I enjoy the posts and pictures Abdullah (NidalM) had on his blog so much, especially his escapades in the Saudi desert like this and this, and even though I have traveled extensively in Saudi, but I was always going somewhere, so stopping and exploring were never on the list.
Yesterday a nice commenter was kind enough (thank you:) ) to share a link with me to a site More
Remember a few months ago a group of 10th and 11th grade American students visited Saudi Arabia? I first read about it at Cross Roads Arabia.
So President Nicolas Sarkozy condemns the head –to-toe cover for women as a symbol of subjugation rather than faith. I know this is a very touchy subject, and I do believe that to each his/her own, but I also agree with him… or rather he agrees with me… and many others around the world… Including but not limited to this brave woman.
He did not make that assumption on his own. He was backed by the head of the grand mosque of Paris, Dalil Boubakeur. I guess monetary funds from Saudi Arabia are drying up and not supporting the mosques around the world anymore… they are/were the reason for women thinking that covering up like Najdi women is what Islam requires… I did not say that Najdi women cover up like that, actually a high calibre Najdi woman (aren’t they all?) confirmed that lately on the news.
Symbols mean different things to different people, and to the west, the Hijab came to symbolise the oppression of women, because… women in our region are oppressed, and don’t take my word for that either, its all over the news, just see what women activist in the region are saying.
Yes, we are not alone on subjugating women, it is done all over the world, human trafficking does take place in Europe and America and prostitution exists all over the world and many women are forced into it… but that makes none of it right.
Slavery was abolished in the west before it was abolished in Muslim countries, and when it was, many Muslim clerics argued that the west was making Haram (forbidden) what God has made Halal (permissible), yet it had to happen, slavery was abolished not very long ago in Saudi during the rule of King Faisal, who also opened schools for girls and introduced television. I do believe that King Abdullah will make huge changes also, he has already.
So what do Sarkozy, women, and slavery have to do all together in this post? Well according to Islamic scholars, the Hijab, was/is actually a sign of a free women. Some women walked around topless others their hair uncovered, and yes this was in the time of Prophet Mohammad, and yes this was after the Verse of the Hijab was reviled, here is Hamza Yusuf saying it. I am sure if we still had slavery in Saudi we would’ve seen a lot of topless bars café’s and we could’ve had a Hooters franchise.
The 4th of June, which was yesterday, was the twentieth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests.
I’ve seen this picture many times over the years, and every year, when this picture and the video resurface on the news.. I get this feeling… a feeling of… wishing I had the courage… to be David in the face of Goliath… in everything I pursue.
A few weeks ago Oman’s Ministry of Tourism had and exhibition in Brisbane, to promote tourism to their country. A few smiling faces handing out brochures and a gentleman with a nice voice playing his oud and singing Arabic songs. Young Omani ladies were also there doing henna tattoos and talking to those who were interested in knowing about their culture and country.
I have never been to Oman, but I’ve seen the commercials and know few people who did, and they have nothing but positive things to say about the country, the people, and the Omani tourism industry.
Tourism is an industry, it is a product that needs to be packaged and delivered in a way which satisfies the customer in order to either comeback for more, or be a mouth that spreads the word, and it is not only something that those that work directly in the industry need to be aware of, but also everyone in the country.
The Saudi tourism initiative, which has been going on for years, has, if I dare say, failed miserably. The Arabian peninsula is geographically the same. What Oman has, Saudi has.
However, Saudi tourism, is based on what the industry calls religious tourism, Makkah and Madinah. A few other sites are also included in the package, depending on what Islamic method one follows… and even then, there is… not a lot of room for that.
Will we see the Saudi tourism industry prosper sometime soon?
Every year many Saudi student clubs, which are funded by the ministry throw parties on the Saudi national day, yet it has not been as nice as the Omani exhibition… many Saudi ladies also have complained of the lack of thier participation in some of these events.