Introducing Burka Avenger, the female Muslim superhero

Introducing Burka Avenger, the female Muslim superhero


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PAKISTAN — She's a superhero unlike any you've seen before.

In "Burka Avenger," a new animated children's TV series out of Pakistan, the female hero of the same name dons a sleek black burqa by night, wielding heavy books and razor-sharp pens against men who would dare oppose education for girls.

The show began airing July 28 but has been in the works for several years. It is the brainchild of British-Pakistani pop singer Aaron Haroon Rashid, who says the project stems from "social messages," according to CNN.

"It was in 2010 and I was reading a lot of articles about girls' schools being shut down by extremists, so that was in my mind," he told CNN. "Living in Pakistan, all theses issues are staring you in the face constantly. So when you're creating art, whether it be music or anything else like a cartoon TV series — you want to incorporate social messages. I feel it's my duty to try and make a positive difference."

According to Religion News, "the Burka Avenger leads three idealistic schoolchildren who speak about the importance of education for women, while their violent enemies say girls should not go to school."

While the social situation isn't exactly fictional, neither is the superhero. According to Religion News, the Burka Avenger character was inspired by Malala Yousafzai, a real-life Pakistani teenager who survived being shot in the head because she spoke in support of girls' education.

And the female hero has more realistic powers than her super counterparts.

"She doesn’t punch, she doesn’t hit, she doesn’t kick, she doesn’t shoot anybody. All she does is clonk people on the heads with books or throw pens," Rashid told CBS News. "So there’s an underlying message with that — the importance of education — and the pen is mightier than the sword."

Meet Burka Avenger. She's a mild-manner teacher by day, a burqa-wearing caped crusader by night.
Meet Burka Avenger. She's a mild-manner teacher by day, a burqa-wearing caped crusader by night.

The show also addresses other issues facing Pakistanis, like discrimination, child labor, sectarian violence, electricity shortages and protecting the environment, according to CNN.

With such an easy-to-admire character, many are questioning the decision of the burqa — though highly stylized — as her costume of choice.

Rashid emphatically defends that choice.

"She doesn't use the burqa because she's oppressed. She uses it, she chooses to wear it to hide her identity the way superheroes wear their costumes to hide an identity. Like Batman or Catwoman," he told CNN.

In addition, Rashid says the burqa makes it clear this hero is Muslim, pre-emptively addressing any potential anti-Islam criticism.

"By wearing a burqa she is showing she is a Muslim woman and superhero. And that she stands for all the good things of Islam and the real Islamic values — which are equality, women's rights, education and peace — rather than the way Islam has been hijacked by radical elements," he told CNN.

A total of 13 episodes are set to air, but the creators hope for a future international launch, stating on the show's Facebook page, "We will make sure that everyone gets a chance to watch Burka Avenger fight for justice, peace and education for all."

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Lindsay Maxfield

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