Posts
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
By Sabria S Jawhar
THE issue of women driving in Saudi Arabia has again attracted the attention of the West with the insistence of another group of women that they be permitted to drive cars.
In recent weeks I have received a number of emails and phone calls from my Western friends asking me if the likelihood of Saudi women getting behind the wheel will be a reality. Frankly, I'm not hopeful, but it's inevitable that women will be driving on Saudi streets and soon. Saudi Arabia fought long and hard to become a member of the World Trade Organization and it is considering changing weekends to Saturday and Sunday to conform to Western business practices. After all, if Saudi Arabia wants to be a player in the international business community, it's going to have to make some dramatic changes in the way it does business.
Why do we care and what does this have to do with driving? Think about it. The consequences of doing business with Western nations means that more Westerners come here and observe, and, yes, judge our society. To make progress, to become a 21st century society, other countries will judge our sincerity and our will to join the rest of the world by how we treat our own citizens, the expatriates that work here, and whom Saudi society thinks as our national treasure - women.
Let's face the fact that sooner rather than later women driving will become common. But our people fail to recognize the basic failings of banning women from driving an automobile.
The contradiction in government's policy and common sense is that many women, particularly single ones, are exposed to blackmail and financial pressure from drivers who believe they can demand higher monthly salaries from their employers because they know that their passengers are almost helpless when it comes to finding reliable transportation. Many drivers think nothing of agreeing to a monthly wage with their female employer only to demand a pay raise after one or two months. What happens when the employer refuses? He abandons her, forcing her to find another driver and wasting precious time and financial resources.
I also had an interesting conversation with one driver who told me that he never drove a car in his native country and this was not only his first experience at driving but the first as a professional driver. It's a shuddering thought to think that this man was responsible to get me from Point A to Point B in a safe manner.
Many drivers take on several clients, which means women must vie for a time-slot to do their weekly shopping or conduct family business.
As for me, I have, quite often, been forced to cancel appointments simply because my driver failed to show up at proper time or failed to show up at all. I am at the mercy of an indifferent driver. As a professional woman, these severe restrictions on my movement not only affect my job performance but in the end it is a reflection on my employer.
A friend of mine, who holds a responsible position in the Ministry of Health, was forced to take a week off from work because her driver with legal residency ran away and none of the illegal drivers - men without legal residency - agreed to work for her for less than SR 1,700, especially during Ramadan, although she was providing room and board.
I can't even begin to count the number of drivers I have hired and fired and simply lost to a better paying client. Contrary to the perception of both Saudis and Westerners, many Saudi families can't afford a reliable driver and maintain a car. For women like me, I depend on a stranger driving his own less-than-safe vehicle to get me around time. I am at the mercy of his whims and moods.
Westerners ask me the same two questions when we talk: What about the abaya and the hijab and when will I drive. Since 9/11, most Westerners are educated well enough by interacting with Muslims to understand and appreciate what the abaya and especially the veil means to our culture and religion. I don't think any Westerner, as well as myself, understand the logic behind the refusal to allow women to drive.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Startling Statistics
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
By Sabria S Jawhar
MOBILE blood donation centers operating around the Corniche in Jeddah have discovered startling facts in recent weeks as they take blood samples from Saudis and non-Saudis: An estimated 25 percent of blood taken from random residents is infected with Hepatitis C, HIV and AIDS, Al-Hayat daily reported.
Most of those people testing positive for a blood disorder condition are young adults. They are aware of the dangers of becoming infected with HIV or AIDS and understand the ways to protect themselves. Our faith in Islam and its practices affords Saudi Arabia to have one of the lowest ratio of people infected with the disease. But it still happens. What's alarming, however, are the statistics of young people affected with Hepatitis C, which is usually acquired through living in unsanitary conditions. It appears that the Ministry of Health has now taken steps to launch an awareness program for Saudis and expatriates.
The most current statistics released by the Ministry of Health shows that as of 2006 there were a total of 11,520 HIV cases in the Kingdom - an estimated 2,658 cases among Saudis and 8,852 among non-Saudis. Infected men outnumber women 2-to-1, according to government figures. Infected adults between the age of 15-49 were estimated at 79.5 percent, while the total number of infected children was 6.4 percent.
In 2006 alone, 1,390 HIV cases were reported in the Kingdom.
Last month the ministry announced that it would enhance the current HIV/AIDS awareness campaign to include mosques in various cities and rural areas and to focus more on airports and markets. Universities also will be targeted. The current campaign is an extension of the program launched after last Ramadan.
It's also refreshing to hear reports from the Ministry of Health and medical authorities that people, who in the past have been reluctant to acknowledge AIDS, have expressed a keen interest in the program and are willing to be tested for the disease.
A doctor, Salem Maati Al-Harbi, told Asharq Al-Awsat last month that he received positive reactions from shoppers at markets or from visitors at the local recreational centers. There is a high demand for information, he told the newspaper. It appears that many of those testing for the disease completely renounced any idea that AIDS was a shameful disease. It also appears they are fairly well educated on the subject.
In addition, the Saudi government has recently announced that couples wishing to get married will now be required to undergo HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis testing as part of the mandatory premarital tests. If a bride or groom tests HIV positive and still wants to marry, the case would be transferred to the Justice Ministry for further review.
Clinics and testing centers also are being set up to increase testing and detection. Clinics are aimed primarily at Saudi citizens since expatriates undergo AIDS testing every time they renew their Iqamas (residence permits) and those found to be HIV positive are deported.
Saudi citizens who also test positive are referred to specialized AIDS treating centers. There are eight centers in Jeddah, Riyadh, Asir, Dammam, Jizan, Ahsa, Madina and Jouf.
The efforts by the Ministry of Health in spreading awareness and detecting the killing disease should be highly appreciated. However, there are still some more precautionary measures that should be taken by both citizens and officials. For instance, I was told recently that two dental clinics in a specialized hospital in Jeddah for treating infectious diseases, including AIDS, were closed for more than a year. The closure of these clinics has angered AIDS patients getting treatment there. That might sound okay in those countries where precautionary measures are taken by both people and dentists and where patients are willing to reveal their information to doctors. But, in our case, as we are still struggling to spread awareness among people, the closure of these clinics might contribute to the spreading of the disease especially in overcrowded public clinics and the small private ones which pay scant attention to precautionary measures.
We have to know that 25 percent of a random sample among a population of mostly youths is shocking and is something that should receive more attention from media as well as officials. It, unfortunately, did not happen. Each AIDS patient in the Kingdom costs the government almost SR100,000 annually. This quite high amount of money should go for developing the health sector in the country and to introducing more advanced health care centers. The whole issue, though, does not take more than a little amount of follow-up and more attention to save both our youth and our economy.
By Sabria S Jawhar
MOBILE blood donation centers operating around the Corniche in Jeddah have discovered startling facts in recent weeks as they take blood samples from Saudis and non-Saudis: An estimated 25 percent of blood taken from random residents is infected with Hepatitis C, HIV and AIDS, Al-Hayat daily reported.
Most of those people testing positive for a blood disorder condition are young adults. They are aware of the dangers of becoming infected with HIV or AIDS and understand the ways to protect themselves. Our faith in Islam and its practices affords Saudi Arabia to have one of the lowest ratio of people infected with the disease. But it still happens. What's alarming, however, are the statistics of young people affected with Hepatitis C, which is usually acquired through living in unsanitary conditions. It appears that the Ministry of Health has now taken steps to launch an awareness program for Saudis and expatriates.
The most current statistics released by the Ministry of Health shows that as of 2006 there were a total of 11,520 HIV cases in the Kingdom - an estimated 2,658 cases among Saudis and 8,852 among non-Saudis. Infected men outnumber women 2-to-1, according to government figures. Infected adults between the age of 15-49 were estimated at 79.5 percent, while the total number of infected children was 6.4 percent.
In 2006 alone, 1,390 HIV cases were reported in the Kingdom.
Last month the ministry announced that it would enhance the current HIV/AIDS awareness campaign to include mosques in various cities and rural areas and to focus more on airports and markets. Universities also will be targeted. The current campaign is an extension of the program launched after last Ramadan.
It's also refreshing to hear reports from the Ministry of Health and medical authorities that people, who in the past have been reluctant to acknowledge AIDS, have expressed a keen interest in the program and are willing to be tested for the disease.
A doctor, Salem Maati Al-Harbi, told Asharq Al-Awsat last month that he received positive reactions from shoppers at markets or from visitors at the local recreational centers. There is a high demand for information, he told the newspaper. It appears that many of those testing for the disease completely renounced any idea that AIDS was a shameful disease. It also appears they are fairly well educated on the subject.
In addition, the Saudi government has recently announced that couples wishing to get married will now be required to undergo HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis testing as part of the mandatory premarital tests. If a bride or groom tests HIV positive and still wants to marry, the case would be transferred to the Justice Ministry for further review.
Clinics and testing centers also are being set up to increase testing and detection. Clinics are aimed primarily at Saudi citizens since expatriates undergo AIDS testing every time they renew their Iqamas (residence permits) and those found to be HIV positive are deported.
Saudi citizens who also test positive are referred to specialized AIDS treating centers. There are eight centers in Jeddah, Riyadh, Asir, Dammam, Jizan, Ahsa, Madina and Jouf.
The efforts by the Ministry of Health in spreading awareness and detecting the killing disease should be highly appreciated. However, there are still some more precautionary measures that should be taken by both citizens and officials. For instance, I was told recently that two dental clinics in a specialized hospital in Jeddah for treating infectious diseases, including AIDS, were closed for more than a year. The closure of these clinics has angered AIDS patients getting treatment there. That might sound okay in those countries where precautionary measures are taken by both people and dentists and where patients are willing to reveal their information to doctors. But, in our case, as we are still struggling to spread awareness among people, the closure of these clinics might contribute to the spreading of the disease especially in overcrowded public clinics and the small private ones which pay scant attention to precautionary measures.
We have to know that 25 percent of a random sample among a population of mostly youths is shocking and is something that should receive more attention from media as well as officials. It, unfortunately, did not happen. Each AIDS patient in the Kingdom costs the government almost SR100,000 annually. This quite high amount of money should go for developing the health sector in the country and to introducing more advanced health care centers. The whole issue, though, does not take more than a little amount of follow-up and more attention to save both our youth and our economy.
Friday, September 14, 2007
A Rarely Debated Issue
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
By Sabria S Jawhar
A NEW book released last week in the United States addresses an issue long on Arabs' minds but rarely debated in American political circles: that American political leaders are so slavish and uncritical of Israel's foreign policy that it actually damages both countries' interests. "The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy" by John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt has already been labeled anti-Semitic and has stirred considerable controversy among Jewish leaders in the United States and Israel.
The book argues that the United States should support Israel if it's in the best interests of the former and that the Jewish state should be treated no differently than any other Mideast country.
Of course, this is something Arabs have advocated all along. And I acknowledge that most high-minded, intellectually honest Arabs agree that Israel is here to stay and peace must be achieved to allow Israel to be a good neighbor and to maintain a stable region.
Saudi Arabia has said as much by advocating the 2002 Arab peace plan that returns pre-1967 borders to Israel's Arab neighbors and creates a viable and independent Palestinian state.
The US has invested much in its support of Israel since the end of World War II but it has strayed considerably since then and especially after the 1967 war. And it seems to me now that there is no rhyme or reason for much of its support of Israel.
For example, during the disastrous Lebanon-Israeli war last year, President George Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stood by while Israel attacked Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, asserting that Israel had a right to defend itself after three Israeli soldiers were kidnapped by Hezbollah.
Israel, incredulously as it sounds now, defended itself by bombing residential neighborhoods and killing more than 1,100 Lebanese civilians. The argument at the time, and supported by Bush and Rice, was that Hezbollah was using residential neighborhoods as a base for operations. The Human Rights Watch dismissed it as a myth last week. Hezbollah had longed pulled out of civilian areas to conduct military operations. Surely US and Israeli intelligence were aware of this, but it didn't fit into the United States' position of support for Israel.
Despite these crimes committed by Israel, Americans' unwavering support for the Jewish state in many ways is understandable. Israel has a powerful lobby in Washington, D.C., with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the American Jewish Committee lobbying relentlessly to safeguard Israel's interests. This is the way of American politics. One has to look no further than Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine," "Fahrenheit 9/11" and "Sicko" film documentaries to understand that there are lobbying groups for every single existing organization that wants legislation to protect their interests. Why should Israel be any different? Having said that I must ask why are Arabs so resistant to establish their own lobbying group to solicit support from the US Congress and the White House? One must learn to play the game.
Yet I can't help but feel enraged that the American Congress, which prides itself on debating everything under the sun from global warming and gay rights to health care and the war in Iraq, is virtually silent on the issue of aid and support to Israel at the expense of the Palestinians.
American lawmakers appear to be seized by fear that they will be identified as anti-Semitic if they oppose or even question loyalty to Israel; never realizing that one can oppose a country's foreign policy without being anti-Semitic. There is simply no connection. So Arab anger against the US is justified. Arabs want to know where are the courageous Americans who will step forward and correct the wrongs dating back to 1967.
As Mearsheimer and Walt argue in their book, unflinching American support of Israel has seriously damaged Uncle Sam's credibility among Arabs and Muslims and has actually created more terrorists than ever imagined. And perhaps the worse crime of all, taking into account all that has occurred in last 40 years, is that the United States has had numerous opportunities to guide Israel to solve the Palestinian issue but has failed simply because it won't question Israel's policies.
Because of that lack of courage, the world has become a much more dangerous place than before.
By Sabria S Jawhar
A NEW book released last week in the United States addresses an issue long on Arabs' minds but rarely debated in American political circles: that American political leaders are so slavish and uncritical of Israel's foreign policy that it actually damages both countries' interests. "The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy" by John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt has already been labeled anti-Semitic and has stirred considerable controversy among Jewish leaders in the United States and Israel.
The book argues that the United States should support Israel if it's in the best interests of the former and that the Jewish state should be treated no differently than any other Mideast country.
Of course, this is something Arabs have advocated all along. And I acknowledge that most high-minded, intellectually honest Arabs agree that Israel is here to stay and peace must be achieved to allow Israel to be a good neighbor and to maintain a stable region.
Saudi Arabia has said as much by advocating the 2002 Arab peace plan that returns pre-1967 borders to Israel's Arab neighbors and creates a viable and independent Palestinian state.
The US has invested much in its support of Israel since the end of World War II but it has strayed considerably since then and especially after the 1967 war. And it seems to me now that there is no rhyme or reason for much of its support of Israel.
For example, during the disastrous Lebanon-Israeli war last year, President George Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stood by while Israel attacked Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, asserting that Israel had a right to defend itself after three Israeli soldiers were kidnapped by Hezbollah.
Israel, incredulously as it sounds now, defended itself by bombing residential neighborhoods and killing more than 1,100 Lebanese civilians. The argument at the time, and supported by Bush and Rice, was that Hezbollah was using residential neighborhoods as a base for operations. The Human Rights Watch dismissed it as a myth last week. Hezbollah had longed pulled out of civilian areas to conduct military operations. Surely US and Israeli intelligence were aware of this, but it didn't fit into the United States' position of support for Israel.
Despite these crimes committed by Israel, Americans' unwavering support for the Jewish state in many ways is understandable. Israel has a powerful lobby in Washington, D.C., with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the American Jewish Committee lobbying relentlessly to safeguard Israel's interests. This is the way of American politics. One has to look no further than Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine," "Fahrenheit 9/11" and "Sicko" film documentaries to understand that there are lobbying groups for every single existing organization that wants legislation to protect their interests. Why should Israel be any different? Having said that I must ask why are Arabs so resistant to establish their own lobbying group to solicit support from the US Congress and the White House? One must learn to play the game.
Yet I can't help but feel enraged that the American Congress, which prides itself on debating everything under the sun from global warming and gay rights to health care and the war in Iraq, is virtually silent on the issue of aid and support to Israel at the expense of the Palestinians.
American lawmakers appear to be seized by fear that they will be identified as anti-Semitic if they oppose or even question loyalty to Israel; never realizing that one can oppose a country's foreign policy without being anti-Semitic. There is simply no connection. So Arab anger against the US is justified. Arabs want to know where are the courageous Americans who will step forward and correct the wrongs dating back to 1967.
As Mearsheimer and Walt argue in their book, unflinching American support of Israel has seriously damaged Uncle Sam's credibility among Arabs and Muslims and has actually created more terrorists than ever imagined. And perhaps the worse crime of all, taking into account all that has occurred in last 40 years, is that the United States has had numerous opportunities to guide Israel to solve the Palestinian issue but has failed simply because it won't question Israel's policies.
Because of that lack of courage, the world has become a much more dangerous place than before.
Job for All of Us
Tuesday, 04 September 2007
By Sabria S Jawhar
Despite the belligerent rhetoric that has escalated recently between the American and Iranian governments, Iran is likely to do exactly what Ahmadinejad promised: fill that vacuum once US troops begin to draw down. Every time Ahmadinejad opens his mouth, the Americans take the bait with now tiresome responses by claiming that Iranian weapons are killing American soldiers - although hard evidence remains lacking - or that Iran's pursuit of nuclear technology will put the Middle East "under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust." But if it's clear that Iran will do everything it can to protect its borders and interests and if that means helping its Shiite neighbors, then Ahmadinejad will certainly do his best to provide support. Ahmadinejad's boasts of filling a power vacuum and his pursuit of nuclear technology are not in the best interests of the region, although he suggested cooperation with "regional friends like Saudi Arabia." We also have to remember that Iran's clerics hold the real power so it remains to be seen just how Ahmadinejad will fill this void. In the end it will be up to the clerics whether to help Iraq.
But rather than listen to the hysterical rantings of President Bush, which do little to address these issues in a calm and deliberate manner, I prefer Arab League chief Amr Moussa's call for talks between Arab countries and Iran over Iraq.
"There should be a consensus between the Arabs and Iran over Iraq,"
Moussa said after a recent meeting of Arab diplomats. "Iran and the
Arabs should be on one side."
Let's face it, whether the Americans like it or not, Iran is poised to meddle in Iraq and it's up to Saudi Arabia and its neighbors to solve the problem since the United States lacks the will and expertise to get the job done. It will be up to us, not the US or Great Britain, to do all we can to avoid turning the Iraq war into a regional conflict. For one, Arabs must do everything possible to slow the race for nuclear technology and bring Iran into the same line of thinking.
Secondly, it's to our advantage to set aside the differences between Shiites and Sunnis to make Iraq a thriving and workable government. The bottom line is that if we don't step into the breach and solve these issues on a regional level, the United States will continue its presence with disastrous results.
President Bush keeps hammering the argument that to abandon Iraq now would mean that Iran would take over. This is a similar argument that Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon used to keep America in Vietnam.
If US troops withdrew from Vietnam the communists would seize control and create a domino effect that ultimately would allow China to gain influence throughout Asia. It never happened, but we are witnessing similar arguments today that Iraq could fall to Iran. Yes, it's possible. But unlike Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in the 1960s and early ‘70s, Arab countries have the ability and foresight to bring Iran into the fold of regional neighborliness.
We've seen enough of the result of American intervention. Now it's time to clean up their mess. The US commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker are expected to give Bush a progress report next week on the surge in Baghdad that will determine the future for U.S. troop deployments in Iraq. The report, I suspect, will not provide a bright picture. That means a longer occupation.
The time is now to assume control of our own future. It's unfortunate that Ahmadinejad has taken the lead role in offering help to Iraq although he has no concrete plan at the moment and his agenda is questionable. This is a job for all of us - from Egypt, Jordan and Syria to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and, yes, even Iran.
But above all for Iraqis themselves. The Iraqis should unite in a real coalition government that serves the interest of Iraq as a one nation without being influenced by any foreign factor or serving a specific faction, whether Sunni or Shiite.
All of us need be involved to build a peaceful coexistence in our region. And it must be now.
By Sabria S Jawhar
Despite the belligerent rhetoric that has escalated recently between the American and Iranian governments, Iran is likely to do exactly what Ahmadinejad promised: fill that vacuum once US troops begin to draw down. Every time Ahmadinejad opens his mouth, the Americans take the bait with now tiresome responses by claiming that Iranian weapons are killing American soldiers - although hard evidence remains lacking - or that Iran's pursuit of nuclear technology will put the Middle East "under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust." But if it's clear that Iran will do everything it can to protect its borders and interests and if that means helping its Shiite neighbors, then Ahmadinejad will certainly do his best to provide support. Ahmadinejad's boasts of filling a power vacuum and his pursuit of nuclear technology are not in the best interests of the region, although he suggested cooperation with "regional friends like Saudi Arabia." We also have to remember that Iran's clerics hold the real power so it remains to be seen just how Ahmadinejad will fill this void. In the end it will be up to the clerics whether to help Iraq.
But rather than listen to the hysterical rantings of President Bush, which do little to address these issues in a calm and deliberate manner, I prefer Arab League chief Amr Moussa's call for talks between Arab countries and Iran over Iraq.
"There should be a consensus between the Arabs and Iran over Iraq,"
Moussa said after a recent meeting of Arab diplomats. "Iran and the
Arabs should be on one side."
Let's face it, whether the Americans like it or not, Iran is poised to meddle in Iraq and it's up to Saudi Arabia and its neighbors to solve the problem since the United States lacks the will and expertise to get the job done. It will be up to us, not the US or Great Britain, to do all we can to avoid turning the Iraq war into a regional conflict. For one, Arabs must do everything possible to slow the race for nuclear technology and bring Iran into the same line of thinking.
Secondly, it's to our advantage to set aside the differences between Shiites and Sunnis to make Iraq a thriving and workable government. The bottom line is that if we don't step into the breach and solve these issues on a regional level, the United States will continue its presence with disastrous results.
President Bush keeps hammering the argument that to abandon Iraq now would mean that Iran would take over. This is a similar argument that Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon used to keep America in Vietnam.
If US troops withdrew from Vietnam the communists would seize control and create a domino effect that ultimately would allow China to gain influence throughout Asia. It never happened, but we are witnessing similar arguments today that Iraq could fall to Iran. Yes, it's possible. But unlike Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in the 1960s and early ‘70s, Arab countries have the ability and foresight to bring Iran into the fold of regional neighborliness.
We've seen enough of the result of American intervention. Now it's time to clean up their mess. The US commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, and US Ambassador Ryan Crocker are expected to give Bush a progress report next week on the surge in Baghdad that will determine the future for U.S. troop deployments in Iraq. The report, I suspect, will not provide a bright picture. That means a longer occupation.
The time is now to assume control of our own future. It's unfortunate that Ahmadinejad has taken the lead role in offering help to Iraq although he has no concrete plan at the moment and his agenda is questionable. This is a job for all of us - from Egypt, Jordan and Syria to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and, yes, even Iran.
But above all for Iraqis themselves. The Iraqis should unite in a real coalition government that serves the interest of Iraq as a one nation without being influenced by any foreign factor or serving a specific faction, whether Sunni or Shiite.
All of us need be involved to build a peaceful coexistence in our region. And it must be now.
I had a Frightening Vision
Wednesday, 22 August 2007
By Sabria S Jawhar
I had a frightening vision the other day.
About 1.5 million Indians, 85 percent of whom are blue-collar workers will be deported from Saudi Arabia in a reaction to the unexpected increase in rice prices in the Saudi market. "We received hundreds of thousands of deportation requests from Saudis who would like to get rid of their Indian domestic workers," an official at the passport office announced.
The same officials said that thousands of Saudi families have decided to replace their Indian help with Eastern European help, since every time they looked at their Indian workers, they couldn't help but be reminded of who was behind the rice price crisis.
In response, India has recalled its ambassador, suspending high-level Indian-Saudi meetings on energy-related issues. As a Muslim country and a close ally of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan declared that it would suspend negotiations with India and boycott its products. Inspectors expect the two countries to go as far as using nuclear weapons against each other if the UN does not intervene and find a quick solution to the rice crisis.
Al-Qaeda in Eastern Asia posted a letter on their website in which they declared Jihad (holy war) against India, accusing it of waging an anti-Islamic war by depriving the country of the Two Holy Mosques of rice.
The United States, as well as some other friendly European countries, expressed their concern about the deterioration in the relation between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, on one hand, and India, on the other. Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told reporters that Israel would support India in whatever decision it takes against the two Muslim countries, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Minister of Commerce addressed the public via the government- owned TV channel, one asking Saudis to calm down as the crises has been brought before the Security Council in an attempt to find a quick resolution to the rice shortage in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the minister said we should look for alternatives.
This was the scenario that came to mind while I was watching the televised interview with the Minister of Commerce, Hashim Yamani. The interview was devoted to the unprecedented increase in prices, in particular, the price of rice. He attributed the rise in price to several factors, none of which has anything to do with the failure of his ministry to have any effect on it by carrying out studies and offering alternatives. For instance, he attributed the increase in rice prices to price rises in India, the Kingdom's main rice supplier.
The minister sounded deadly serious as he attempted to convince the audience with his point of view and to place the blame on international factors such as the Indian economy and oil prices. He used very strong and flashy economic terms, such as supply and demand, that made his answers sound very realistic.
However, he failed to offer even one practical solution to the present situation.
The minister raised the ire of his audience when he started defending his own ministry, adding that the price increase is out of the ministry's hands. He added salt to the audience's wounds when he said that there are 200 inspectors around the Kingdom whose responsibility it is to observe prices. To be honest, I was also among those who were disappointed with that number as it clearly seemed to be intended to justify the price hikes, especially at places that are off-the-beaten track. It also raises questions concerning the honesty of those inspectors and their ability to grasp the commercial boom that the country is experiencing. After all, new shopping centers or mega malls are popping up on every corner of the Kingdom's big cities. In Jeddah, the shopping havens grow faster than the speed that the ministry takes to process one single paper.
Following the interview, though, I felt very sad for Saudi society. It has not completely recovered from the shock of the stock market crash that has left more than three million Saudis, mainly from the middle class, in debt and in a deep state of depression.
But, you know, as Saudis, lets look at the bright side. At least, our Minister of Commerce did not suggest us barley as an alternative. According to cattle dealers, it has also increased by 50 percent.
By Sabria S Jawhar
I had a frightening vision the other day.
About 1.5 million Indians, 85 percent of whom are blue-collar workers will be deported from Saudi Arabia in a reaction to the unexpected increase in rice prices in the Saudi market. "We received hundreds of thousands of deportation requests from Saudis who would like to get rid of their Indian domestic workers," an official at the passport office announced.
The same officials said that thousands of Saudi families have decided to replace their Indian help with Eastern European help, since every time they looked at their Indian workers, they couldn't help but be reminded of who was behind the rice price crisis.
In response, India has recalled its ambassador, suspending high-level Indian-Saudi meetings on energy-related issues. As a Muslim country and a close ally of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan declared that it would suspend negotiations with India and boycott its products. Inspectors expect the two countries to go as far as using nuclear weapons against each other if the UN does not intervene and find a quick solution to the rice crisis.
Al-Qaeda in Eastern Asia posted a letter on their website in which they declared Jihad (holy war) against India, accusing it of waging an anti-Islamic war by depriving the country of the Two Holy Mosques of rice.
The United States, as well as some other friendly European countries, expressed their concern about the deterioration in the relation between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, on one hand, and India, on the other. Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told reporters that Israel would support India in whatever decision it takes against the two Muslim countries, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Minister of Commerce addressed the public via the government- owned TV channel, one asking Saudis to calm down as the crises has been brought before the Security Council in an attempt to find a quick resolution to the rice shortage in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the minister said we should look for alternatives.
This was the scenario that came to mind while I was watching the televised interview with the Minister of Commerce, Hashim Yamani. The interview was devoted to the unprecedented increase in prices, in particular, the price of rice. He attributed the rise in price to several factors, none of which has anything to do with the failure of his ministry to have any effect on it by carrying out studies and offering alternatives. For instance, he attributed the increase in rice prices to price rises in India, the Kingdom's main rice supplier.
The minister sounded deadly serious as he attempted to convince the audience with his point of view and to place the blame on international factors such as the Indian economy and oil prices. He used very strong and flashy economic terms, such as supply and demand, that made his answers sound very realistic.
However, he failed to offer even one practical solution to the present situation.
The minister raised the ire of his audience when he started defending his own ministry, adding that the price increase is out of the ministry's hands. He added salt to the audience's wounds when he said that there are 200 inspectors around the Kingdom whose responsibility it is to observe prices. To be honest, I was also among those who were disappointed with that number as it clearly seemed to be intended to justify the price hikes, especially at places that are off-the-beaten track. It also raises questions concerning the honesty of those inspectors and their ability to grasp the commercial boom that the country is experiencing. After all, new shopping centers or mega malls are popping up on every corner of the Kingdom's big cities. In Jeddah, the shopping havens grow faster than the speed that the ministry takes to process one single paper.
Following the interview, though, I felt very sad for Saudi society. It has not completely recovered from the shock of the stock market crash that has left more than three million Saudis, mainly from the middle class, in debt and in a deep state of depression.
But, you know, as Saudis, lets look at the bright side. At least, our Minister of Commerce did not suggest us barley as an alternative. According to cattle dealers, it has also increased by 50 percent.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Tuesday, 14 August 2007
By Sabria S Jawhar
Earlier this week I received an e-mail from a regular reader whose opinion I highly respect. In that e-mail he commented on a column that I wrote two weeks ago and was entitled "When I cried this summer." Among the things that he mentioned in his e-mail was the following: "I noticed that recently you are tending to be sort of pessimistic, especially when it comes to the development or changes taking place in Saudi society. There are always things that disappoint us in our society but on the other hand there are others that we should highlight and be proud of." To tell the truth, I can't help but add my voice to that of my friend. I agree with him concerning the positive things that take place in the Kingdom. But, to me, positive and good things are supposed to be common and I am sure that hundreds of people will be more than happy to write about them. Only a few are willing to talk about the negative things. Criticism, however, should not be an ultimate goal in and of itself.
It should be a constructive goal that aims to put thing in place and to help those who are in charge to see the shortcomings of their establishments and to find the best solutions for any deficiencies.
Dear friend, I have never been pessimistic. Actually, I am writing about what I perceive as wrong because I am very optimistic that change will take place soon and because I have great expectations. But I also believe that we have to work hard toward finding out what's wrong and change it for the better. The world will not wait for us. The world is keeping an eye on our achievements judging us by the speed of the oil coming out from beneath the ground.
Yet, for the sake of my friend I will dedicate this column to things that took place this week and have given me a glimmer of hope that the wind of good intention is so strong that it is moving the wheel of change faster.
I was delighted this week to read that Prince Mohammad bin Saud, Emir of Baha region, has given orders to discharge 20 high officials from Baha region who were proved to be violating the rules and not carrying out their responsibilities. The prince was not hesitant to talk to the media about the reasons behind discharging those officials or even about their designations. He seemed to be sending a message to all of those who think of bartering away the nation's interest or selling it for cheap.
By doing what he did, the relatively newly-appointed prince has proved to the leadership that choosing him was a wise decision. It also reflects the leadership's intention to combat government corruption, which has reached alarming levels and was the main reason behind many vital projects not being carried out.
I felt also so comfortable when I read the news about the enforcement of the cyber law that governs the use of the Internet and offers protection to the legitimate use of computers and the Internet. The law is not a new one. In fact, it has been implemented in several countries where cyber crimes are common.
However, what gives it a special value in Saudi society is the importance that it gives to the people's privacy and their reputations. For instance, it imposes a prison sentence and a fine not to exceed half a million Saudi riyals to those who encroach onto other's private lives through misuse of cameras on mobile telephones or similar devices.
Those who defame others or harm them through the use of information technology will face the same punishment.
Some readers, especially newcomers to the Kingdom, might wonder why am I giving such weight to these particular points of the 16-article law. To those I would like to say that Saudi society is a very sensitive one. This sensitivity can be seen most when women's issues are involved. I don't think that there is any Saudi who has not heard or, at least, read about a story in which a mobile phone or an Internet site played a role in destroying a family by leading the couple to divorce.
Some people smuggle cameras into women's gatherings, take photos or video clips, then post them on specially designed websites in order to defame them and ruin their subjects' lives.
Some pictures that were also taken of girls, who were lured by young men, were also posted on those web sites, completely destroying the girls' lives. The damage wrought by such misuse of technology has pushed people in some cases to commit suicide. Some readers might still remember the story of the young Saudi man who was raped by a group of his friends who videotaped the assault in order to humiliate and blackmail him.
The video clip was circulated and the news of his humiliation spread, resulting in so much pressure on the young man that he finally took his own life.
I think that by now you will all agree with me that simple procedures should be taken to protect society, at least, until it reaches a level of awareness where such things defame the doer more than the victim.
By Sabria S Jawhar
Earlier this week I received an e-mail from a regular reader whose opinion I highly respect. In that e-mail he commented on a column that I wrote two weeks ago and was entitled "When I cried this summer." Among the things that he mentioned in his e-mail was the following: "I noticed that recently you are tending to be sort of pessimistic, especially when it comes to the development or changes taking place in Saudi society. There are always things that disappoint us in our society but on the other hand there are others that we should highlight and be proud of." To tell the truth, I can't help but add my voice to that of my friend. I agree with him concerning the positive things that take place in the Kingdom. But, to me, positive and good things are supposed to be common and I am sure that hundreds of people will be more than happy to write about them. Only a few are willing to talk about the negative things. Criticism, however, should not be an ultimate goal in and of itself.
It should be a constructive goal that aims to put thing in place and to help those who are in charge to see the shortcomings of their establishments and to find the best solutions for any deficiencies.
Dear friend, I have never been pessimistic. Actually, I am writing about what I perceive as wrong because I am very optimistic that change will take place soon and because I have great expectations. But I also believe that we have to work hard toward finding out what's wrong and change it for the better. The world will not wait for us. The world is keeping an eye on our achievements judging us by the speed of the oil coming out from beneath the ground.
Yet, for the sake of my friend I will dedicate this column to things that took place this week and have given me a glimmer of hope that the wind of good intention is so strong that it is moving the wheel of change faster.
I was delighted this week to read that Prince Mohammad bin Saud, Emir of Baha region, has given orders to discharge 20 high officials from Baha region who were proved to be violating the rules and not carrying out their responsibilities. The prince was not hesitant to talk to the media about the reasons behind discharging those officials or even about their designations. He seemed to be sending a message to all of those who think of bartering away the nation's interest or selling it for cheap.
By doing what he did, the relatively newly-appointed prince has proved to the leadership that choosing him was a wise decision. It also reflects the leadership's intention to combat government corruption, which has reached alarming levels and was the main reason behind many vital projects not being carried out.
I felt also so comfortable when I read the news about the enforcement of the cyber law that governs the use of the Internet and offers protection to the legitimate use of computers and the Internet. The law is not a new one. In fact, it has been implemented in several countries where cyber crimes are common.
However, what gives it a special value in Saudi society is the importance that it gives to the people's privacy and their reputations. For instance, it imposes a prison sentence and a fine not to exceed half a million Saudi riyals to those who encroach onto other's private lives through misuse of cameras on mobile telephones or similar devices.
Those who defame others or harm them through the use of information technology will face the same punishment.
Some readers, especially newcomers to the Kingdom, might wonder why am I giving such weight to these particular points of the 16-article law. To those I would like to say that Saudi society is a very sensitive one. This sensitivity can be seen most when women's issues are involved. I don't think that there is any Saudi who has not heard or, at least, read about a story in which a mobile phone or an Internet site played a role in destroying a family by leading the couple to divorce.
Some people smuggle cameras into women's gatherings, take photos or video clips, then post them on specially designed websites in order to defame them and ruin their subjects' lives.
Some pictures that were also taken of girls, who were lured by young men, were also posted on those web sites, completely destroying the girls' lives. The damage wrought by such misuse of technology has pushed people in some cases to commit suicide. Some readers might still remember the story of the young Saudi man who was raped by a group of his friends who videotaped the assault in order to humiliate and blackmail him.
The video clip was circulated and the news of his humiliation spread, resulting in so much pressure on the young man that he finally took his own life.
I think that by now you will all agree with me that simple procedures should be taken to protect society, at least, until it reaches a level of awareness where such things defame the doer more than the victim.
Yet another First by a Saudi Woman
Monday, 13 August 2007
By Sabria S. Jawhar
A Saudi woman will be one of the delegates of the government's Human Rights Commission to an international conference on the role of the Muslim woman in contemporary society to be held in Malaysia. The Saudi female delegate Intisar Felimban, director of the International Relations and Activities at the Arab organization for combating terrorism, said participating in such an international conference would help clear the negative image the world has of the rights of women in the Kingdom. "People abroad don't know about the position women in Saudi Arabia has reached especially in the era of King Abdullah," Felimban said. "Our great King has opened gates for women everywhere even at the security level. It's now up to the women to seize the chance or let it go."
The conference aims to define a unified Islamic position relating to Muslim women. The delegates will also discuss the factors that have denied some Muslim women of their political, social and economic rights. Plans and recommendations will be made to prevent the increasing influence of culture on the interpretation of the Islamic regulation based on the Qu'ran and Sunnah (Prophet's action and sayings).
The conference will be sponsored by International Institute for Muslim Unity and the International Islamic University in Malaysia.
Abdullah Al-Meatani, director of the Commission of Human Rights branch in Makkah region, and Mamdooh Al-Shemrani, a commission member, will also be part of the delegation.
The role and status of the Muslim woman in the society have always been a subject of debate and discussion throughout the Islamic world since these vary from one society to another due to factors such as the Islamic school of thought, and culture and tradition.
By Sabria S. Jawhar
A Saudi woman will be one of the delegates of the government's Human Rights Commission to an international conference on the role of the Muslim woman in contemporary society to be held in Malaysia. The Saudi female delegate Intisar Felimban, director of the International Relations and Activities at the Arab organization for combating terrorism, said participating in such an international conference would help clear the negative image the world has of the rights of women in the Kingdom. "People abroad don't know about the position women in Saudi Arabia has reached especially in the era of King Abdullah," Felimban said. "Our great King has opened gates for women everywhere even at the security level. It's now up to the women to seize the chance or let it go."
The conference aims to define a unified Islamic position relating to Muslim women. The delegates will also discuss the factors that have denied some Muslim women of their political, social and economic rights. Plans and recommendations will be made to prevent the increasing influence of culture on the interpretation of the Islamic regulation based on the Qu'ran and Sunnah (Prophet's action and sayings).
The conference will be sponsored by International Institute for Muslim Unity and the International Islamic University in Malaysia.
Abdullah Al-Meatani, director of the Commission of Human Rights branch in Makkah region, and Mamdooh Al-Shemrani, a commission member, will also be part of the delegation.
The role and status of the Muslim woman in the society have always been a subject of debate and discussion throughout the Islamic world since these vary from one society to another due to factors such as the Islamic school of thought, and culture and tradition.
A Workshop in UK
Tuesday, 07 August 2007
By Sabria Jawhar
Earlier this year, I wrote a column entitled "When a turkey's life is more valuable than a human." In that column I mentioned a story about an American friend who, knowing only a little about my culture, sent me an e-greeting card on the occasion of Thanksgiving. In that e-mail he told me jokingly that President George W. Bush had forgiven his bird this year and granted it a reprieve.
It did not take me long, however, to find out that the big bird's life was more precious to President Bush than that of a Muslim or an Arab in the Middle East. The same talk applied to some Arab governments that didn't show any sign of caring about the feelings of their own people nor their interests.
As I woke up in the early morning of Eid Al-Fitr last year, I was shocked, like million of Muslims, by the announcement of Saddam Hussein's execution.
"He was hanged after he was convicted of crimes against humanity for the killing of 148 Shia villagers in the town of Dujail," the crawl across the bottom of my television screen said.
Regardless of my stand on the whole issue, my concern at that time was basically about the timing of the execution coinciding with Islam's holiest day. The picture of the forgiven big bird came to my mind along with the image of Saddam's corpse.
Yesterday, I was also following the news on television when another crawl on the screen said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had broken off his vacation on Saturday and returned to London to closely follow the case of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. A drug company is at the center of the investigation.
There were reports hundreds of cattle have been slaughtered in a cull of animals at the infected farm and those at high risk nearby. The British Prime Minister chaired several emergency meetings on the matter.
He also appeared on television talking to the public about what has been and what will be done.
Regardless of the motives behind the prime minister's action and whether it has something to do with the voters' judgment of him, he showed care if not for the 7 million animals that were slaughtered, than to the estimated €12 billion that the crisis would cost the British economy, not to mention its effect on tourism.
On the other hand, while the whole world is moving and calling for real solutions for the Middle East, in general, and for Iraq, in particular, the Iraqi parliament is taking a month off.
The break comes at a time when very serious decisions concerning the future of the whole nation such as those related to Iraqi oil should be taken.
It also came at a time when the American Congress was supposed to decide on the defense bill that is partially related to spending on the Iraqi war.
I am really confused whether this decision to go on vacation is a sign of indifference regarding the Iraqi people or a way of saying "no" to President Bush, who is working hard to get the "oil law" through the Iraqi parliament.
Is British livestock more important to the UK prime minister than the Iraqi people to their government? Is this an analogy to making an animal life more important than that of a human being? Is taking a summer vacation a must for all politicians despite the vital decisions that are to be taken?
Another question also puzzles me: where are the Iraqi politicians spending their vacations? Are they going to spend them in Iraq enjoying the beauty of blood and destruction on every single street in Baghdad? I have been told that nothing is more attractive than the combination of red blood and green grass.
Are they going to spend their money in promoting local tourism or are they going to enjoy the breeze and nice weather in one of Europe's great capitals? If "yes," what is their destination?
Let's not jump to conclusions. Maybe they are attending a workshop presented by the British Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, who recently announced that "it was vital to contain the outbreak, which infected a local herd of cattle and could cost the British livestock industry up to $30 million a week in lost exports."
If this is the case then I am quite sure that after failing to bring about prosperity, peace or even security to their own people, Iraqi lawmakers could learn from the British how to care about the hundreds of people who die daily on Baghdad's streets.
By Sabria Jawhar
Earlier this year, I wrote a column entitled "When a turkey's life is more valuable than a human." In that column I mentioned a story about an American friend who, knowing only a little about my culture, sent me an e-greeting card on the occasion of Thanksgiving. In that e-mail he told me jokingly that President George W. Bush had forgiven his bird this year and granted it a reprieve.
It did not take me long, however, to find out that the big bird's life was more precious to President Bush than that of a Muslim or an Arab in the Middle East. The same talk applied to some Arab governments that didn't show any sign of caring about the feelings of their own people nor their interests.
As I woke up in the early morning of Eid Al-Fitr last year, I was shocked, like million of Muslims, by the announcement of Saddam Hussein's execution.
"He was hanged after he was convicted of crimes against humanity for the killing of 148 Shia villagers in the town of Dujail," the crawl across the bottom of my television screen said.
Regardless of my stand on the whole issue, my concern at that time was basically about the timing of the execution coinciding with Islam's holiest day. The picture of the forgiven big bird came to my mind along with the image of Saddam's corpse.
Yesterday, I was also following the news on television when another crawl on the screen said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown had broken off his vacation on Saturday and returned to London to closely follow the case of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. A drug company is at the center of the investigation.
There were reports hundreds of cattle have been slaughtered in a cull of animals at the infected farm and those at high risk nearby. The British Prime Minister chaired several emergency meetings on the matter.
He also appeared on television talking to the public about what has been and what will be done.
Regardless of the motives behind the prime minister's action and whether it has something to do with the voters' judgment of him, he showed care if not for the 7 million animals that were slaughtered, than to the estimated €12 billion that the crisis would cost the British economy, not to mention its effect on tourism.
On the other hand, while the whole world is moving and calling for real solutions for the Middle East, in general, and for Iraq, in particular, the Iraqi parliament is taking a month off.
The break comes at a time when very serious decisions concerning the future of the whole nation such as those related to Iraqi oil should be taken.
It also came at a time when the American Congress was supposed to decide on the defense bill that is partially related to spending on the Iraqi war.
I am really confused whether this decision to go on vacation is a sign of indifference regarding the Iraqi people or a way of saying "no" to President Bush, who is working hard to get the "oil law" through the Iraqi parliament.
Is British livestock more important to the UK prime minister than the Iraqi people to their government? Is this an analogy to making an animal life more important than that of a human being? Is taking a summer vacation a must for all politicians despite the vital decisions that are to be taken?
Another question also puzzles me: where are the Iraqi politicians spending their vacations? Are they going to spend them in Iraq enjoying the beauty of blood and destruction on every single street in Baghdad? I have been told that nothing is more attractive than the combination of red blood and green grass.
Are they going to spend their money in promoting local tourism or are they going to enjoy the breeze and nice weather in one of Europe's great capitals? If "yes," what is their destination?
Let's not jump to conclusions. Maybe they are attending a workshop presented by the British Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, who recently announced that "it was vital to contain the outbreak, which infected a local herd of cattle and could cost the British livestock industry up to $30 million a week in lost exports."
If this is the case then I am quite sure that after failing to bring about prosperity, peace or even security to their own people, Iraqi lawmakers could learn from the British how to care about the hundreds of people who die daily on Baghdad's streets.
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