I thought as we have been quite glum the past couple of weeks, this picture would bring a smile to your faces as it has mine… this guy was running in the municipal elections in Riyadh (I think?)
oh, his election slogan (in red) is:
Elect the People’s candidate who doesn’t know the word (meaning) NO
democracy is wonderful!
Comments
Electioneering, Riyadh style
Funny picture! But who is he supposed to not say “no” to? I think the problem is that no one has been saying “no” to the Royal family. You get Bandar here buying 50,000 sf homes in which he spends a few weeks a year and another prince who sends his private jet to Paris from DC because his daughter fancies some ice cream one can only get there.
I think the Saudis need to say “no” a bit more often!
Electioneering, Riyadh style
He sure would be representative of the Riyadh population!
Electioneering, Riyadh style
Having been raised by feminists of the 70’s vintage, well at least questioned, probed, prodded, criticized, ridiculed and even hen pecked by them, the photo is frankly astounding. Do not all of society’s problems in the final analysis stem from men who don’t know the meaning of the word, “No”? This comment obviously has no relevance to the current millenium, and in all truth, I am simply transporting the picture to the eighth decade of the last one where I spend too much of my time. Mid life crisis, don’t ya know.
Electioneering, Riyadh style
What a cool poster. I hope he won so that we can see for how long he won’t say no ;). Hehe that pic is funny though, looks like an emperor lol.
Electioneering, Riyadh style
Hehe… You guys ain’t seen the half of it!!! Thank God it’s over!
I personally am not an advocate of demcoracy, here in Saudi Arabia. Not here nor any “gulfern” state. Sometimes, we (the people) doN’T know better.
-Farah 🙂
[url]www.farahssowaleef.blogspot.com[/url]
Electioneering, Riyadh style
Posted “I personally am not an advocate of demcoracy, here in Saudi Arabia. Not here nor any “gulfern” state. Sometimes, we (the people) doN’T know better.”
And some illiterate Prince does? At least you, (the people) have your own interests in mind. Your leadership certainly doesnt. Come to the US and see what your royal family does with your money. A good place to find them is getting drunk on Friday nights at the Four Seasons in Georgetown, or coming already drunk to smoke Shisha and look for drugs and women at al-Jazeera here at Skyline. Maybe Prince Bandar will be throwing another one of his knock down drag out parties at his 50,000 squarefoot mansion (one of two he has in the USA).
He is as illegitmate as his government.
Time to educate yourself and take control. The people, on the whole, know much better than the people in power, whose only goal is to stay in power, no matter tha cost.
Re: Electioneering, Riyadh style
Farooha, you could be right!
Welcome aboard 😉
Re: Electioneering, Riyadh style
Farah,
I don’t share your confidence in the Saudi rulers, who are a contemptible lot for many reasons, but paramount among these is their religious war against America.
For example, I don’t think much of Nayef bin Sultan bin Fawwaz al-Shalaan, Saudi prince and convicted drug dealer, who tried to smuggle $30 million worth of cocaine on his private Boeing 727 under diplomatic immunity from Colombia to France, by way of Saudi Arabia. He is now in Saudi Arabia, protected by his cousins, the princes who rule Saudi Arabia.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-cprince08mar08,0,1270803.story
The US Drug Enforcement Administration found evidence that Saudi prince Nayef intended to use part of the proceeds to fund terror. One of his coconspirators quotes him as saying, “the world is already doomed and he has been authorized by God to sell the drugs.” In my view, a Saudi prince who wholesales cocaine to pay for terror attacks against America should be shot. In your view, he should rule you.
Those same Saudi princes insist on approval of any book published in Saudi Arabia, which requires no book to even hint at displeasure at authoritarian rule and every book to conform to dimwitted and hateful Wahhabist cant.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38700-2005Mar15.html
It reminds me of the ancient Chinese tradition of footbinding, where noble women bound their feet to stunt their growth until they were unusable little stumps, which they praised as “lotus feet.” Likewise, the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the Wahhabi thugs insist on binding the brains of the Saudis, until their tiny atrophied brains know nothing but Wahhabi hate. Such people are not fit to do any constructive work, only to be destroyers, terrorists, suicide bombers, headcutters, disembowelers.
Your rulers don’t know best and consequently Saudis don’t know any better than to be simple-minded haters, enemies of the world, ingrate murderers of their benefactors, pariahs. Wise up and join the world. Your government by corrupt Saudi princes and murderous Wahhabi scum needs to end.
Steve
Re: Electioneering, Riyadh style
Holy moly.
Malik and Steve and I agree on things? Stop the presses!
In short – rule by unelected despots who piddle away their wealth on palaces and drug binges, women and wine, wile keeping their people wrapped up in intellectual and physical repression is in no way preferable to a democratically elected government.
Electioneering, Riyadh style
You guys haven’t really met too many real, authentic Saudis have you?
Trust me, the royal family, as dysfunctional as it may be, is a whole lot better for us than the majority of the people. And I do not say this in defense of the royal family, because really if in 50 years Al-Saud still rules this place ,we’re in for a downfall. Yes, I’ve been to the States, I’ve been to Europe as well. I know what they do. I never said I approved of Saudi princes. But it truly is sad for me to say that they’re still better than alot of the Saudi people.
The fact remains that the majority of the Saudi people aren’t enlightened enough to be given a choice. We’re a purely bedouin people. All we need is time and education.( And yes I know, whose fault is that? That our school systems and societies are so backward, them. I know. I swear I know and it annoys me too. But there really is not much I, or the likes of me can do)
But that doesn’t change what I firmly believe in. For example, in the 50’s when King Faisal, inspired by his Turkish wife Queen Effat, proposed that females should be given the right of an education, just as males were already given that right, the people were outraged. People even deemed it “haram”. In fact, in my hometown of Qaseem, Najd, people had even demonstrated for weeks and weeks. The king decided to ignore the people. Had he given the people a say, I wouldn’t be here typing this in English and on my computer. So sometimes, and in nations as bedouin as ours, no the people do not know what’s good for them. (the majority… I am aware there are many exceptions).
Also, take the whole women driving in Saudi Arabia issue. Prince Nayef decides to be a “prince of the people,” by people I presume he means phoney Islamists, because it’s based on their Ifta’a that driving is illegal and *sigh* yes, yes Haram, once more. I hope one day the darn people would just shut up for a little bit.
Have a look at this.. you’ll get what I mean.
[url]http://www.khayma.com/ftat/A/mfased.htm[/url]
[url]http://thiab.com/book/book2.htm[/url]
[url]http://www.kalemat.org/sections.php?so=va&aid=274[/url]
[url]http://saaid.net/female/mfased.htm[/url]
and ps: this is a forum, check out what “the people” have to say:
[url]http://www.lakii.com/vb/archive/index.php/t-8206.html[/url]
I hear this every single day, from even young and hip friends at college.
Sometimes, if we’re not going to be educated the right way, the best they can offer is a moderate dictatorship.
-Farah
[url]www.farahssowaleef.blogspot.com[/url]
Re: Electioneering, Riyadh style
A request: Steve, Malik, Ethan, if you don’t have anything NEW to contribute to this discussion, please don’t.
Farah, thank you for your contribution. While I understand what you’re saying and where you’re coming from, I must disagree with you that the Saudis are essentially not ready for democracy. I think they are. It will be very painful at the start, but the sooner we start, the faster we will get to understand and respect democracy. Delaying democracy for any reason – in my book – is unacceptable.
Electioneering, Riyadh style
How can anyone be content living under a dictatorship? How can women be content being
told what to wear, what to think,reduced to less than a good camel? This has been
the norm in many countries in the past. Only by demanding equal rights- – and sticking
to those demands have women in all of the modern countries been able to take their
place in society, equal in all ways , and able to advance as far as their intelligence
and ambition will take them . Those who refuse to fight for their rights soon will
have no rights.