Basima Kamal
She does not like nicknames, as she feels they demean both the speaker and the recipient, and insists that if you wish to use a friendly term, to call her sister, and she will call you brother. Most of the time, she is just referred to as Imam.
Physical Description
A slightly taller than normal woman, she has the typical complexion of a Middle Eastern woman, but is quite a slender and well endowed lady. She has a very light frame, and doesn’t have the wider hips seen in many other women in Western countries, nor the slender waist. She also quite obviously works out, as she has some muscle tone in her arms, which are usually visible.
As she does wish to forge a new understanding of what is permissible, she has embraced that she is a religious leader, and she does wear make-up, breaking away from the traditional beliefs. She will usually have her slightly longer nails painted red, and her lips a dark red colour. She does apply a small amount of blush, but has a fairly heavy blue eyes shadow to draw attention there.
Physical Quirks
While she does try and maintain a professional and dignified presence for worshippers and try to keep herself from being too self absorbed, she can’t help by fix her hijab from time to time. She also has a tendency to shift back and forth between her feet, and will usually keep her hands on top of one another in front of her.
Clothing Style
She has made herself a special uniform for women who wish to be Imams in her vision of the religion. It consists of a floor length dress, with lace loose arm ‘wings’. As she wants to emphasize that the female form should not be hidden, it is not loose and can accentuate the curves, and a plunging neckline is permitted and encouraged. Hers goes all he way past her breasts, giving quite a view of her shapely form. She has also had a pattern of the crescent moon and star in a mostly transparent silk built into the area over her belly button. The entire dress is made with a shimmering aqua silk and is quite elegant. She also has long aqua armbands, which loop over her middle finger to hold in place. Her hijab is made from an aqua silk with some iridescent properties. Under the dress she does like to wear high heeled shoes, but only to add to her stature. She wears no jewelry.
Mental Characteristics
Personal History
Born and raised in Iraq, Islam had always been a part of her life. She had heard stories of how Iran was in the early days of her life, and how things had changed, and she didn’t understand why they had to change. She was always told to not speak on such things, but she wondered. She followed the faith but still found the religious texts as horrifying as they were beautiful. And she thought about change. She knew the other major religions of the world had reformed into their modern versions, being less restrictive, and she wondered if Islam could have the same.
When she was a young adult, starting to figure out her path in life, a terrible tragedy happened in New York, caused by Islamic extremists. This caused many of the faith to question how this could happen. Many of the Muslim majority countries, including Iraq, felt that the Americans had deserved it, and came up with a litany of excuses. But most of those Muslims living in the west said that this was wrong, and felt their brothers of the faith had lost their path. She agreed with them, and after sneaking out of the country and seeking refugee status in the US, she formed a new religious path, Jadida, meaning New, a reference to a New Islam. This earned her the ire of many in the Islamic faith, but she began to gain followers to her new path every day, and many other Imams have come together to help her find a new path.
Education
As with many ladies, her education was quite limited in matters other than of the faith, with just the equivalent of a high school education. But that’s okay with her, she doesn’t need much more then that.
Employment
As the head of a new religion, she really has a unique job, something she has been doing for the past 28 years. It’s the one thing she’s passionate about, and she enjoys doing it. She knows she may end up being killed for it, but feels her sacrifice will be worth the change it will inspire.
Morality & Philosophy
She has very Western sensibilities, feeling that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are very important to all. She also feels that kindness and charity are key things for people, and has worked to change the holy texts to remove the hatred, slavery, deception and other despicable practices. She even challenges the status of Mohammad, feeling that he abused his position, and much of his law was based on his depraved desires, not that of Allah.
Personality
Motivation
She wishes to find a new way forward for those of the Muslim faith and feels that someone must first walk the path, so others know it is there. She is willing to take the heat from it, as she knows that the angrier her opposition is, the more it will convince others to join her. She also feels that if Muslims cannot separate their faith from their politics, they will end up making things worse for everyone.
Likes & Dislikes
She loves to travel and meet new people, especially those of other faiths, who she wishes to forge alliances with, in order to help make a peaceful future. She also has a love of exposing the lies and deception of the traditional Islamists, especially those who are causing trouble in her new home. She dislikes all the violence and death that the Islamists have caused, and denounces them and their hate at every opportunity, making sure to separate her faith from theirs.
Virtues
A kind and compassionate woman, she wishes to help nurture a better future for her people. She is very supportive of anyone wishing to learn about her vision, and those who are willing to help. She also is very patient, knowing that most people will not jump on board immediately, they must find their way on their own. She also is very open to new ideas and ways of doing things, but still respects that some traditions can be kept, as long as the horrible things associated with them are left behind.
Vices
She does seem to have a bit of a death wish at times, saying and doing things with draw ever more ire from the traditionalists, and even seems to welcome death, believing that her death will may a martyr out of her. She also has a tendency of dismissing what the traditionalists say without ever considering if they actually may have a good point.
Quirks
Still not quite used to her role as a spiritual leader, she can sometimes slip up and act more like any person with self confidence issues. She also has picked up the habit of sighing, closing her eyes and lowering her head when she’s frustrated with someone.
Values
Above all else, she places great importance in kindness, feeling that without this as the core tenant of her belief structure, you cannot make a proper faith. Those who show compassion for others, even those not of their own faith, earn the most respect from her.
Sexual Style
While she does have strong urges in this area, being a religious leader, she has placed herself apart from being able to enjoy a man. She hasn’t been with anyone for her whole time in the US and it is beginning to show, as she has been starting to look at men she finds attractive quite hungrily. If she could get a man to her bed, and be sure he would not say anything, he would be in for a wild time as she lets all the pent up sexual desire loose. She had only ever had sex one before, so she is not very experienced, but wants to try everything. She actually has been spending a lot of time watching American porn, just to learn what can be done, and wants to try it all. She has been discreetly inquiring about some men who aren’t of the faith, but who will be discreet, so it may happen soon.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Since she started this movement, all of her family and friends from before have either been killed, or they have quite publicly disowned and disavowed her. While she feels tremendous loss at this, she knows it was bound to happen. Her new family is her small congregation, and the network of other Imams who are joining the faith. It is a growing family that she is blessed to be a part of. She also has made friends with some other local people of faith, trying to find common ground and come to a mutual understanding. For the most part though, she is quite alone, mostly for her own safety.
Social Aptitude
A friendly and chatty woman, she will engage you in conversation with a charm and natural modesty that just draws people to her. She is very confident that her way is a good path forwards, and idealistic about the future she dreams of, something she will regale you of tales of.
Religious Views
When she split away from the main Islam, she took with it the lessons of humility and kindness, but left behind the lessons of manipulation, and intolerance. She found a new way to interpret things, and often uses Mohammed as an example of how NOT to be, as she claims he exemplifies all that is wrong with the old path. She says that Allah set him on his path so Muslims could learn how not to behave, as Allah knew he was not a pure man. She doesn’t spring her beliefs on people all at once, and doesn’t try and convert anyone, she just shows them the path and lets them walk it themselves.
Mannerisms
A gentle and empathetic woman, she has a certain grace about her, an almost practiced nurturing attitude. She knows that people will eventually come and ask questions, and she wants to make herself seem as welcoming and open to them as possible. She even holds herself like she is waiting for people to ask her something. She doesn’t express her sense of humour much, but when she does, it is in the form of puns and word jokes.
Hobbies & Pets
As she has a very full schedule, she doesn’t have much time for hobbies. Despite this, she makes time so that she can just sit back and read religious texts of all different faiths, so she can learn about them. She also feels it would be unfair to have a pet, since she can’t really offer much attention to it, but she is considering a cat, since they are fairly self sufficient.
Speech Style
She tries to speak with poise and clarity, but since her accent still hasn’t faded fully, she can sound a little off. She wants to try and encourage teaching the faith in English as much as Arabic, as she feels it is important to be open. Her voice is very similar to that of Morana from the Castlevania animated series.
Political Affiliation & Activism
As she has very little time outside her own work to focus on politics, all she really focuses on is making sure that her new home doesn’t capitulate or let the Islamists gain any hold. She regularly exposes the ones in the US who are lying, and will show as much of the truth that they hide as she can. She feels that educating people to the evil they caused is the best way to convince more to leave that path and join hers.