Has Disney alienated its Muslim viewers with its pro-Israel stance?
15 min read
The Marvels, which co-stars Muslim superhero Ms. Marvel, was a financial failure at the box office, due to its inability to break even on its over $200 million budget.
Analysts have given several reasons for this, ranging from the quality of the MCU lagging to the actors being unable to promote the film due to the actors’ strike, to other factors.
What most of these analyses bely, however, is the potential of Muslim audiences who care about Palestine (that is to say the broad majority of Muslims) worldwide feeling betrayed by Marvel’s parent company Disney, and refusing to go support the film in theatres.
The silence the Disney company has had for the thousands of Palestinians killed and injured, including the thousands of children, has spoken volumes — especially after they found that same silence inappropriate in the wake of the October 7 attack, when they voiced support for and pledged $1 million for Israel.
"The silence the Disney company has had for the thousands of Palestinians killed and injured, including the thousands of children, has spoken volumes"
To many Muslims, this shows that Disney does not care about Palestinian lives, and thus wants to boycott the company.
Some still want to support Ms. Marvel, one of the extremely few brown and Muslim heroes we have in popular media, and her actress Iman Vellani, who was by far the best part of The Marvels.
We speak to five Muslims ranging from writers, podcasters, content creators, and activists on how they navigate Disney’s stance, and how they approach BDS’s labelling of “pressure” and not “boycotting” Disney.
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'I wasn't surprised'
Bisma Parvez, a Pakistani-American Muslim social media creator and activist outspoken for Palestine, was unsurprised by Disney’s statement.
“I wish I could say I was shocked,” she says. “I wasn't surprised honestly. Disappointed of course. But it's not shocking to see the unconditional support for Israel. And I'm not saying that the innocent [Israeli] people who were affected should be harmed in any way, of course.
"Any hostage should be returned, of course, but the fact that they are indiscriminately bombing children while Disney is saying ‘We are sad about children,’ is mind-boggling."
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Bisma noted that she is an ardent fan of Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan and that in other circumstances, she would be supporting her and any media she appears in.
“I feel like [Kamala Khan] is my daughter,” Bisma says. “She's a part of my family. I started getting more into Marvel [when I realised] there's this Pakistani Muslim girl. It was just like how you would support your child and we were ready before she even came out to support her unconditionally.”
"What representation is supposed to do is teach you to humanise the people that you see as an ‘other.’ It should actually lead to empathy for them"
However, after Disney’s statement, Bisma decided, along with her fellow mom friends, not to support the new film.
“Active decisions were made to not watch this movie. And while some made a passive decision, a lot of us said ‘No, we will not watch this movie. We will not take our kids and we will go to the protest instead.’ And we took our kids to the protests.”
For Bisma and her fellow Muslim mums, only representing Muslims is not enough.
“I think representation only takes you so far,” she says. “What representation is supposed to do is teach you to humanise the people that you see as an ‘other.’ It should lead you to feel empathy for them.
“I think people are starting to see past the whole, ‘We did celebrate the diversity and inclusion and the representation.’ But now it's like, ‘Well, what was the point? You're still killing our kids?’”
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'We have to be vocal'
Uneeb (“Neebz”) Khan and Mohammed Usman Aijaz (“Jazz”) are the co-hosts of the Salaam Nerds Podcast, a Muslim-run podcast that covers various aspects of pop culture, including Marvel and Ms. Marvel, whom they have championed.
While they know it may cost them opportunities, Neebz and Jazz have been consistently outspoken about Palestine on their podcast and in their other efforts.
Neebz has particularly felt the backlash to his activism. “I've lost about 2,000 followers on my Instagram alone and quite a few on my Tiktok,” he says.
“I've had some opportunities to be on podcasts about The Marvels but then, conveniently, I was ghosted as soon as I started posting on Palestine.”
Perhaps most shocking was how an organisation ghosted him on a joint effort to screen The Marvels for kids from Jersey City (where Ms. Marvel is from).
“All of a sudden, when this popped off, they stopped replying to my emails, and I got the hint. I knew what it was about.”
While they didn’t choose to boycott The Marvels themselves, the podcast hosts know of people in their Muslim communities who have.
“I don't think it's the main cause for [it's flopping],” says Jazz, “but I know a lot of my friends, for example, refuse to go watch it in theatres. They've already cancelled their Disney+ subscriptions. It is a factor, but I don't believe it's the sole factor for why it flopped.”
Neebz elaborated on why Disney’s statements may have contributed to The Marvels' lack of success among Muslim audiences.
“So, it may not be the reason why it flopped but it's the reason why it's not getting traction” he says. “Sometimes a movie flops and then word of mouth gets out. And then it grows and grows and grows. There is a lot of traction that is potentially lost right now because there are so many great scenes in the movie that I think Muslims would have liked and shared with families — it's so family-oriented.”
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Jazz believes the reason why the Walt Disney Company was so quick to vocalise support for Israel, compared to other entertainment companies, is due to the infamy of its founder's reputed antisemitism, and the antisemitism that was evident in its animation.
Through the misguided conflation of Zionism with Judaism, Disney now seeks to make up for its founder’s abhorrent views.
“I know someone at Disney and she says that Disney just has a way of doing things. In the past, Walt Disney was known to be incredibly antisemitic. So, a lot of what Disney does is a knee-jerk reaction to anything happening [in Israel].
"But unfortunately, Palestinians don't have the same latitude there. So, they won’t step into anything for the Palestinian people, at least not publicly the way they did it for the Israeli side."
"If you can unionise all the Muslims in this, then you can be a little bit of a threat to people in terms of like, getting your way. You can say it in a way where it's politically correct. As the saying goes, speak even if your voice cracks"
On what they would say to Muslims working at Disney or Marvel, Neebz believes they have the power to shift change from within through unionisation efforts.
“I think that they have to be unapologetically themselves there,” he says. “They know that Disney cannot fire all of them for just being who they are standing up for what they believe. I think we have to be vocal and I think there's strength in numbers.
"If you can unionise all the Muslims in this, then you can be a little bit of a threat to people in terms of like, getting your way. You can say it in a way where it's politically correct. As the saying goes, speak even if your voice cracks.”
While they’re not boycotting Disney products, Neebz and Jazz hope that their platform provides an important perspective in entertainment media, educating audiences, and pressuring Disney and other companies to do better.
“We talk about a lot of Disney shows, and I feel like that gives us a great position to critique these shows and films,” Neebz says.
“And be the people who are bringing up some of the issues that the shows have. If nobody's watching, who is going to call out the bigotry in this show? If nobody watched Wonder Woman 1984, no one's going to know how racist that movie was. So, someone's got to be able to watch it and give people reasons why it is wrong.”
'Villianised and dehumanised in movies'
Tariq Ra’ouf is a Palestinian-American and Muslim freelance writer.
“This has been an incredibly hard period,” Tariq said when asked about how they’re holding up through the onslaught on Gaza and having family there.
"It's extremely painful. For the first time, I felt like I had a tether to better the lives of outsiders when I found out that we had family affected by the airstrikes, including my cousin Tala. I asked my dad what I could do to help and he said, ‘Can you share dollars? Message people?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, absolutely.’"
"Kamala Khan’s existence is just a reminder to the world that the stereotypes that we grew up on are not accurate and not fair. And it is very important to me to have characters like her”
For Tariq and other Muslims, having Ms. Marvel as a prominent hero helps combat the systemic Islamophobia that helps enable atrocities like those in Palestine.
“One of the reasons the world is so nonchalant about what's happening in Palestine right now is because we've been fed media and narratives that have furthered awful, horrific stereotypes that villainise and dehumanise us to the point where when you see something going on in Palestine, you go, ‘Oh, well, they're all terrorists. So that makes sense.
“Kamala Khan’s existence is just a reminder to the world that the stereotypes that we grew up on are not accurate and not fair. And it is very important to me to have characters like her.”
Referring to Disney's statement, Tariq said, “It was completely biased... It painted all Palestinians as terrorists, which is not acceptable by any means.”
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Tariq expressed worry that boycotting film and TV shows with Ms. Marvel would send the wrong message. “It’s a film that’s so important for Muslim storytelling."
However, they believe that pressuring the company is a better option. "You want to make sure they know that their stance is wrong. You need to be vocal about your discomfort and the way that this company is handling the situation. If it's not a boycott, the only thing I can think of is action.”
Tariq also understands that Disney’s representation only goes so far. “You look at the statement that they just put out, it's very clear what side they're on. They're just trying to play up this idea of being inclusive when in actuality they are the opposite. They have a long way to go.”
'Disney's one-sided statement sends a loud message'
Jasmin is an Iraqi-American Muslim Ms. Marvel cosplayer, lauding her from day one for the representation she brought to various marginalised communities.
“I can write a PhD level thesis of how important Ms. Marvel is and how much she means to me personally,” she says “I think it is the representation inclusivity and validation that we all need being Middle Eastern and South Asian, Muslim and as the children of immigrants. For me, Kamala is who I am.”
Like many others, Disney’s one-sided statement dismayed Jasmin. “I like to be a very fair person when I look at things,” she says. “I don't ever condone violence. I feel like what happened on October 7 was not okay. But also I don't condone one-sided statements like Disney’s.
“To donate to one side, to only recognise one side's suffering or struggle and leaving out the second is irresponsible," Jasmin says.
“That is making an active choice and sending a loud message.”
Jasmin described how she and other Ms. Marvel content creators went about organising their protest statement at The Marvels premiere.
“Our presence at the premiere was not optional. It was mandatory for us,” she says.
"You cannot just use our stories and our people without taking our struggles into account”
“We need to show love. And we need to show the fact that we support our girl and we're so happy and so grateful for this opportunity. While we're happy and appreciative of the opportunity and the positive representation she has, we're sad and disappointed at Disney’s stance, and we want to show solidarity for what the right thing is and for the Palestinian people in their suffering.
"So those of us that attended showed our solidarity by wearing Keffiyehs and wearing watermelon accessories to show that we support Palestine with all our heart while attending a Disney or Marvel event," Jasmin explains.
"We're happy for the positive representation, but do it right. You cannot just use our stories and our people without taking our struggles into account.”
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On what she would say to Muslims working at Disney or Marvel, Jasmin is optimistic that their presence is making a difference within. “
"I am proud of them. I'm happy that they're there. I'm happy that they are representing us,” she says. “This is somewhere where your influence matters, that you are making an impact in the world.”
Disney’s controversies involving Israel, however, do not end with their statement on the recent conflagration. In Captain America 4: Brave New World, Marvel Studios still plans to include the highly controversial Zionist character Sabra, (played by Israeli actress Shira Haas) whose comics have regularly featured anti-Palestinian rhetoric and stereotypes.
BDS has called for an explicit boycott of Captain America 4: Brave New World and called for boycotting Marvel products outright during Black Friday weekend in the US.
While Marvel has said they’d do a “new approach” for “today’s audience,” that has done little to assuage audience concerns. Additionally, Israeli actress and ardent IDF supporter Gal Gadot will be starring as the Evil Queen in Disney’s live-action Snow White.
Unsurprisingly, these projects don’t engender confidence among audiences. “Tone deaf and insensitive,” says Bisma.” But once again, it goes to show you how disconnected [Disney is].”
"We can make sure a movie glorifying the IDF will never see the light of day or never make money off of us. We can easily do that”
But Neebz still believes that pressure can force Marvel Studios to exclude Sabra from their media. “One of the things that is being discussed right now is reshoots for Captain America 4,” he says. “That's because a lot of people are putting pressure on them to remove the character of Sabra, who is a Mossad or IDF agent. That's how you're going to make a change.
"We can't boycott Disney because it's such a huge conglomerate. But we can boycott movies. There are certain movies that we can boycott. We can make sure a movie glorifying the IDF will never see the light of day or never make money off of us. We can easily do that.”
Tariq did not mince words about their distaste. “It's naïve, it’s absolutely tone-deaf,” they say. “You cannot give Gal Gadot any more time and attention, because she's made it so abundantly clear where she stands on this issue multiple times and she has got her racism on a pedestal for the entire world to see at this point. We can't continue to support people that are so Zionist. They're just so racist. I hate it.”
Tariq hopes, however, that audiences will strategically boycott Disney products with leads like Gadot or Sabra, and show up instead for projects with Muslim or SWANASA leads like Ms. Marvel, The Marvels, or Moon Knight (which stars Palestinian-Egyptian actress May Calamawy), to send a stronger message.
“When you boycott Ms. Marvel or The Marvels you’re giving a message to Disney that “Oh, this like Muslim leading [project] isn't doing well. This Muslim character isn't doing well. We shouldn't include her in the rest of the MCU, and we shouldn't do a Season 2 of Ms. Marvel,” they say.
"Don't show up for the Zionists, show up for the Muslims. That's how you put pressure on this company”
“You have to be very specific with what you choose to boycott because we need more stories like Ms. Marvel and The Marvels. And I think that's one of the reasons why the BDS campaign said ‘pressure’ not boycott because Disney is too massive to boycott.
"We have to figure it out at the centre of things and if anything, putting pressure on Disney means making an effort to send millions of people to the theatres to watch Ms. Marvel or The Marvels to show them that this movie has their support, and then simultaneously not giving them support to anything that they put Gal Gadot in. So, boycott Snow White. Don't show up for the Zionists, show up for the Muslims. That's how you put pressure on this company”
Jasmin has a similar stance to Tariq and relayed an experience she had (or rather didn’t have) with Gal Gadot.
“I'm not a fan of Gal Gadot,” she says. “I used to be in media myself and Wonder Woman came out a long time ago and I was slated to interview Gal Godot. I was told I could not ask her [about her IDF service] so, I declined the interview.
"If you're going to make public statements then and you're a public figure, you're going to be asked that question because you brought it upon yourself — I did not dig into your history. That's what you did. And you have a responsibility to answer to that.”
Indeed, Disney and Marvel have active choices on what they want to say on a variety of sociopolitical issues and an active choice on whom they choose to see as human and worthy of compassion.
With Israel's indiscriminate airstrikes and shelling killing more than 20,000 Palestinians, Disney has yet to condemn any of the occupation's actions the way they condemned Hamas’ killings on October 7.
The double standard is glaring, and making vague references to a “state of conflict” and donating to only one side is insufficient.
Disney risks even more audience loss if they don’t acknowledge the suffering of Palestinians.
Swara Salih is a writer and podcaster who has written for The Nerds of Color and But Why Tho? He co-hosts The Middle Geeks podcast, which covers all things SWANA/MENA representation, and is a co-host of the Spider-Man/Spider-Verse podcast Into The Spider-Cast
Follow him on Twitter: @spiderswarz
