Look out, it’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a…flying Muslim superhero?

That’s right, people. Starting this January “The 99,” a TV show about Muslim superheroes who have an attribute of Allah, is coming to a TV near you.

Debuting on The Hub (formerly Discovery Kids), “The 99” will feature an ensemble of characters whose powers range from incredible speed to Hulk-like strength. Take Amira Khan for example, a 17-year-old Pakistani-British girl. Given the superhero name Hadya, meaning “the guide,” Khan has the ability to generate a GPS system in her mind, letting her map out any location.

With its extreme popularity and success in the Arab world the show broadcast in Britain last year where critics timidly approached it. A columnist from the “Times of London” said the show’s goal was “to instill old-fashioned Islamic values in Christian, Jewish and atheist children.” Americans have similarly expressed disdain for the show.

“Muslim superheroes?” asked 9/11 widow Rich Pecorella in an interview with the New York Post. “They’re dragging religion into an area that we don’t drag religion into in this country.” A little Palin-esque in delivery, but we get the emotion he’s conveying:  a secular nation can’t air a children’s cartoon show that promotes any one religion. And many Americans are outraged at the idea of this, but not all.

“His comic books have captured the imagination of so many young people,” President Obama said of creator Naif al-Mustawa in April. “His superheroes embody the teachings of the intolerance of Islam.” And I agree.

As a Ground Zero community center supporter, it’s hard for me not to see the benefit of airing this program. Concerned with expressing its true values, the show will give American children a better understanding of the cultural gap that exists with a nation critical to our future. And what better way to build a cultural bridge than to mix it with a medium that all us Saturday morning, Cocoa Puffs-eating cartoon watchers can enjoy. But I can see why there’s backlash.

The editor of the think tank Family Security Matters, Adrian Morgan, pointed out in an article published about the show last month that viewers most likely won’t see a show where “ass-kicking Christian superhero nuns called Faith, Hope and Charity,” fight off sinners and Satan. Morgan makes a point. And even if a show like that was produced in America, I doubt the Arab world would be interested in airing it for their kids. But should that be enough reason to be against it?

By making a move to air this show, America is taking a leap toward maturity and diplomacy that excludes war-related actions. We’re showing the Arab world that we have an interest in learning their culture and religion, so as not to wrongly relate it with Middle Eastern terror organizations.

Through that scope, “The 99” is appealing through an anthropological perspective. Considering the show is a cartoon revolving around superheroes, it’s interesting to note how strongly it clings to its cultural ideals. For instance, you won’t find female characters wearing sexy tights and skimpy outfits like Wonder Woman or Bat Girl. In fact, the Post’s Andrea Peyser points out in her article on the show that at least five female characters are drabbed in head scarves, not including the characters dressed in burqas. Male and female characters are also never seen alone together.

Whether or not you feel comfortable with “The 99” coming to America, it’ll inevitably be aired in January. Look at it as a learning experience. This is our chance to raise the bar to culturally understand a region that many of us could benefit from knowing more about.

To contact The Ionian’s Joseph Bland, e-mail him at [email protected].