Archive | May, 2010

Google Maps guide to hookers in Bahrain

Okay, nothing better to do this afternoon so started cruising to find out the dark things about my country. The inspiration for this is our MPs of course. And if Google Maps is to be believed (TripAdviser as well), then we’re in a bit of a bind.

This, for instance, is the result of a Google Maps search with the terms “hookers bahrain“:


View Larger Map

Notice that most of the well known 3 star are not only listed, but real experiences from unimpressed visitors is also noted?

It’s a shame really. This sort of thing should either be legalised and restricted to a certain zone as it has been for decades in Bahrain, or cleaned up. This is doing us no good at all. No wonder we’re ranked the Number 8 Sin City in the world. 1

An interesting side note is that if you entered “hookers saudi” or “hookers kuwait” you STILL get Bahrain and this particular map displayed with appropriate tags and even more stories!

note, although the MPs and some traditional media ran with this story that I published first, there is really no credence whatsoever in this ranking as the methodology used is not only unscientific, but complete crap.

Freedom flotilla

I didn’t have any doubt at all that the Freedom Flotilla would be attacked by Israel. I am surprised that this has resulted in so many deaths; however, I probably was a bit naive to think that the Flotilla might just be prevented from entering into the Gaza harbour, but never thought that such a prevention would be meted out in such a barbaric fashion.

My heart goes to those brave people who put their lives on the line to help the destitute and confined 1.5 million people – human beings – with hardly enough to sustain them. Some of whom have now paid for their humanitarian effort with their lives.

Thanks should be given to the cowardice of our governments as well of course. Egypt in particular, for closing its border crossing for so long, deepening the suffering of those cornered and disenfranchised people in Gaza whose suffering will continue unabated.

Follow Twitter’s #FreedomFlotilla for more immediate news, and the usual news sites for updates.

Street Terrorism

A sample of just today's news about road accidents in Bahrain... (Al-Wasat Online)

Disclaimer: I’m not the safest nor the best driver on the road. I sometimes speed, change lanes without signaling and talk on the phone. I do; however, regard myself as better than average and most certainly better than the twerps who drive on hard-shoulders or pavements and those who drive with children on their lap and have a feast while doing so.

Still, those are not an excuse for my bad driving and I promise you that I shall exert more efforts to improve both my driving and my road manners.

Why? Because probably like you, I’m fed up of noting the escalating number of fatal accidents on our roads. They could be prevented with a little bit of thought, and the clear and strict application of the law. So rather than having the traffic police clearing roads for dignitaries, divert them all to book and fine road traffic violators. I’m sure that with this and a little bit of traffic awareness programs, the needless loss of life and injuries due to road accidents will be controlled and then eventually reduced.

This is a video forwarded to me by my good friend Hameed Karimi. I thought it’s very much worth sharing with you here, it puts traffic accidents and their effect on Saudi society into stark perspective. It is very relevant here too and hope that it will inspire you to be more aware of your driving and the road.

Please join me in promising to try to be better and more considerate drivers. For your sake.

The Stake is Ready. Bring on those Saudis!

When I first heard of the MTV production Resist the Power, Saudi Arabia my thoughts were running along the lines of the effect of such a program on those featured in it. But I respect them for their courage and their undoubted sacrifice. Frivolous and young some people might find them to be, yes, true, but like Rima Faqih, they are pushing established boundaries. The more young people “rebel” against established cultures and traditions, which are designed or have evolved to marginalise whole swathes of society (women, religious minorities, expatriates, etc.) and societies that skews basic human rights under cloaks of religiosity, the better our future will be.

Cultures and traditions never were static. By necessity they must change and be attuned to the current era. Resisting the inevitable shift in cultures and traditions is futile and counterproductive and results in nothing but either being left behind or even extinction.

The risks for these young people are huge, or course. Our particular society is a complex one which still revolves around nationalism and tribalism. Therefore, I was particularly touched by the featured young men and woman and their recognition of the situation that they are sure to find themselves in, and the sacrifice they were making in just appearing in such a program. I was sure that immediately such a program hits the airwaves, the wave of anger will start and as usual, “the righteous” will start hurling epithets aplenty and baying for blood. Those calls will definitely accuse them of being “traitors and kuffar” at worst, and questioning their nationalism and loyalty at best, while belittling the issues they discussed. After all, they should never have aired dirty laundry, should they. No, for us, laundry even if it stinks and festers, it should never be aired. Because we could do no wrong.

As I expected, the outpouring of anger and righteousness started barely a day after the video was made available:

The majority of Saudis who watched the video was offended and said it was a major insult to their traditions and customs.

Arab News

There you have it. The standard all encompassing answer. Insult to traditions and customs.

But I wish it would stop at that. Some even more righteous gents took serious umbrage at the situation and now are hunting the featured young persons to take them to court:

مقاضاة سعوديين بتهمة “المجاهرة بالمعصية” في برنامج أميركي

قالت صحيفة “الحياة” السعودية الصادرة إن مجموعة من “المحتسبين” يعتزمون رفع دعوى قضائية لدى المحكمة الجزائية في محافظة جدة (غرب السعودية) ضد شابين سعوديين وفتاة، ظهروا أخيراً في برنامج تلفزيوني أميركي عنوانه “الحياة الحقيقية” (True Life)، ووجهوا في الحلقة التي شاركوا فيها انتقادات إلى التقاليد والعادات السعودية، ووصفوها بـ “التخلف”، فيما جاهر فيها أحد الشابين بعلاقته بإحدى الفتيات، وطالب بمنح الشبان والفتيات فرصة إقامة “علاقات متبادلة مماثلة لما يتم في أوروبا”.

DP News

Saudis to be prosecuted on charges of “committing sins openly” in a U.S. program

The Saudi newspaper “Al-Hayat” stated that a group of religious police (mutawwas) planned to lodge a case at the criminal court in Jeddah (western Saudi Arabia) against two young Saudis and a girl who appeared in an American TV show entitled “True Life”, and criticised the traditions and customs of Saudi Arabia, and describing them as “backward”, while one of the participants declared his involvement with one young girl, and called for “creating opportunities for boys and girls to meet and have relationships similar to those occurring in Europe.”

I have no doubt that these young people will be hung out to dry. And it won’t stop there, their families will also be ostracised and their collected lives will be made hell. They have committed a cardinal sin: they dared to criticise their country, and showed their frustrations with engrained traditions and customs to the outside world. Unfortunately, I suspect that they will be made an example of.

 

 

Do you think that if we continue to live as we currently do that our countries and societies will continue to be sustainable? I personally don’t think so. The only thing that sustains us now is our natural wealth. Once that disappears, we shall too.

Unless, that is, we accept radical changes to our way of life.

A different kind of Muslim

Rima Faqih.

You don’t know that name yet? Well, you shall, courtesy of Wikipedia, The Guardian, The Daily Star, and of course my favourite, Mona Eltahawy who’s comments appear in the following video:

 

Change to the Muslim world seem to be coming from Muslims in the free world. But can that counter the growing extremism and verdant sectarianism we experience in the lands of Islam? Could people like Rima Faqih and Aziz Ansari be the harbinger of change?

I don’t have the answer to this important question, I think no one does. However, more and more we witness Muslims spreading their wings and becoming politicians (Obama is still regarded as a Muslim in these hereabouts, on a cultural basis at least, thus illiciting some affinity), scientists, businessmen, media personalities and now a crowned beauty queen too. The common denominator is a free society with guaranteed personal rights and freedoms who are given a chance and are judged on their merits rather than the tribe they hail from and the sub-sect they belong to. It is only right that we look up to these people and to the environment which allowed them to excel.

Is it too much to just wish and even demand the same freedoms and nurturing environment in our countries too? Given half a chance, we too can be role models and live our lives to the fullest for the benefit of humanity.

Congratulations Rima. And Aziz of course, and the rest of the Muslims who have made it on their own recognizance. May you always inspire.