Sunni-Shia: A Trump Comic!

[Abishai100]

Developments in Sunni-Shiite relations (a symbolic schism in Islam) represent a global effort in coordinating commerce with cordial politics (i.e., Israel-Palestine). Sunnis and Shiites have disagreed about the manner of power inheritance in religious hierarchies and the degree of orthodoxy and inventiveness in times of power-ascension complications/ambiguities.

I like the way comic book speak to a pedestrian colloquialization of complicated ethics and civics angst on multiple levels, and while fundamentalist Muslims do not necessarily read or enjoy American comic books, we can use the 'light-heartedness' of the comic book art approach to social discourse and governance paranoia to approach the touchy 'Sunni-Shiite issue' with proverbial 'kid-gloves,' so we feel there is less room for offense.

So here's a comic book stylized fictional short-story I cooked up relevant to modern TrumpUSA concerns about Sunni-Shiite contouring in the modern global market (i.e., Wall Street).


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Firestar and Scarlet Witch grew up as half-sisters, but Firestar subscribed to Sunni Muslim beliefs, while Scarlet Witch subscribed to Shiite ways. They were, however, both in love with Spider-Man who was currently negotiating with the capitalism-subjective U.S. President (Donald Trump) about the laxing of NATO policies in this new age of high commerce and consumer traffic. Firestar wanted Spider-Man to favor Sunni beliefs, while Scarlet Witch wanted Spider-Man to favor Shiite beliefs. President Trump stood to gain only if Spider-Man's unique views were the guiding factor for consultancy.

Scarlet Witch was able to win the affections of Spider-Man (and they married!), as she explained to him how Shiite inventiveness was more 'flexible' in times of great power-change complexity and/or uncertainty. Firestar was furious until she realized Scarlet Witch was secretly involved in an adulterous affair with Iceman (a friend of Spider-Man) and had arranged the marriage to Spider-Man only to push forward the Shiite advantage. Firestar decided to gather evidence that Scarlet Witch was bonded to Iceman, but when she obtained the evidence (photographs) and presented them to Spider-Man, she was shocked to discover that Spider-Man was simply relieved his 'marriage of incidental convenience' to Scarlet Witch created hopes for peace.

Spider-Man decided to give President Trump the following memo:

"It is my belief that Sunnis and Shiites are irreversibly irreconcilable. They disagree too much in the manner of power transition in times of great uncertainty, which is why such a schism should be honored/respected even in this modern time of great commerce and consumerism-gauged politics (e.g., European Union). I know that a Shiite priestess (Scarlet Witch) tried to arrange a marriage with me just to obtain a valuable position in the Sunni-Shiite troubles, which suggests to me that this problem must be monitored closely. I will continue to entreat Scarlet Witch with olive-branches and alms of peace, so she can curry her relationship with her Shiite boyfriend-fiancee Iceman, while I make peace with Firestar who insists that Sunnis should be granted the right to construct a giant merchant-bazaar in Jerusalem (Israel). The market-based nouveau-political matter is now in your hands, Mr. President!"

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FIRESTAR and SCARLET WITCH:

 

[Abishai100]

The AIDS Conference


Here's a media-engaged Sunni-Shia peace event tale related to AIDS research and charities, which I think reflects some of the networking-optimism exhibited in the competitive but Utopian Kentucky Derby horse-race at Churchill Downs...

I only have to figure out if I'm more optimistic about Donald Trump or Melania Trump. Donald has not shown much interest in socially-conscious issues (I think relevant to capitalism culture) such as eco-pollution and arts-sciences funding.

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Spider-Man realized a good move towards peaceful improved relations between Sunnis and Shiites would be some kind of charity event for AIDS research/outreach. He enlisted the help of socially-conscious female celebrity Nicole Kidman, which got the attention of Firestar and Scarlet Witch. Soon, Sunnis and Shiites equally were interested in this highly-publicized socially-conscious charity event (which would be on national television in North America in the autumn of 2017. Spider-Man hired a Malaysian-American toy design and engineer prodigy named Ajay Satan to bring visually-pleasing novelty items and decorative working-toys to give the AIDS event a warehouse with installation-art 'feel.'

Ajay designed a presentation of a series of nearly-opaque, internally glowing white compact audio cassettes (to symbolize both Orwellian neglect of medically-handicapped communities as well as the splendor of organic nature 'seeping' through the proverbial 'walls of Industrialization' --- through the imagery of bioluminescence allusions with the glowing tapes!). Ajay's tapes were a hit, and when interior-design plans for Spider-Man's AIDS event were leaked to other artists, Marvel Comics writers wanted to attend to connect AIDS research to the genetic-mutation superhuman bigotry storylines in the X-Men franchise, since a movie titled X-Men: Apocalypse (about a brute) was in-the-works! Spider-Man was thrilled to see both Firestar (representing the Sunni community) and Scarlet Witch (representing the Shiite community) at what turned out to be an incredibly profitable socially-conscious event.

Spider-Man was soon awarded the Nobel Prize for his work with improving Sunni-Shiite relations (at least in continental North America), and he shared his prize with his secret shadow-investor, celebrity Tom Cruise (who was secretly getting re-married to Nicole Kidman but sought to avoid negative media gibberish). Firestar and Scarlet Witch were both happy, as were their respective Sunni and Shiite communities (at least in continental North America). Everything seemed to be going perfectly, until a fanatical self-proclaimed 'loyalist' of the consumerism-busied U.S. President (Donald Trump) named Stan Ledger decided to take the White House hostage and say on live camera, "TrumpUSA cares about AIDS research/outreach as much as it cares about its caffeine-rich Starbucks dungeon!"

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[Abishai100]

Amjad and Ali


Here's a short-story about two brothers wrestling with Sunni-Shia differences in the context of the modern age!

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Amjad and Ali were step-brothers (sharing a common Sunni mother but two different fathers --- one Sunni and the other Shiite). Ali was the half-Shiite. Amjad and Ali's mother, Benazir, met their fathers during a terrible Sunni-Shiite skirmish in Lebanon and was being courted by both men --- Ben (Amjad's father) and Mohammad (Ali's father). Amjad and Ali parted ways when they both became 20 years-old, though as they grew up, people in their Lebanese community remarked how much they resembled each other! Amjad joined a radical Sunni movement, while Ali joined a radical Shiite movement. Religious beliefs had driven the two look-alike step-brothers (both Muslim) apart.

Amjad and Ali met again in Iraq during the Gulf War, when Sunni-Shia relations became prominent in a political encampment trying to defy the unjust rule of Saddam Hussein and wrestling with how to support the United States effort (which was mostly based on petroleum issues). Amjad and Ali were motivated to debate with each other regarding the complications regarding Sunni-Shia relations in the context of new age globalization and the emerging free market which saw various market intrigue in areas such as Hong Kong and Europe. The debate touched on some sensitive issues and personal points regarding disagreements in religious philosophy and culture (and lifestyle!).

AMJAD: The world cares only about Israel-Palestine.
ALI: Westerners read the Bible and think about Abraham's two sons Isaac and Ishmael and think only of Judaism/Islam!
AMJAD: Very few Christians are interested in the philosophical schisms in Islam (the Sunni-Shia 'problem').
ALI: Should Christians take part, my brother?
AMJAD: We are brothers by blood but not by brain, Ali...
ALI: Alright. As a Shiite, I believe that inheritance of power must involve a meditation on tradition.
AMJAD: I disagree, and like my Sunni brothers, I believe that power transitions must respect the principle of 'community.'
ALI: Fathers and sons are not always reliably 'communal,' Amjad.
AMJAD: That is why the Koran guides us in times of a dearth of evidence regarding the validity of genetic inheritance.
ALI: Islam is comprised of human beings and must defer to the authority of the written word of the Koran!
AMJAD: I disagree. The Koran touches all things, including counselling in times of inheritance controversies.
ALI: So you think that genetic inheritance is a management-issue of the 'magic' of the Koran?
AMJAD: I believe we can interpret the Koran as a source of life, not childish problems...
ALI: I disagree. Sunnis/Shiites may agree about eco-pollution, but power-shifts in Islam must respect Islamic imagination.
AMJAD: I see no evidence of the Western world paying respect to the rights of the Muslim 'imagination.'
ALI: To adapt to the modern world, Muslims must exhibit the ability to appreciate the complexity of genetics.
AMJAD: We will never agree brother. Sunnis will always believe power is a community issue (not a simple family problem)!
ALI: Shiites will always believe uncles have most faith in carrying on the power and magic of the Koran (gene-pool rule!).
AMJAD: I hope that if America elects a venture-capitalist (e.g., Donald Trump) as President, he will care about Sunni-Shia.
ALI: Such a President would be respected by both Sunnis and Shiites.

A young note-taker recorded the debate and gave it to a political officer of the CIA in America. The note-taker was an aspiring journalist and liked what Amjad and Ali said about future American leaders being obligated to care about the Sunni-Shia 'problem' in the modern world of globalization politics. The note-taker would go on to write a very well-praised book about the Gulf War and how it shaped Sunni-Shia relations in the context of a developing world of trade-catalyzed politics; he even foreshadowed some of the key developments in the establishment and successes of the European Union and predicted that someday a radical Islamic leader may strike at a major trade-symbolic target in the Western world (perhaps the World Trade Center!). Donald Trump would read this book and seriously consider how Sunni-Shia relations are important to understand for anyone evaluating the gravity of Muslim grievances in the modern world (e.g., Israel-Palestine, OPEC, NATO, etc., etc.). Amjad and Ali, meanwhile, would become the Remus and Romulus of the Islamic 'jihadist universe.' Fortunately, President Bill Clinton would make key headway involving controversies regarding the legacy of Afghani rebels in the Soviet Union and forge important negotiations regarding the Western world's interests in Islamic 'marketing issues' such as the Sunni-Shia 'problem.'

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Amjad and Ali: