It’s Iimi! The Road to Now

Since she first invited Iimi to the Mosque in the hope of making a convert, Kismetta, unwittingly at first, found herself on the road aimed at seeking Christ. Now the road is at its end… and at its beginning.

Readers who need to be reminded of the context for a specific panel, the Issue numbers there correspond with the information on THIS page.

Interestingly enough, Kismetta’s debut on Facebook was April 12, 2020. So, while it was unplanned, it was almost exactly three years from the time she tried to convert Iimi to her Baptism. 

Post-Comic Notes:

From this day forward in the comics, Kismetta is a Catholic. So this might be a good moment to say a prayer for the real-life converts who entered the Church this Easter Vigil. 

 

The title is multi-layered. In one way, it is a comic showing the influential moments in Kismetta’s journey from Islam to Catholicism. But it was also inspired by 2 Corinthians 6:2… “now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” So if you looked at the inscription behind Iimi on the cover, you might not have been surprised…

 

Each panel on pages 1-15 came directly from the original comic. I decided against modernizing the graphics of the panels. So, you can see how the comic evolved from 2020 to now. So, You get to see the crude artwork, the clunky word balloons, the overly broad free fonts, the short skirts, and so on. My only changes were removing captions and footnotes to avoid cluttering the panels where I inserted issue information on each panel.

It’s Iimi! Rite of Election

The First Sunday of Lent brings Kismetta into the Rite of the Elect.

Okay, technically, Kismetta would probably spend two years in the Catechumenate. But in a comic where the main characters are perpetually 16, a few liberties can be taken. 

It’s Iimi! Transitions (The Long Goodbye Part II)

The day has finally come. The day before Thanksgiving and Escrow has closed on the Dhumzur house. Kismetta is moving to the Iscra house while Sumeja and the twins go to a hotel before they travel to the United Arab Emirates. Thea senses some unease and sorrow from Sumeja. Can she help them with the… Transitions

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.

Journey’s End. Journey’s Beginning.

Kismetta finally had come clean to her parents about wanting to become a Christian. Will she be able to resist the pressure against her? What consequences are there? And, since she is a minor, what will her parents (who have authority over her) decide?

Post Comic notes: While the story is about Kismetta’s conversion, telling it through the perspective of her parents’ anguish was important to give the reader a sense of what she had to overcome. Yes, as Catholics, we know Kismetta made the correct choice. But converting to the Catholic faith is always painful when the family of the convert thinks that the choice is wrong. That pressure is why some fail to move forward with what they believe is right, and that is why we need to support them and pray for them.