The portrayal of Muslim Women in popular culture has been pandered with narrowed and one-dimensional images owing to the stereotypical portrayal of Islam leading to the consolidation of misconceptions and oppressive narratives. Muslim women have often been portrayed as victims of being ‘othered’ in popular culture, leading to their exoticization. The trailblazing depiction of the first Muslim superheroine, Kamala Khan, in the Ms. Marvel web and comic series seems to have carved out a significant space for Muslims in popular culture. The alchemizing potential of Kamala Khan’s hybrid and intersectional identity, in subverting and critiquing prevailing stereotypes of Muslim women needs to be thoroughly examined to decipher the role of popular culture in redefining and challenging dominant narratives and advocating inclusivity and empowerment. The interaction of Kamala Khan with oppositional and conflicting discourses invites cogitation to read the layers that might help to combat Islamophobia and challenge stereotypes surrounding Muslim women’s presentation within popular culture. The paper seeks to investigate the comparable undercurrents of utopia and dystopia within the narrative and unearth whether the character of Kamala Khan and her rebellion serves as a conduit between these opposing forces, paving the way for a reimagined society or falls into the trap of dystopia. Using Margaret Atwood’s concept of Ustopia as a framework, the study delves into the utopian and dystopian threads woven throughout the Ms. Marvel series, assessing whether rebellion offers hope or culminates in adverse outcomes.

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Beyond Stereotypes: Ms. Marvel and the Representation of Muslim Superheroine in Ustopian Narratives

  • Shaista Irshad

摘要

The portrayal of Muslim Women in popular culture has been pandered with narrowed and one-dimensional images owing to the stereotypical portrayal of Islam leading to the consolidation of misconceptions and oppressive narratives. Muslim women have often been portrayed as victims of being ‘othered’ in popular culture, leading to their exoticization. The trailblazing depiction of the first Muslim superheroine, Kamala Khan, in the Ms. Marvel web and comic series seems to have carved out a significant space for Muslims in popular culture. The alchemizing potential of Kamala Khan’s hybrid and intersectional identity, in subverting and critiquing prevailing stereotypes of Muslim women needs to be thoroughly examined to decipher the role of popular culture in redefining and challenging dominant narratives and advocating inclusivity and empowerment. The interaction of Kamala Khan with oppositional and conflicting discourses invites cogitation to read the layers that might help to combat Islamophobia and challenge stereotypes surrounding Muslim women’s presentation within popular culture. The paper seeks to investigate the comparable undercurrents of utopia and dystopia within the narrative and unearth whether the character of Kamala Khan and her rebellion serves as a conduit between these opposing forces, paving the way for a reimagined society or falls into the trap of dystopia. Using Margaret Atwood’s concept of Ustopia as a framework, the study delves into the utopian and dystopian threads woven throughout the Ms. Marvel series, assessing whether rebellion offers hope or culminates in adverse outcomes.