Authorities in the country have banned an Ultraman comic book for “subverting public security” and undermining morals because it uses the word Allah.
Ultraman, the popular Japanese superhero, has crossed the Malaysian government’s red line. The country’s Home Affairs Ministry has banned a Malay-language edition of an Ultraman comic book for containing “elements that can undermine public security and societal morals,” according to the Associated Press.
Malaysia media outlets, which first reported the ban on Thursday, had speculated that the move was spurred by the apparent use of the word Allah in the comic. A court ruling late last year banned non-Muslims in the country from using the term, even though the word is simply Arabic for God and Malaysian Christians have long used the word in that sense. (The Catholic Church is seeking to appeal the ruling.)
I ? Word Understanding
Subverting ? secretly destroying
Cross the line ? to do something not acceptable or wrong
Speculate ? to think and guess about something
II ? Have Your Say
1. Typical character traits of a superhero:
? Strong and brave
? Has special power/powers
? Secret Identity
2. Superheroes are everywhere. They save the planet and make our world a safer place. But recent studies show that modern superheroes show aggression and violence.
3. On November 2013, a source close to Chaiyo Productions told the website “Nuke the Fridge” that an English-language feature film is in development for a targeted 2016 release. The studio plans to approach several A-list actors for the lead role.
216 A Japanese Superhero Is Apparently Destroying Malaysia
