Controversial Muslim Author Gives Two Cleveland Talks

For a guy embroiled in an international controversy, Naif Al-Mutawa is remarkably funny, thoughtful, and quick with a quip. The Kuwaiti-born and American-educated creator of The 99, a Muslim-based comic-book series designed to promote tolerance, has been getting it from both sides: Some Muslims complain the pop-culture treatment is disrespectful to their faith, while American haters insist he’s trying to subvert Christianity. For his part, the clinical psychologist says he was just trying to create role models his young sons could embrace. Who could be against comics that teach tolerance, you wonder? “The intolerant!” Al-Mutawa shoots back. “It’s so clichéd but true that a concept that teaches tolerance gets shot down by bigots,” he tells us. “But when you challenge the status quo, you’re going to get push back.” What Al-Mutawa didn’t expect was that a nod from Barrack Obama during a 2010 speech would just amplify the noise, derailing plans to transition the comics into an animated American television series. “I wouldn’t trade that shoutout for anything. But it’s like my mother said, ‘When you get a new friend, be careful: You get his enemies, too.’” Al-Mutawa’s troubles and triumphs have been chronicled of late in international editions of Forbes, Wired, Rolling Stone, and in a PBS documentary. Today, you can hear all about it straight from the source. Al-Mutawa’s first Cleveland stop is noon at the City Club, where reserved seats are $25. The second is at 6 p.m. at Baldwin Wallace College’s Kleist Center, where the talk is free. Check out the websites for details. 850 Euclid Ave., 216-621-0082, www.cityclub.org. 95 East Bagley Rd., Berea, 440-826-2325, www.bw.edu/news/the99/.