034
Episodes one and two will debut on June 16, three and four on June 30 and five and six on July 14.
"This decision was made to celebrate the introduction of the first Pakistani Marvel superhero, Kamala Khan (played by Iman Vellani), into the MCU. The series also features a diverse cast both in front of and behind the camera," said Obaid-Chinoy. "Disney and Marvel did not want Pakistani audiences to miss out on seeing Ms Marvel and her story as Disney+ has not yet launched in their country."
Vellani plays 16-year-old Kamala Khan, who lives in Jersey City. Kamala is an aspiring artist, an avid gamer, and a voracious fan-fiction scribe, she is a huge fan of the Avengers — and one in particular, Captain Marvel. But Kamala has always struggled to find her place in the world — that is until she gets super powers like the heroes she’s always looked up to. The trailer for the series released on March 16 and the show will start streaming on Disney+ from June 8.
I have a confession to make. My introduction to Marvel wasn’t conventional. I didn’t grow up reading and re-reading comic books; I never stood in long queues and waited for the latest paperback of the next superhero comic. I fell in love with Marvel the way very few did; I fell in love with the Marvel Cinematic Universe first and later with the comics. Thankfully, it turns out I am not alone in this universe.
The last offering of the third phase of MCU, Avengers: Endgame, saw the end of many beloved characters. It was indeed heartbreaking, but the future of the MCU looked brighter than ever. As Marvel entered its fourth phase, we saw diverse characters and more inclusive storylines in an otherwise whitewashed cast *cough, star Avengers, cough*.
However, there was one particular web series I was anxiously waiting for. In 2018, rumours about Marvel bringing Ms Marvel, its first-ever Muslim superhero that has roots in Pakistan, to the screens made rounds. The woes of casting, and getting the representation right loomed over. Who would portray Kamala Khan? How well could Marvel intercept the true Pakistani culture? Who would helm the said series? Several questions popped into everyone's mind – and rightfully so.
All discussions regarding the show were kept under wraps for a while. Ms Marvel has been helmed by not one but four directors – each roped in for different episodes. One of those four directors was Pakistan’s first-ever Oscar-winning filmmaker, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy.
For more: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2363072/1
Islam is the second largest religion in America
Buddhism, Islam and Judaism have the most followers after Christianity in most of states.
By Reid Wilson
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/06/04/the-second-largest-religion-in-each-state/
In 20 states, mostly in the Midwest and South, Islam is the largest non-Christian faith tradition. And in 15 states, mostly in the Northeast, Judaism has the most followers after Christianity. Hindus come in second place in Arizona and Delaware, and there are more practitioners of the Baha’i faith in South Carolina than anyone else.
Christianity is by far the largest religion in the United States; more than three-quarters of Americans identify as Christians. A little more than half of us identify as Protestants, about 23 percent as Catholic and about 2 percent as Mormon.
But what about the rest of us? In the Western U.S., Buddhists represent the largest non-Christian religious bloc in most states. In 20 states, mostly in the Midwest and South, Islam is the largest non-Christian faith tradition. And in 15 states, mostly in the Northeast, Judaism has the most followers after Christianity. Hindus come in second place in Arizona and Delaware, and there are more practitioners of the Baha’i faith in South Carolina than anyone else.
All these data come from the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies, which conducts a U.S. Religion Census every 10 years.
The data the ASARB release every 10 years are revealing: Adherents to any religious faith — that is, those who actually attend religious services — make up more than half the population in 28 states. Utah has the highest percentage of adherents, at 79 percent of the population, while just over a quarter of Mainers are adherents. North Dakota, Alabama and Louisiana are near the top of the list, while Oregon, Vermont, Alaska, Nevada and Washington sit near the bottom of the rankings.
Catholicism dominates the Northeast and the Southwest, and Southern Baptists have a strong foothold in the South. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dominates Utah and surrounding counties in Idaho, Wyoming and parts of Nevada. Lutheranism has a strong following in Minnesota and the Dakotas, while Methodists make their presence felt in parts of West Virginia, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.
(Pakistani-American) Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett Named Co-Anchors of PBS NewsHour
Nawaz and Bennett to Succeed Judy Woodruff on Monday, January 2, 2023
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/press-releases/amna-nawaz-and-geoff-bennett-named-co-anchors-of-pbs-newshour
"Today is a day I never could’ve imagined when I began my journalism career years ago, or while growing up as a first-generation, Muslim, Pakistani-American. I’m grateful, humbled, and excited for what’s ahead.”
Sharon Rockefeller, President and CEO of WETA and President of NewsHour Productions, today named PBS NewsHour chief correspondent Amna Nawaz and chief Washington correspondent and PBS News Weekend anchor Geoff Bennett co-anchors of the nightly newscast. The PBS NewsHour, co-anchored by Nawaz and Bennett, will launch on Monday, January 2, 2023. Nawaz and Bennett succeed Judy Woodruff, who has solo-anchored PBS’s nightly news broadcast since 2016, prior to which she co-anchored it alongside the late Gwen Ifill.
Bennett has reported from the White House under three presidents and has covered five presidential elections. He joined NewsHour in 2022 from NBC News, where he was a White House correspondent and substitute anchor for MSNBC. In his prior experience, he worked for NPR — beginning as an editor for Weekend Edition and later as a reporter covering Congress and the White House. An Edward R. Murrow Award recipient, Bennett began his journalism career at ABC News’ World News Tonight.
On being named co-anchor of PBS NewsHour, Geoff Bennett said, “I’m proud to work with such a stellar group of journalists in pursuit of a shared mission — providing reliable reporting, solid storytelling and sharp analysis of the most important issues of the day. It’s why PBS NewsHour is one of television’s most trusted and respected news programs and why I’m honored and excited to partner with Amna in building on its rich legacy.”
Nawaz, who has received Peabody Awards for her reporting at NewsHour on January 6, 2021 and global plastic pollution, has served as NewsHour’s primary substitute anchor since she joined the NewsHour in 2018. She previously was an anchor and correspondent at ABC News, anchoring breaking news coverage and leading the network’s livestream coverage of the 2016 presidential election. Before that, she served as foreign correspondent and Islamabad Bureau Chief at NBC News. She is also the founder and former managing editor of NBC’s Asian America platform, and began her journalism career at ABC News Nightline just weeks before the attacks of September 11, 2001.
On being named co-anchor, Amna Nawaz added, “It’s never been more important for people to have access to news and information they trust, and the entire NewsHour team strives relentlessly towards that goal every day. I am honored to be part of this mission, to work with colleagues I admire and adore, and to take on this new role alongside Geoff as we help write the next chapter in NewsHour’s story. Today is a day I never could’ve imagined when I began my journalism career years ago, or while growing up as a first-generation, Muslim, Pakistani-American. I’m grateful, humbled, and excited for what’s ahead.”
In making the announcement, Rockefeller noted, “PBS NewsHour continues to be dedicated to excellence in journalism. Amna and Geoff bring to their new positions three essential qualities for the role – accomplished careers in substantive reporting, dedication to the purpose of journalism to illuminate and inform, and a deep respect for our audiences and the mission of public media.”
Why was Pakistani pop culture so big in 2022?
December 28, 20223:59 PM ET
Heard on All Things Considered
https://www.npr.org/2022/12/28/1145854096/why-was-pakistani-pop-culture-so-big-in-2022
2022 saw a rise of Pakistani pop culture worldwide, punctuated by a Grammy win, Ms. Marvel and an ovation at Cannes.
SHAPIRO: The first Muslim superhero to have her own comic.
SURBHI GUPTA: Showing a Pakistani American teen in a Pakistani household, that felt amazing.
SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST:
Journalist Surbhi Gupta wrote about this banner year for Pakistani pop culture in New Lines Magazine.
GUPTA: We in South Asia know of this, but there were too many global moments, you know. And I was like, OK, this needs to be out there.
MCCAMMON: Gupta was born and raised in India. She writes that this is far from the first time Pakistani culture has made a global splash.
GUPTA: So, like, in the '80s, you know, my parents would talk about the Hassan siblings. They were the rage with "Disco Deewane."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DISCO DEEWANE PART I")
NAZIA HASSAN: (Singing) Disco, disco, disco deewane.
SHAPIRO: That 1981 album broke sales records in Pakistan and India, and it charted worldwide, including places like Russia and the West Indies.
MCCAMMON: This year, a Pakistani hit again drew global attention.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "PASOORI")
SETHI AND GILL: (Singing in non-English language).
MCCAMMON: The song "Pasoori" by Ali Sethi and Shae Gill climbed to the top of Spotify's global viral charts, and Google searches for it beat out tracks by the K-pop group BTS and the singer Harry Styles.
SHAPIRO: Then in April, the Brooklyn-based Pakistani singer and composer Arooj Aftab won a Grammy for best global music performance for her rendition of the traditional song "Mohabbat."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MOHABBAT")
AFTAB: (Singing in non-English language).
It's important to define this moment, I think, for everyone and ourselves.
MCCAMMON: We spoke with her earlier this year before she won that award. And while Aftab was excited about being nominated in a global music category, being part of the best new artist category sent a bigger message about her place on the world stage.
AFTAB: The industry has put us in these other categories for such a long time because of the sort of racial climate of America for all this while. And so this moment where I'm in this best new artist category next to all these other artists is a monumental moment.
SHAPIRO: Pakistan had monumental moments in film this year, too, with the first Pakistani film ever officially selected for the Cannes Film Festival, a transgender love story called "Joyland."
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "JOYLAND")
SHAPIRO: Here's Gupta again.
GUPTA: It's about a family in Lahore, and it unpacks, like, different nuances of gender and patriarchy. And then, like, his relationship with this trans starlet, this was almost banned. But the international recognition that the film had had kind of forced the federal government to intervene and then pave the way for its release.
MCCAMMON: We asked her, what's spurring this renaissance? One theory - the world is ready.
GUPTA: I think it's been 20 years since 9/11. So there were a lot of stereotypes also associated to Pakistanis and Muslims, which I think now perhaps we are shedding.
MCCAMMON: Still, she says, Pakistani artists are doing it on their own terms, being authentically themselves.
GUPTA: American pop culture has such a strong influence globally to kind of define what local culture has become. But I think the beauty of Pakistani culture is that it is not pretending to be something it is not.
SHAPIRO: That's Surbhi Gupta. Her article, "Pakistani Pop Culture Has Had A Global Year," is in New Lines Magazine.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "PASOORI")
SETHI AND GILL: (Singing in non-English language).
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