Writer: Matt Hawkins
Co-Creator: Rahsan Ekedal
Artist: Phillip Sevy
Publisher: Image Comics
Released: 23rd September 2015
****SPOILERS IN REVIEW****
I need to add a few disclaimers before I start off this review. Firstly, I haven’t been reading ‘The Tithe.’ I bought this issue because the preview mentioned ‘Islamaphobia’ and that intrigued me, as Islam is rarely mentioned in contemporary comic books. Secondly, I assumed that the comic book would address all issues concerning Islamic terrorism from a secular, atheist, liberal/progressive point of view, with an attempt to minimise the personal responsibility of the individuals actually involved in recent terrorist outrages.
The beginning of this book really shocked me though. It started with a quotation coming directly from the Koran, a quotation that gives valuable insight into what Muslims are taught to think of Jews and Christians by their holy book. Does it teach them about tolerance and respect? Nope, it doesn’t. It tells Muslims that they cannot be friends with either Jews or Christians. That’s a fact, it comes from the Koran, and to see it as an opening statement in a comic book was quite shocking to me.
The narrative of the book itself then proceeds to show a young Syrian immigrant shouting‘Allahu Akbar’ in a church as he detonates a suicide vest, blowing himself up, and murdering hundreds of innocent people. This immigrant had been taken in by a Christian family, so what he is doing here ties into the concerns of many Europeans at the moment as refugees descend upon the west, escaping from the conflicts in their own war torn countries.
The fear in many European countries right now is not just about terrorism. It’s about the impact of an entire culture, a culture that is not exactly liberal when it comes to anything to do with women’s rights and homosexuality. Surely there will be tensions? What will happen when you have entire communities of people that oppose the very laws of the land in which they live? These concerns are not addressed within this comic book, but the first one is, that being the concern that Muslim refuges are potential suicide bombers, and that the more we let in, the more chances there will be of horrific events happening in our local Churches, sports stadiums and supermarkets.
When it comes to Sunni terrorism, all roads lead to Saudi Arabia. The Saudi’s fund terrorism, and are encouraged to do so as the main enemy of the west is not Sunni terror, it’s the Shia states, with the main villain, and eventual target, being Iran. Syria first, and it’s Iran that will be next on the chopping block.
Western governments support Sunni extremism today, just as they did in the 1980’s when they supported a young Bin Laden in his fight against the Russians in Afghanistan. Our governments are always eager to help out Sunni terrorists, as they give them a reason for the ever-expanding Police/surveillance state back home, and an excuse for wars for resources in the Middle East and Africa.
But back to the story in ‘The Tithe #5.’ After reading a plot that began leaning suspiciously to the right, I knew that the progressive side of the writer had to kick-in at any moment, unless of course this was the rarest of all things in 2015, that being a right leaning comic book writer? Is writer Matt Hawkins one of those rare creatures?
Nope, don’t be daft, of course he’s not. There’s no room for the evil right wing in comic books at the moment. When it comes to contemporary comic book writers, they are as left leaning as you can possibly get. It took a while, but the left wing side of Matt’s nature finally kicked in, and boy, when it did, what a laugh it all was.
Writer Matt Hawkins was absolutely brilliant in what he did here, and a real credit to the liberal progressive left. His story began with a suicide bombing in a church, and by the end of it he had managed to put the entirety of the blame for the atrocity onto right-wing, white, Christian men. I’m not joking. The final panels of this book include an evil white skinhead leaving a Church and laughing about his actions designed to stitch up the poor innocent Muslims. The final panel of the book features this evil white man framed with a giant crucifix in the background as he walks away from his base of operations, that being a Christian church.
The message is clear. Islam is a peaceful religion, and the terrorist events that you see around the world are part of some weird right wing conspiracy carried out by crazy skin-headed Christians.
Great work Matt, I really applaud your dedication to the cause of never offending people who strap bombs to themselves in order to further their sick, demented and twisted ideological agenda. Your determination to blame all of the ills of the world on the most politically expedient group out there today (right wing Christians) was particularly brave of you as well. Good job mate, good job.
The Tithe #5 then is not quite as controversial as you might think that it is. I applaud it for addressing the big Wahabbi Elephant in the living-room, a violently stampeding Elephant that is completely ignored by DC and Marvel, but what I have read here comes from a painfully liberal, laughably progressive mind-set.
This PC mind-set goes out of it’s way not to offend, and puts the blame for a Islamic terrorist event onto the easiest, softest of all targets, that being white Christian men. In doing so it comes across as a bizarre, politically correct, left leaning conspiracy theory book. It brings up real world concerns about Islamic terrorism, then takes the easy way out by placing the blame upon a group that has nothing whatsoever to do with Islamic terrorism.
It’s usually the right that gets accused of conspiracy theory paranoia, but this book proves that when it comes to ridiculous conspiracy theories, the ‘progressive’ left is fast catching up and becoming even more insane and wilfully ignorant than the old right.
Rating: 7/10 (I applaud writer Matt Hawkins for dealing with issues that most writers choose to ignore, but his conclusion that Islamic terrorism is actually a right wing/Christian conspiracy is absolutely ridiculous)
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