December 2013


www.hamptonroadsmessenger.com


IRS Warns Consumers of Possible Scams Relating to Relief of Typhoon Victims


The Hampton Roads Messenger


5


Meet the New Ms. Marvel — A Female, Muslim, Pakistani Superhero


BY EMILY FILES Who are some of the first


superheroes that come to your mind? Superman, Spiderman, Batman, the Hulk, Ironman, Captain America... and what do they have in common? They're all white dudes.


Comic companies are trying to


diversify their superhero ranks. There have been non-white characters, and even a few Muslim heros.


Marvel Comics announced a new WASHINGTON ― The Internal


Revenue Service today issued a consumer alert about possible scams taking place in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan. On Nov. 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan — known as Yolanda in the Philippines — made landfall in the central Philippines, bringing strong winds and heavy rains that have resulted in flooding, landslides, and widespread damage.


Following major disasters,


it is common for scam artists to impersonate charities to get money or private information from well-in- tentioned taxpayers. Such fraudulent schemes may involve contact by telephone, social media, email or in-person solicitations.


The IRS cautions people wishing


to make disaster-related charitable donations to avoid scam artists by following these tips:


To help disaster victims, donate to recognized charities.


Be wary of charities with names


that are similar to familiar or nationally known organizations. Some phony charities use names or websites that sound or look like those of respected, legitimate organizations. The IRS website at IRS.gov has a search feature, Exempt Organizations Select Check, through which people may find legitimate, qualified charities; donations to these charities may be tax-deductible. Legitimate charities may also be found on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website at fema.gov.


Don’t give out personal financial


information — such as Social Security numbers or credit card and bank account numbers and passwords — to anyone who solicits a contribution from you. Scam artists may use this information to steal your identity and money.


Don’t give or send cash. For


security and tax record purposes, contribute by check or credit card or another way that provides documentation of the gift.


If you plan to make a contribution


for which you would like to claim a deduction, see IRS Publication 526, Charitable Contributions, to read about the kinds of organizations that can receive deductible contributions.


Bogus websites may solicit funds


for disaster victims. Such fraudulent sites frequently mimic the sites of, or use names similar to, legitimate charities, or claim to be affiliated with legitimate charities in order to persuade members of the public to send money or provide personal financial information that can be used to steal identities or financial resources. Additionally, scammers often send email that steers the recipient to bogus websites that appear to be affiliated with legitimate charitable causes.


Taxpayers suspecting disaster-


related frauds should visit IRS.gov and search for the keywords “Report Phishing.” More information about tax scams and schemes may be found at IRS.gov using the keywords “scams and schemes.”


superhero comic book series featuring Kamala Khan: a Muslim, Pakistani 16-year-old who lives in New Jersey. She'll be taking on the name of Ms. Marvel, after the former Ms. Marvel, who is now going by Captain Marvel.


"We've had many diverse


characters at Marvel," said Sana Amanat. "But nobody at the forefront, on this scale."


Amanat is one of the editors who


came up with the idea for Kamala Khan. It sprung from a conversation she had with a senior editor, Stephen Wacker. Amanat told a few anecdotes about growing up as a Pakistani Muslim in Jersey.


"In the town that I grew up in,


there weren't many people who looked like me or who had my background," Amanat said. "In different ways, not only in terms of me being Muslim or Pakistani, but just in terms of my personality and how my family was."


This gave Wacker an idea. He


asked, "Wouldn't it be nice if we had a superhero for all those girls that are growing up the way that you did?" Amanat recalled.


They reached out to G. Willow


Wilson, a comic book writer in Seattle who converted to Islam 10 years ago. Once Wilson was on board, Amanat and Wacker pitched the idea for Kamala Khan to the Marvel creative committee.


"They green-lit it almost


immediately," Amanat said. Kamala Khan's story involves


her struggle to figure out who she is, Get a jump on your competition...


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while dealing with the discovery of her superpowers. She's a polymorph, which means she can shrink, grow, and shape shift.


"We wanted to stay away from


typically girly superpowers — things that sparkle, moving things with you mind, floating in the air," Wilson said. "We wanted to give her something more physical, a little bit more unexpected."


Though Kamala Khan is Muslim,


that's not the central theme of the series, Amanat says it's just one factor in who she is.


"I don't think I necessarily wanted


this to be about religion at all," Amanat said. "That's just one aspect of who she is. It forms one piece of her identity."


Shelina Janmohamed, a Muslim


author in London, was excited to learn about Marvel’s new series. She wrote an opinion piece for The Telegraph entitled “Hallelujah! Even Muslim women can now be superheroes.”


“I really wish for my own sake


that I’d had a superhero like Kamala Khan to try and help me make sense of angst,” Janmohamed said. “And just once in a while to come out of that geeky, angsty, slightly awkward teenage phase and see that I, too, could be some kind of superhero.”


Amanat says Marvel hopes


to attract readers who may relate to Kamala Khan’s struggles and background.


“I’ve got nieces and I’ve got


nephews, and for them to look out into the landscape of pop culture and see versions of themselves … I think that will make them feel a little more comfortable in their own skin,” she said.


Janmohamed said she has never


read comic books before, but she’s planning on picking up this one when the first installment hits shelves in February, 2014.


"I think they've done something


very savvy in terms of business,” she said. “But also, they've made a very interesting social development.”


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