It’s Iimi! An Omen From the East!

Sumeja has come with baby Fatima to visit Kismetta, for which Kismetta is elated. But when Sumeja arrives, she comes with news that shakes Kismetta and the Iscra family. How will Kismetta face… An Omen From the East

 

Pre-Comic Notes:

“Omen” was chosen as a sense of “ominous.”

Post-Comic Notes

The Arabic script on the plane means “Lorem Ipsum.” (On Emirates Airlines—which “Emirati Air” is a satire of, I’m told the Arabic on their planes simply means “Emirates.”)

 

I hope it goes without saying that Bahrudin and Zara’s past behavior is adultery, plain and simple. It’s unacceptable for Muslims just as it’s unacceptable for Christians. 

It’s Iimi! Torn Asunder…

As the Dhumzur family gets closer to their move date, underlying tensions threaten to widen. Mother and daughter are divided as Sumeja fears Kismetta will corrupt her sons. Resentments flare over polygyny and Zara. When the family finally does move, the question is whether the family will stay intact or be… Torn Asunder…

Post-Comic Notes:

Eid Mawlid an-Nabi was held on October 8^th 2022 (Saturday). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mawlid

Sunni Muslims (except for Salafi and Wahhabi) celebrate, though there can be some disagreement as to whether or not to celebrate. The reason for the dispute sounds similar to the claims made by some Christians that Christmas should not be celebrated… that there is no command to celebrate it. But as I’m a non-Muslim, it’s not really my place to take a side. 

 

Islamic educational institutions in the United States often hold lectures or classes on Muhammad’s life and how Muslims can live an honorable life. They may also invite non-Muslims to communal meals and lectures or discussions on Islam. Generally speaking, these events usually aim to increase the understanding of Islam in the non-Muslim community, rather than to convert people to Islam. Hence Assistant Imam Hamdan’s reluctance to go along with Najiyah’s suggestion.

 

Some communities hold open-air celebrations or parades. People attending the parades may carry green banners and men and boys wear green clothing or headgear. Girls often wear pink and white clothes. A communal meal may be held, or birthday cake may be distributed at the end of the celebrations. The food is often also shared with non-Muslims. 

Kismetta’s poster, which “seems off” to Sumeja, is a kakure (隠れ, meaning “hidden”) Christian pattern. During persecution in Japan, Catholics would sometimes wear Christian symbols in the patterns on their clothing that weren’t immediately apparent to persecutors. Sumeja clearly doesn’t see the symbol. Kismetta, recognizing how unhappy her parents are with her conversion, sees this as the best option.

It’s Iimi! My Dinner With Andrea

In the final story of the arc, Iimi doesn’t even get a chance to eat as she fields a barrage of attacks against her Church and begins to catch on that there was deceptive intent in her being invited over. 

The arguments presented by the Feday family here are ones I personally encountered.

Post-Comic Notes:

For those who suspect a pun, but don’t get it, The title was a spoof on THIS, and the front page is a spoof on THIS (which is why I went with the dreadful Comic Sans font... it was the closest I could come to the font used on the poster).