The Burka-Clad Crusader for Justice
Is the world burka-ing up the wrong tree by focusing on
the Burka Avenger’s costume choice? The show’s creator, Haroon Aaron Rashid,
seems to think so.
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| The creators of The Burka Avenger |
Via http://www.thegenteel.com/articles/culture/a-burka-clad-heroine
She’s the new superhero that’s sparked debate across global media platforms.
A mild mannered schoolteacher by day, Jiya
fights oppressive elements in her village with her martial arts skills while
dressed in a black burka.
She’s the new superhero that’s sparked debate across global media platforms.
 |
| Image via blogs.tribune.com |
According to The Washington
Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2013/08/01/burka-avenger-pakistans-new-superhero/?wprss=rss_politics&clsrd
she makes Disney princesses look “downright antiquated” while The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/29/burka-avenger-vs-disney_n_3660387.html
states, “Disney could learn a thing or two about what a female protagonist
should look like from the fearless Burka Avenger.”
The Burka Avenger seems to have sparked more international (http://www.npr.org/2013/07/31/207288030/lady-in-black-burka-avenger-fights-for-pakistans-girls)
frenzy
and social media trending (http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/27/burka-avenger-to-take-fight-to-extremists/)
than local http://theladiesfinger.com/the-burqa-joins-the-league-of-cape-and-cowl/
concern, mostly centering on the show’s title and choice of superhero costume.
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| Image via blogs.tribune.com |
So what’s with the hoopla over the burka?
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| Lady Gaga's burqa |
For one thing, burkas are quick to inspire
sensational news reports and influence pop culture (http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2013/08/lady-gaga-shows-cultural-appropriation-newold-way-sell-single/68055/). Michael Jackson allegedly wore one to remain
incognito in Bahrain (http://sweetness-light.com/archive/michael-jackson-takes-the-burka#.UgIXJRxCpEM).
The leader of the Red Mosque fiasco tried escaping in one (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6270626.stm.
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2007/07/abdul_aziz_red_mosqu.php).
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| An Emirati in Sex and the City 2 |
Watching a woman in niqab attempt to eat French fries in Abu Dhabi, Carrie Bradshaw
comments, ‘Well, I could get into the
head wrap, but the veil across the mouth, it freaks me out. It's like they
don't want them to have a voice’—Sex & the City 2 (http://www.satctranscripts.com/2010/10/sex-and-city-2-transcript-part-b.html).
Not to mention the commotion they’ve caused in France (http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/07/22/204506345/burka-ban-stirs-another-round-of-clashes-in-france).
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| Cult Lollywood classic, 'Haseena Atom Bum' (Bomb) |
 |
| A buxom, blood-soaked Lollywood warrior |
(http://dishoomdishoom.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/fakers-guide-to-haseena-atom-bomb-part-1/).
Or she could have picked from an array of conservative garb from across the
Muslim world:
a designer abaya (http://www.3abaya.com/),
Burkini swimwear (http://www.burqini.com/),
an Iranian hijab (http://dreamofiran.com/street-fashion-for-hijab-iranian-style/),
a blue Afghan ‘shuttlecock’ burqa (http://digitaljournal.com/article/299914),
a black niqab (http://middleeast.about.com/od/religionsectarianism/g/niqab-definition-faq.htm),
or a Pakistani dupatta (http://changinguppakistan.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/the-dupatta-symbol/.
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| Nigella created waves of consternation among British tabloids when she wore a burqini on the beach |
Instead, the Burka Avenger’s wearing a costume
similar to a scuba diver’s unitard accompanied by a ski mask and billowing
cloak.
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| Adil Omar (left) and Haroon Aaron Rashid (right) in the music video for Lady In Black |
Islamabad-based rapper Adil Omar describes her as a
“silent ninja” and a “vigilante” in his lyrics for the catchy Lady In Black
video (http://t.co/wmRLCZzSEH
or https://www.facebook.com/adilomarmusic/posts/10151738234596445.
Omar explains, “Hip-hop is also generally full of misogynistic
bullshit, so it felt good to write something about a strong female character
who kicks ass.” About her burka, he added, “It is an invisibility cloak in the
context of the series.”
I asked two education development
specialists their views on Jiya’s burka. Izza Farrakh Satti is an adviser for the DFID's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Education Sector Programme and thinks, “…The title ‘Burka Avenger’
trivializes and possibly even mocks the ‘burka.’ Had Jiya’s…superhero costume
just happened to be a burqa, the message would have been deeper and more
subtle. Batman isn’t the ‘bat-eared’ caped crusader, Superman isn’t the ‘flying
machine in red underwear’, and Catwoman isn’t the ‘tailed superwoman.’”
Huma
Zafar who chairs a charity school in the Punjab,
isn’t a fan of the title either: “My first reaction before I was introduced to it
was, ‘are they mocking someone who wears a burka?’ But she grows on you and it
is a bold, positive step towards education.”
The show’s creator, Haroon Aaron Rashid (www.haroon.com), has been
a successful pop singer in Pakistan since the 90s. His band, Awaaz, aired the
first Pakistani music video on MTV Asia, followed by world tours and a solo
career in 2000. Rashid says the idea for the Burka Avenger was inspired by
incidents in Swat (http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C08%5C21%5Cstory_21-8-2008_pg7_39)
as well as by his mother and sister, who are both schoolteachers. With field
experience producing and directing his own music videos, he came up with the
storyboard, musical score and sound effects for an animation short to promote
the Burka Avenger as a phone game. The results were “amazing” and prompted the
idea to make it a full-fledged cartoon series in October of 2011.
Here's the interview:
Laaleen
Sukhera Khan: How did you flesh out Jiya's character and superhero alterego?
Haroon Aaron Rashid: I wanted her to be a
schoolteacher. My mother (who’s from New Zealand) and sister were teachers so I
have great respect for them…Jiya is clued in, aware, makes a difference, and
cares about the world, education and Halwapur. She’s an inspirational teacher
and a role model in her own right. She only wears the burka to hide her
identity and fight bad guys.
LSK:
Has Malala's courage and worldwide fame inspired the characters and/or storyline
at all?
HAR: It hasn’t affected this. We’d
completed 7 episodes (by the time) the Malala incident happened including the
concept, storylines and characters.
LSK:
Has your own multicultural urban upbringing in Islamabad ever echoed any of
these storylines? How did you put yourself in the shoes of rural kids?
HAR: I’ve traveled extensively and have
a broad view of things. I wanted (to incorporate) local cultural elements.
Living in Pakistan…you come across wonderful people but also people with very
narrow views. A lot of that goes into the show. For instance, (experiencing) discriminatory
attitudes firsthand. In the West, people are a little more PC.
LSK:
Can you tell me about your upcoming episode that discusses discrimination?
HAR: In this episode (to be aired in the
coming months), one of the central character’s family is kicked off their farm…for
economic reasons…and for being different. Josh (a Canadian band with members of
Indian and Pakistani origin http://www.planetjosh.com/)
appear showing we’re brothers. The message is about (going beyond) race, colour
and creed. It’s about unity.
LSK:
What were the options when designing Jiya's costume?
HAR: The burka is a great way to hide your
identity and it made sense. It has a local relatable flavor and it’s worn by Muslim
women so it’s not anti-Islam. It’s not objectifying women like Wonder Woman or
Catwoman…It’s less about what she’s wearing and more about her deeds.
LSK:
She’s wearing black nailpolish too. So she’d have to remove it quickly when
she’s back in Jiya mode?
HAR: (Laughs) She’s a superhero so she
can do that fast.
LSK:
So your merchandise won’t include a burka?
HAR: At this stage its t-shirts. People have
been asking for posters and dolls (figurines). It’s only been 10-12 days since
the story broke and we’re still trying to catch up.
LSK:
Why call her the Burka Avenger? Why not the Ninja Avenger, for example?
HAR: Ninjas (have) a lot of
negative connotations and associations with death. For me, it’s about doing
something new, creative and original and turning stereotypes on their head. In
the West, they think that women only wear the hejab or burka because they’re
oppressed. We know that’s not true.
LSK:
Why do you think some people like (former ambassador) Sherry Rehman (@sherryrehman) and (author) Bina Shah (http://binashah.blogspot.ca/2013/07/a-pakistani-feminists-thoughts-on-burka.html) are viewing her costume as symbolic of
oppression? There was even a full-blown debate about it on NDTV in India (http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/the-buck-stops-here/burka-avenger-cool-or-conformist/285144
). Do you think this whole burka controversy has been blown out of proportion?
HAR: This whole thing happened because
people hadn’t bothered to watch the show…They’re assuming it’s a woman who’s
oppressed and (dressed) in a burka day and night. I held focus groups before
launching with feminist friends, they thought it was empowering women and that
the burka is their choice. If someone wants to make judgements based on a name,
it isn’t fair. I don’t mind that it’s opened up a debate, that’s good and
healthy. But we shouldn’t let it overshadow the broader positive message of our
show. Highlighting that too much in the press is taking too much away form it…I
think Bina Shah has changed her opinion dramatically since she watched the
show. Sherry Rehman’s was a knee-jerk reaction…(Activist) Marwi Sarmat (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57596696/pakistans-burka-avenger-cartoon-stirs-outfit-controversy/)
is not exposed to the concept of the show. If Jiya’s identity was discovered
battling the bad guys, she’d get in trouble and wont be able to do her job.
LSK:
Has Mitsubishi protested yet for naming one of your villains 'Vadero Pajero?'
What would you say to them?
HAR: In some sense a rich vadera (feudal
landlord in the Sindh province) is the only person who can afford to buy one in
these in rural areas. He’s the big sahib while everyone else is on foot or
bicycle. It’s nothing negative, it’s a status symbol whether you’re wealthy and
evil or wealthy and good.
Note: The Burka Avenger’s iphone and android
game is due to launch shortly. Rashid is currently discussing TV, graphic novel
and merchandise rights with companies in Europe and Asia. He also hopes to
develop the series as a feature film for future theatrical release.
Links:
YouTube - http://t.co/wmRLCZzSEH
Facebook - http://t.co/swRqT8vuKF
