First-time author aims to bring Muslim representation to the superhero genre with new book

Ali Mohammad Rizwan, author of the book, “MetalGhost: Kashif and the Echoes from a Past Life,” explores the life of Muslim superheroes.

Rizwan, who grew up in New Jersey, has watched and read superhero stories since childhood. But he felt that he couldn’t see himself in those stories.

“I’ve always loved writing, and I’ve always had this idea in my mind where I felt as a Muslim American, I really don’t feel we’re represented properly or enough so, and I wanted to do something about that,” he told WDET.

Rizwan says he began writing his first story over the past eight years.

“Before I knew it, I had a full-fledged novel in my hand,” he said.

As a child, as someone who loved watching and reading about superheroes, he would look for books at the library that had Muslim superheroes. But he says there were none.

“I grew up watching, like all of us, watching this Marvel movies… and read these comics. And again and again, they kept releasing awesome movies and comics and books, but I realized none of the characters, main characters, looked like me or you,” Rizwan said. “I think subliminally, that sends a message, whether they mean to or not.”

Rizwan says he wanted to do something about that. 

“That was my motivation, that I want to tell a story that’s purely authentic Muslim experience but it’s also American at the same time, so people can see this is what a Muslim American goes through,” he said.

The book — inspired by different superheroes — explores themes of love, relationships, family and friends, and loss, Rizwan says.

“I’ve always felt very connected to Superman, because, you know how he says, ‘I’m not really from here.’ That’s his line. And growing up as, like a Muslim American, I always felt we always kind of feel a bit on the outside sometimes because of how, especially after 9/11 and how we’re portrayed in the media and misrepresented, we are kind of sometimes treated as the other,” he said.

But Rizwan says he’s also connected to how Superman and others sacrifice themselves for the greater good, help their neighbors, and support their families.

He incorporates Islamic history and hadith, sayings of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, in the story — which he incorporates into Kashif’s thinking and motivation to save others.

“So we’re taught, there’s 1,000 years of Dark Ages, and then Europe kind of has this enlightenment. Well, in those 1,000 years, the Islamic world was prospering so much,” he said.

“MetalGhost” won the distinguished favorite in the Islamic category by the NYC Big Book Award. Rizwan says he did not expect to get this kind of reception.

“When you’re writing, I didn’t think… I could win awards, would be recognized in any way. So this, it was huge,” he said.

He hopes to write a trilogy in the series and has been approached for a Marvel edition to the book.

“They’re wondering if there is room for making this into a motion production picture or something. I’m definitely interested in that. I honestly, I would love for Muslims to produce this,” he said.

In the meantime,  he says, he’s writing his next book, which will feature comics.