Apr 15, 2021
SHOW NOTES: Why We Love Ms. Marvel So Much | Ramadan Edition
From the Grounded Geeks podcast / your co-hosts Aman and Lena
Happy Ramadan! For this week’s episode, not only did Aman and Lena get to geek out about one of their absolute favorite superheroes, they also got a chance to celebrate the beginning of Ramadan (scroll down if you want to read more on what exactly this is). Ms. Marvel a.k.a. Kamala Khan is the reason why Aman and Lena got pulled back into comics way back in 2013. In this episode we talk about the importance of representation, authenticity, and how Marvel comics has changed—particularly in the last 10 years. Check out our episode below and let us know what you think on Twitter!
Some links to help YOU geek out about Ms. Marvel too!
- For starters, here’s Disney’s Wiki on Ms. Marvel
- Marvel’s first on-screen Muslim superhero — Kamala Khan, Ms. Marvel’s alter-ego — inspires big hopes
- The Difference Between Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel Explained
- Here’s Why You Should Know Kamala Khan, The Lead of Disney+’s ‘Ms. Marvel’
- By the way, we should clarify that Marvel Comics’ very first Muslim character wasn’t actually Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan, it was in fact a character named Sooraya Qadir a.k.a. Dust
- Check out this awesome TED Talk about superheroes inspired by Islam:
By the way, Lena wrote the following note for her colleagues at work about Ramadan and figured it would be nice to share here as well:
☪️ Happy Ramadan / Ramadan Mubarak / Ramadan Kareem! 🌙
Ramadan is the biggest holiday for Muslims around the world and it’s a month of fasting (every day from dawn to dusk for 30 days), prayer, and community. Ramadan celebrates the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) receiving the initial revelations of the Quran, which is the holy book for Muslims, so it’s definitely a big deal. Fasting during Ramadan means no eating or drinking anything — not even water 😅 — during the day. Many Muslims will wake up slightly before dawn each day (which is called suhoor) to eat some food and drink water as a way to provide some extra nourishment and hydration for the day and then they typically pass out again for a few more hours. FYI that’s why many of your Muslim friends and colleagues are probably really tired during this month! But the best part of Ramadan is breaking your fast at the end of each day (called iftaar) with friends and family, whether it’s in person or lately on Zoom.
So why do Muslims fast at all? One of the reasons is so that we can remember those who are less fortunate than us by experiencing what it is like to be hungry and thirsty — things that many of us can take for granted. At the end of this month, Muslims are obligated to donate a portion of their income to charity (called zakat). While fasting is a very important facet of Islam, not all Muslims are obligated to do it, especially if they are too young or too old, have health issues/concerns, etc. Fasting also means trying to curb our bad habits and start new/good habits like maybe trying to call our parents more, be a better friend or taking a break from doom scrolling on social media. It can be anything! Because Ramadan also signifies a chance to start over no matter where you are on your journey in life :heart:
If you want to learn more about Ramadan, check out the following links:
- Ramadan 2021: 9 questions about the Muslim holy month you were too embarrassed to ask
- A look at how the month was celebrated last year → Ramadan 2020: A Holy Month During a Pandemic
- This is about the holiday at the end of Ramadan called Eid-ul-Fitr. It’s all about food, family, and partying 🎉 → In Pictures: Eid al-Fitr in the time of coronavirus
- Had to share this cute story about a Muslim couple that met during Ramadan 💕 → How to Get Married: Ask Him If He Likes You
- Ramadan recipes! 🥙 🥘 🥗
