: Re: Can religions like Islam or Hinduism be represented respectfully in a fictionalized/fantastical Earth? I asked this question in World-Building but it seems better fit for Writing. I ask for a

@Welton431

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This has been done repeatedly. Let's take some, in my opinion, good examples I can recall.

In The Chronicles of Riddick Franchise, in the first (Pitch Black), second (Dark Fury), and third (Chronicles of Riddick) you have a recurring character.

Keith David as Abu 'Imam' al-Walid. A Muslim preacher who was travelling to New Mecca for the annual preaching, and was stranded with others when the ship crashed. He is travelling with three young boys.

Here you have Islam portrayed in a Sci-Fi setting, and it's done quite well. Though I dare not say if the terminology is used correctly, he is shown to be a wise and caring man who is deeply religious. A man that doesn't turn his back on his faith during hard times.

In The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (TV Series), you have Hadji, who is a Hindu. I don't remember the series too well, but I do remember Hadji was a valued sidekick, and didn't get shunted into tokenism (that could be the shine of nostalgia, so take with a grain of salt).

You can also look deeper into certain anime shows, they are rife with different cultures though most commonly Japanese (for obvious reason). Naruto, of all places, did this quite well with much of Shinto mythology and breathing new life into this. I bring this up, because most don't realise just how much of their culture is just always present there.

Pokemon also does this well, in their games, manga, and anime. Blending multiple cultures almost seamlessly, and allowing each region a little flair of its own. Curiously, they stray away from religion in the real world sense, but it's easy to see hints in the series and the games, if you consider the 'gods' of the various regions (though they call them legendary Pokemon).

In Memoirs of a Geisha, this is also done quite well. And, yes, I prefer the book over the film, if you want a toned down 'fantasical'.

(willing to research more media if desirable, but none come to mind at present)

My point is, it's already been done over and over. The thing is, the better it's done, the less it stands out. The worse it's done (examples of how I would view 'bad portrayal': Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons) the more noticeable it becomes that certain aspects of the religion are put under the loop and are poked at.

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