Over at Patriot’s Corner, a right wing/teabagger website, “PatriotUSA” takes on the comic book series The 99 and it’s “stealth jihad.”  In an article largely ripped directly off from Family Security Matters, the blog is concerned that the “muslim potus” is crossing the line by “government sanctioning of religious cartoons” to indoctrinate the impressionable youth.

While the blog is right that some nefarious organizations do use comic books and cartoons to indoctrinate the youth, I think this nutcase is a bit off.  Lets break it down on why this person is crazy (overlooking the birther statements) and why he hopefully hasn’t had children to pass on the crazy.

A comic book is something that a child (or adult) elects to read. Pages must be turned, text must be read to make sense of the pictures. Animated cartoons do not require such deliberate behaviour on the part of the viewer. They are there, they move, they have a soundtrack with music, the characters speak, and no-one has to turn the pages

Well, lets start with the above.  I’m pretty sure turning on the television, finding the channel, looking up the time the show is on, these all qualify under deliberate behavior.  Hell, it might be easier to read the comic.  I mean, if it’s difficult to “turn the pages,” it’s a wonder this person can turn on their computer and type on their blog.

Now, onto the 99.

The new media outlet, called The Hub, will officially start airing on October 11, with veteran broadcaster Margaret Loesch running the schedule. And on the schedule of The Hub network will be an animated series called “The 99”, which will bring to life the Islamic cartoon superheroes. This is the first time that I am aware of where a religious cartoon series has been broadcast and aimed at the general viewing public.”

Well, there’s a lot of issues here.  Lets begin with the television network which is being brought to television by Hasbro.  In the beginning of his rant, PatriotUSA claims we need to watch out for the “government sanctioning of religious cartoons” with our tax dollars.  Last I checked, Hasbro was a toy company.  I’m sure they get tax breaks, but aren’t the Teabaggers pro-capitalism?

Next lets go into the whole “religious cartoon” part.  I’m going into the way back machine to a show called Davey and Goliath.  While it wasn’t a cartoon, it was a stop motion animation show aimed at children and created for the Lutheran church by Clokey Productions between 1960 through 1975.  The show aired on some ABC stations and generally had the characters dealing with important topics and overcoming them through their belief and faith in God.  So there goes that whole argument that this upcoming show is a first.

The article then goes on to link to Family Security Matters and their article on The 99 written by the organization’s editor Adrian Morgan.  The organization is a right-wing organization on the hawkish side of things. Dr. Naif al-Mutawa is the creator of the comic book series.  He created it after seeing anti-Western hate up close.  Family Security Matters goes onto praise the comic series:

I am sure Dr. Al-Mutawa is well-intentioned, and his comic books are – of themselves – not designed to promote archaic intolerance. Some of the superhero characters are female, and these do not always wear hijabs (headscarves). In Muslim countries and Muslim homes in America, this is perfectly acceptable, and can not be seen as a bad thing.

Their issue begins with President Obama’s praise for Al-Mutawa.  They claim there should be a separation of church and state.  I hope they are equally outraged at each year’s prayer breakfast, as well as the religious doctrine that drove the previous administration.  The writer seems to miss the fact the President was praising him for doing good in his society and helping to bridge the west and Islam.  The things this same writer at times recognizes and praises.

They continue to cite the recent episode of the censorship of South Park for it’s depiction of Mohammed.  If you can’t make fun of a religion’s leader, why be able to show it in a good light is their point.  Now the humor of this is they themselves by calling for the show now to be shown is censorship.  A bit of a catch-22 and hypocrisy if you ask me.

In Kuwait, the Ninety-Nine has been seen as educational and instructional, and has not been criticised. But it does seem strange that Islam – dressed up in the form of cartoon superhero characters – should be presented on the screen.

Are we going to see ass-kicking Christian superhero nuns, called Faith, Hope and Charity, whooping sinner’s butts and sending Satan into Hell? It is doubtful.

Hmm, actually we do.  There’s numerous comic book series that deal with this.  Anyone remember Warrior Nun Areala or how about the current Magdalena?  The lesson with that statement?  Don’t make stupid comments like that without basic research.

This disparity is one of the worst things affecting society at present. Christianity and Judaism do not get featured in mainstream media, but Islam is not only depicted in all strands of the media, it is being promoted by a president who seems to have forgotten what he swore to uphold when he entered office.

Again, as show by those two comics, and I can go on for a while with more examples, that’s not the case.  There’s numerous vocal Christian characters, Jewish characters (did you know The Thing was Jewish!?) and characters of all faiths and backgrounds.

There are some Christian movie-makers and animators, whose work goes out on cable or on DVD. Would these people’s work be endorsed by the president? Would their handiwork be broadcast in Kuwait?

Everyone is equal under the law. The separation of Church and State was a principle designed to ensure that peoples of all faiths were similarly treated as equals under the law. There is too much bias in America and the West, where Islam can be promoted, but it can never be criticized. This breaks the contract that was established more than two hundred years ago – in the First Amendment – to protect everyone’s religious rights.