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Saudi Opinion Piece: "Our Society Suffers From Schizophrenia"
Of course, every society has similar anomalies - Iâm not picking on the Saudis, this time. But since I have seen this one myself - on every flight I ever took in or out of the Kingdom - I know itâs an accurate observation. Others may find it interesting, as well.A foreign journalist told me about a weird incident that happened to him on his flight from Jeddah to London. After taking a short nap on board, he woke up to set eyes on a totally different scene. His veiled neighbor wearing the familiar long black abaya had disappeared. In her place, he found a beautiful and stylish girl in tight pants checking her make-up. Still dazed, he looked right and left trying to find his veiled neighbor, but then came the second surprise: All surrounding veils were gone. Some men who had been taking care of their women were busy watching others, some of the completely silent women started talking and laughing loudly, expensive dresses came out, and for the first time the astonished journalist saw and heard Saudi women. In London, it was the same. Cheery Arabs were gathering in Londonâs markets, squares and nightclubs dressed in the latest Western fashions. My confused friend asked: If your religion and traditions specify certain features for a womanâs dress, why is their use limited to your country? Why canât I phone my friendâs wife in Jeddah if I can meet her in full make-up in London? Why does my Muslim friend perform his prayers regularly five times a day in his country and turns his back on some or all of them in London? Is your religion confined to the land of Islam or do rules vary according to time, place and occasion? I explained to him that these few donât represent the whole of society. There are maximum and minimum levels of veiling depending on persuasion and circumstances. Covering the face is not required in most Islamic schools of thought. The black abaya is a societal tradition and not a condition for wearing the veil. Foreign women do the same when they visit the Kingdom. They wear veils and dress in long abayas out of respect for the country and its authentic traditions. Although I believe in that answer, I also share the desire to explore the reasons for the âschizophreniaâ many segments of our society suffer from. Our young are taught the noble values and virtues of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in schools and mosques, and learn about them from radio and TV, but when they are out in the real world dealing with adults and observing the behavior and attitudes of their teachers and parents, they discover that what they had learned is not necessarily what is practiced. Confusion rules and innocence is submerged in a sea of contradictions. We are in real need of religious, sociological, and scientific studies concerning these phenomena. Experts in each field should participate in exploring ways to get us out of this situation. Allah doesnât help a people unless they help themselves. This is just a taste - and he picks one of the most innocuous examples: womenâs dress. He failed to point out the most obvious example: the instant an outbound flight is airborne, the "attendant call" buttons light up like a Christmas Tree: itâs all the Saudis dying for a drink and demanding immediate service. Just ask any stewardess on any International flight about the legendary stories from co-workers whoâve been on flights in and out of the Gulf. I guarantee that she will know a bunch and enjoy telling them. BTW, this is possibly the best opening "line" you can use to chat up a stew... Good luck!
Posted by: PD 2003-07-20 |
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