It's Iimi! Delinquent

 It only took twenty minutes in the first period. But as a result, Iimi would be branded… Delinquent

 Pre-Comic Notes:

The cover image size is large. It could take awhile to load.

There is a slur used in this comic. It is not used in a way to show approval for it.

 

Post-Comic Notes:

Cover art © Dean Spencer. Used under license.

 Jinn: As mentioned on page 18, a jinn is a supernatural creature in Islam. Muslims need to believe in them because they are mentioned in the Quran. But beliefs about what they can do vary. As I understand it, they are considered to have the free will to choose good or evil. Good ones can be saved, and evil ones damned. Evil ones are reputed to be able to possess people. Whether the devil (Iblis) is a demon or a jinn is debated.

 Kismetta does not believe in Jinn any longer, but Yaminah does. So, that is why Kismetta mentioned them: To deny she was possessed.

It’s Iimi! Bus-Stop Battle

Iimi meets Kismetta’s friend from her Mosque, Najiyah Ayad, for the first time. Unfortunately, the encounter is very much like her encounters with Saul and Daryl, who assume the worst of anything outside of their beliefs. 

 

Kismetta is stuck in the middle between one friend who she is sure is speaking justly and another who is not. How will this impact her search for the truth?

 

Preliminary Note: The character of Najiyah Ayad is not intended to be a stereotypical representation of Muslims in general. She is simply an intolerant person who happens to be a Muslim. Much like Saul (Fundamentalist Christian) and Daryl (Radical Traditionalist Catholic), Najiyah doesn’t question what she assumes to be true. Please keep that in mind before thinking (or accusing me of thinking) that Najiyah is some kind of Muslim “everyman.”

Post Comic Notes: The original title was going to be “Bus-Stop Making Sense,” but that references a movie from over twenty years before Iimi was even born, and I wasn’t sure if any of the readers would get the reference. There’s being punny and there’s being “downright obscure.”

It’s Iimi! Fractured!

People think differently on how to best handle topics. That alone doesn’t

make them evil. But if they support an evil cause or an unjust means to

achieve a good end, we cannot go along with it. What will Iimi, her family,

and her friends face what happens when people begin supporting what

they cannot.

Post-Comic Reflection: Yes, people do behave in an ugly manner in this one. Unfortunately, that is how extremists act. There is no interest in trying to understand the other side. So, people like Iimi, Thea, and Anne viewed with suspicion for trying to be just. However, regardless of what one thinks of the actions of another, we must still treat them as fellow human beings, loved by God. Will Iimi and her friends remember that? We’ll have to see.

It’s Iimi! Beneath the Surface

Of course we must do good and reject evil. Yes, people do things that are—or at least seem to be—morally wrong. But we can’t just assume that what they do are done out of malice. Being badly taught, suffering trauma, any number of things can shape a person’s thinking in a way that is hard to break free from.

When we evangelize, we should keep in mind what lies beneath the surface. Showing compassion to those who underwent things we can’t comprehend can help us reach out to them. And even if it fails, it is better to be hated for doing right than doing wrong.

Post Comic Notes: the main point of this comic was to explore Pope Francis’  concept of how Christians must not assume the worst possible motives of those who do wrong. Sure, it might be malice. But it might not be. Certainly Mike and Shelia assume the worst of Iimi and her friends. But we don’t know what motivates them (yet?) in their anger.