Summary
Highlights
Shereen El Feki introduces Barbie, a 50-year-old icon, and Fulla, the Arab world's answer to Barbie. She challenges the 'clash of civilizations' theory, suggesting that her experience in the Islamic world shows a different reality where Western innovations are adapted into something new, neither conventionally Western nor traditionally Islamic.
El Feki presents 4Shbab, an Arab TV channel meaning 'for youth,' dubbed 'Islamic MTV.' Created by Ahmed Abu Haïba, the channel uses popular music videos to inspire young people with Islamic values, offering an alternative to conventional Arab music channels and promoting a gentler image of Islam.
The second example is 'The 99,' the world's first Islamic superheroes, created by Kuwaiti psychologist Naif Al Mutawa. These characters embody the 99 attributes of Allah, like justice and wisdom, in a child-friendly format. 'The 99' has expanded into a theme park and an animated series, even planning collaborations with American superheroes like Superman and Wonder Woman.
El Feki describes 'The 99' and 4Shbab as examples of Islamic 'cross-cultural hybridization,' coining the term 'mesh of civilizations' to describe the intertwining of different cultures, rather than a clash or an indistinguishable blend. She notes that this adaptation has a long tradition in Islam, citing a Quranic verse that encourages learning from one another across nations and tribes.