Someone please tell KSA-2 TV that its Pakistan, NOT Pakistatn!!!

 Cannot believe this is a local channel from Saudi Arabia!

Three cheers for the Brave Tunisian People

The last couple of days have been full of surprises. The videos (aired on various newschannels) about how the tunisian people finally revolted against their dictator and finally chased him out of the country are simply awe-inspiring, atleast for the Muslims. Or may be just for Pakistan.

As an expat, I rarely get affected by the shit conditions prevalent in Pakistan but that doesn't mean I don't feel the pain of fellow Pakistanis living there...and this would hold true even if my family wasn't based there. Like Kamran Khan (Geo TV) I wish there was someway all the Pakistanis would get together and throw out all the corrupt so-called leaders of our country, just the way the Tunisians did. In any case three cheers for the Tunisians.

But, a rather shocking event was when I found out that the country that has given refuge to the Tunisian suppressor is infact Saudi Arabia. Really don't know what they are thinking...why is that when a former Pakistani Prime Minister's government was toppled and he got exiled, it was Saudi Arabia that openly welcomed him. Wondering which leader will next become a long-temporary-citizen of this land. Any guesses?

Easy Meat

A wee bit late in reading yesterday's newspaper today, but I couldn't ignore mentioning this wonderful objective piece by Iman Kurdi in Arab News commenting on the Former British Home Secretary's statement of calling his own 'white' trash as easy meat for men of Pakistani descent.

I loved her perspective on asking readers to understand the real reason behind why infact Muslim men and not just Pakistani men think of non-Muslim women as easy targets for sexual abuse. Finally someone who isn't bashing Pakistanis for being Pakistanis ( commonly associated with everything wrong going on in this world especially terrorism and corruption).

I'm Back

I've been away too long...and lots has happened since my last post. I became a silent observer not by choice but by the blessing bestowed upon me...I am now a mother. My views about things may have changed but the feminist, the radical, the rebel in me lives on...Yes! I'm back.

Strange(!!!) but True - Things about Saudi Arabia

• Possibly the only place where you can find a junk food outlet located within a hospital, case in point Dunkin Donuts @ Olaya Medical Centre
• In some Western-dominated compounds women are not just expected but infact required to remove their Abayas
• Women apparently can actually buy cars (yes! register vehicles on their names) BUT just not allowed to drive them (haha!)

Note: This post is most likely going to be another work in progress as I'm confident that I will surely discover more 'strange' and funny things about this place.

(Blogger) Perspectives from Another Planet

I've lately been a bit under the weather, not to mention busy attending to some private matters, and hence missed commenting on some Saudi newstories that were published recently and not-so-recently.

Regardless, some blogs that I read regularly wrote some interesting posts on the subjects and I felt that they were worth mentioning here: 

Saudi Arabia: Breakthroughs on Marriage Contracts -
>> What's it about - New marriage contracts with bride's age

Saudi Arabia with no Make-up
>> What's it about - MTV's True Life series episode titled Resist the power! Saudi Arabia

What's front page news in Saudi Arabia?
>> What's it about - Gender segregation (Psst. -this one left me speechless to the point of disability...!)

Happy reading (and thinking)!

Saudi Humour at its Best: "...sports are corrupting and satanic for women"

A senior cleric on Sunday urged the Saudi government to uphold a ban on women's sports in the kingdom in the face of increasing demand to ease the restrictions.

Sheik Abdul Karim al-Khudhair, member of the Council of Senior Scholars said in a statement that sports are "corrupting" and "satanic" for women. Instead, he urged women to stay at home.

In its neighbouring country (aka UAE), local women are graduating as cadet pilots, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and embarking on Mount Everest amongst other things, and here in Saudi Arabia women are being discouraged, not to mention being asked to stay at home!!!

And, what a revelation - sports are devilish!!!

Seriously what will become of this nation? 

Facebook’s Ban in Pakistan: Bold and Beautiful

It’s been 4 days since Facebook’s so-called ‘Draw Mohammed Day’ that invited people to create drawings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on 20th May 2010. As a Muslim (no matter how liberal) I just refuse to not comment on how utterly disrespectful and pathetic this whole exercise was. I openly admit that I was amongst the many people who boycotted Facebook that particular day. Many of my friends and family members (much more religious and brave!) who were frequent users of Facebook have actually gone ahead and even deactivated their accounts.

What came as a pleasant surprise that day was when I learnt that due to this drawing nonsense, Pakistan had actually blocked Facebook altogether (well atleast until the 31st of May 2010), unlike other Muslim countries (including Saudi Arabia) where only the particular Draw Mohammed page is blocked. The most entertaining (and may I add totally preposterous) statement that came from Facebook in the wake of this ban in Pakistan was: "We are very disappointed with the Pakistani courts' decision to block Facebook without warning, and suspect our users there feel the same way," Facebook said in a statement to French news agency. "…we want Facebook to be a place where people can openly discuss issues and express their views, while respecting the rights and feelings of others.” Take note…respecting the rights and feelings of others…really!!! Certainly promoting such an act is Facebook’s way of showering respect on Islam and the feelings of all its Muslim users around the world. Right?

First these people ridicule and challenge our beliefs, and then they mask their actions with such lines - ‘freedom of speech’, ‘respect for all’ etc etc. What a load of crap!

Hai'a staffer beaten by Saudi woman!!!

Fresh from the oven: A Saudi woman actually punched a Hai'a (Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice) official. Read the full story.

My inital reaction to this was: NO WAY!!!

2nd reaction: You got guts girl (with a wink)!

3rd reaction: Shoot! Whats going to happen to her???

No points for guessing that this wasn't the best news piece I've read this morning. It certainly is petrifying.

Visit to Kingdom Mall (Mamlaka Mall) II - Night time

My 2nd visit to the mall didn’t fail to surprise me (seriously!).

On my 1st trip there were some items that I really liked but I needed a VIP’s input, so on my 2nd trip my husband accompanied me (Wednesday evening). Well to say the least this time the scene in Kingdom Mall was a complete contrast, or may I say a complete black -all I could see were fully veiled women (headscarves, veiled faces, veiled bodies... basically the complete 'black' package) with their families in tow. Not a single woman without a headscarf!!! And, no single men either (not sure if that’s a policy for evening time or only weekends).

Anyways, after sorting and buying what we wanted, me and hubby headed to the food court downstairs for some quick supper. While deciding and queuing at the House of Iranian Cuisine counter (accidentally I was standing with my husband in the men’s section of the counter), we were very kindly interrupted by the-oh!-so-talked-about ‘religious police’ aka Muttawas. They called my husband to a side and after the initial confirmation of whether I’m his wife and that we’re Muslims, the Muttawas told my husband that my abaya was a bit tooooooo fitted!!! And, that as a Muslim husband he should ask me or rather make me cover/veil my face, as if my already covered hair was not enough! Need I say how utterly surprised (and #$ @%#&*) I was after learning what they had said? By the way allow me to clarify, my abaya is NOT at all tightly fitted even my husband vouched for that, though not really to the Muttawas (and no! I don’t blame him...you just never know with these guys).

Well, if you’ve read my Visit to Kingdom Mall (Mamlaka Mall) I - Daytime you must wonder like me: where on earth were these Muttawas on that day?? Coz had they been there, it would’ve been one helluva busy day for them, not to mention for the partially-veiled beauties too ;)