Another amazing day in Kuwait!
Our first stop of the day was the office of Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, the creator of the popular comic book, The 99, which features a group of superheroes from 99 different countries based on Islamic culture and religion. Dr. Naif told us all about how he got the idea for the comic, and all of the different challenges he has faced since its creation. He has even received a shout-out from President Obama for his work!
A television series based off of the comic is airing this summer, and we watched an episode. I have to say, although I'm not a comic person, I really enjoyed it! The 99 is all about promoting universal values, without getting caught up in different religions, backgrounds, etc. It's about embracing diversity, rather than being afraid of it. The show is supposed to air in the U.S., but the airing has been postponed indefinitely due to criticism from right wing conservatives, Dr. Naif explained. They are afraid of children being "indoctrinated by Muslims." Of course. Hopefully the issue will be resolved soon, because I think The 99 is going to be very successful all around the world!
Our next stop was Kuwait University, the main university in Kuwait. We met Dr. Haila, one of Professor Bailey's former students who now teaches in the political science department at KU, and spent time with some of her students. It was a big group, which was a little intimidating! We each stood up and introduced ourselves (I did part of mine in Arabic, I was proud), and talked about what we are researching. A couple of students asked questions about our research, and were especially interested in our perspectives of U.S. foreign policy. I met a lot of students, and am meeting with some again at the hotel on Saturday to discuss my research! I can't wait!
Early this evening, I went with Kayla and Maya to the 360 Mall to meet our friend from the women's diwaniyya, Munerah, along with her husband. We drank tea and talked to them about our research. They were so unbelievably nice. Munerah and her friend then drove us to the restaurant where we were meeting everyone else, and gave us an incredibly beautiful, nice, thoughtful gift: Kuwaiti dresses. We were all so shocked: each one was different and sized individually for us.
 |
| Kuwaiti women! |
It was too nice; everyone we have met here treats us too well! We wore the dresses to dinner, where we met up with the rest of the group. We had delicious Kuwaiti food, as usual.
 |
| Traditional dress with random pottery? |
 |
| Awwww, friends. |
I can't believe tomorrow is my last full day in Kuwait! Time has flown by so quickly. I hope it's a good one - we're starting the day with Arabic Zumba!
No comments:
Post a Comment