BURKA AVENGER

PROPOSAL & ARGUMENT

It is the purpose of this project to identify the explicit ways in which Pakistan’s number one cartoon, Burka Avenger, not only challenges discriminatory ideals against women and conservative societal/cultural beliefs, but does so using symbolism and core teachings from within the Islamic tradition. The show, developed and produced by an internationally famous pop-singer, Haroon (Aaron Haroon Rahid), emphasizes the importance of women’s rights, particularly the right to education. The series follows a woman named Jiya, who is a teacher at an all-girls school in a fictional village, who challenges and defeats obstacles placed in front of young girls, using her alter ego, Burka Avenger, who is not only a role-model, but a superheroine, who’s defenses include an array of symbolic items, such as pens and schoolbooks, paired with the power of knowledge. The idea is that Haroon has incorporated several not-so-subtle nuances regarding the real-life struggle that young women in some parts of Pakistan (amongst other countries/villages) face, including but not specific to, education, gender equality, women in the workplace, male-dominated societies, etc. It is also the purpose of this project to highlight that Burka Avenger herself, follows the general core teachings of Islam, in that she is very modestly dressed, respectful of all others, non-violent while seeking justice and empowerment. It is also important to mention, that a further exploration will be carried out throughout this project, regarding the attempted assassination of Malala Yousafzai by the Taliban in Pakistan during the time of this show being broadcasted, as the themes of both the real-life attack and those in which you can find in the series are related.