This is the kind of thing that happens when you’re so eager to pander that you don’t do adequate homework about the object of your pandering. Marvel has stepped into a minefield, and is likely to explode a few more mines before it gets out.
“Muslim Ms. Marvel Fans Express Serious Concerns About Kamala’s Power Source,” by Brad Lang, CBR, June 23, 2022 (thanks to The Religion of Peace):
This article contains spoilers for Ms. Marvel Episode 3, “Destined.”
Some Muslim fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest series Ms. Marvel are expressing their displeasure with the recent revelation regarding the source of Kamala Khan’s powers.
As revealed in Ms. Marvel Episode 3, “Destined” the titular hero’s newfound abilities are apparently due to her heritage as a Djinn. As explained by Kamran’s mother Najma, Kamala’s ancestors are otherworldly beings from the Noor dimensions that were banished from their reality sometime before 1942. These people are quickly explained to be the Djinn, creatures from Islamic mythology which can be both good and evil. A number of fans have expressed frustration with the reveal, specifying that the Quran condemns the practice of worshipping Djinn.
Viewers have interpreted Kamala’s Djinn-based powers as an act of “shirk,” the sin of idolatry, which is problematic as practicing Muslims are forbidden from worshiping anything other than Allah. However, despite Ms. Marvel‘s latest plot twist, other fans are convinced the Djinn angle is merely a red-herring designed to obscure the real identity of Kamala’s ancestors. Some MCU enthusiasts suggested that the hero will be revealed to be related to the alien race known as the Kree due to the appearance of an unknown, dead character with blue skin in Episode 3….
