The State We're In, 28 May 2011. A Kuwaiti man is repulsed by western stereotypes and Muslim fanatics, so he made a comic book series based on Allah’s attributes - which has become a spectacular success - and made him enemies. A Cambodian singer explains how performing old rock 'n' roll songs helps keep her culture alive. And an African American photographer talks about challenging racial assumptions through his retrospective on 'white people'.
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The 99
Naif Al-Mutawa is the creator of the comic book The 99. He came up with the idea because he was disgusted with western stereotypes of Muslims and the Arab world’s glorification of tyrants and terrorists. So he created superheroes based on the 99 aspects of Allah: his heroes are young men and women from every race, creed and color. Naif Al-Mutawa talks with host Jonathan Groubert about the Arab Spring, the western fear of making Arabs as adorable as "Dora the Explorer made Mexicans" and The 99’s presidential fan.
Links - The 99
YouTube - Naif Al-Mutawa talks about The 99 at TEDTalks
Video - preview of The 99:
Cambodian rock rebel
Good Cambodian girls are supposed to be quiet and deferential. But Srey Thy loves being up on stage, belting her lungs out. She scrapes together a living singing Cambodian songs from the 1960s. These songs, and the people who sung them, were wiped out by the genocidal Pol Pot regime. But a fateful meeting - and Srey Thy’s love of those old rock 'n' roll tunes – completely transformed her life.
Link - The Cambodian Space Project on Myspace
Video - The Cambodian Space Project perform Love Like Honey, Workers Club, Melbourne:
Some of my best friends
Melvin Grier was for decades the only African American photographer in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was constantly bumping into the racial divide, in the office and in the field. So now he’s put together a fun retrospective on 'white people'.
Link - White People:A Retrospective
A life-changing photo
Photographer Thorne Anderson was in Iraq before the last war, documenting the effect of the sanctions. He describes one tragic photo that altered the course of his life and work.
Link - read more about Thorne’s work
Click image for slideshow
![Naif Al-Mutawa, creator of the comic book "The 99"<br>© Photo: The 99 - http://www.the99.org/](http://cdn.radionetherlands.nl/data/files/imagecache/rnw_slideshow/dr.-naif-a.-al-mutawa.jpg "Naif Al-Mutawa, creator of the comic book "The 99"")
![Cover of "The 99" - superheroes based on the 99 aspects of Allah<br>© Photo: The 99 - http://www.the99.org/](http://cdn.radionetherlands.nl/data/files/imagecache/rnw_slideshow/the_99_-_cover.jpg "Cover of "The 99" - superheroes based on the 99 aspects of Allah")
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it's really good post. i've read it and i think this is very useful. thanks for sharing.
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As far as I can determine, the makers of Dora never specififed her nationality. And it may not matter: Naif's point was that the character Dora was used, or misused, for political ends, and that he had to face the same prospect with his own series, The 99. Greg Kelly, Editor TSWI
Its not Naif that is saying that Dora is Mexican. Its people who are criticizing the 99. But you saying that makes you no better. We are all one.
What nationality is Dora The Explorer? She is an American! There is no comparison between the people of Puerto Rico and Mexico, except for the fact they are both humans.
Naif Al-Mutawa talks with host Jonathan Groubert about the Arab Spring, the western fear of making Arabs as adorable as "Dora the Explorer made Mexicans...... Dora the Explorer is not Mexican she is Puertorican. People in Puerto Rico do not appreciate being compared to Mexicans.
GR
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