My true scary story begins in the heart of
I hadn't been in the country but a week, when I had to weed my way through the Saudi judicial system. During my time there, I encountered cultural behaviors that are unfathomable--cultural practices that are the 'norm'.
Although many travel to the Middle East for work, my surreal experiences led to the true scary story of what can happen inside Saudi…but let's begin at the beginning...
I had been working for several years as a nurse, and in the city in which I worked, to get a permanent job was next to impossible.
What that meant, was always being on call.
I never knew my schedule, and sometimes, I had to work many more hours than I wanted to.
There was never a guarantee of enough work in the next pay period, and planning social events or scholarly activities was cumbersome.
Somehow, though, those overtime hours piled up, and soon I found myself exhausted and fed up.
For over seven years I waited--yes I said seven.
I waited patiently for a permanent position in the field of my expertise-- but it was a specialty field, and only a handful of nurses held the full and part-time jobs in this unique program.
This isn't a sad story-- I could have taken a job on one of the main units in the hospital--but I'm stubborn, and I knew what I wanted and where I wanted to work.
So... I had to fill in the twelve-hour days and nights when I could, and eventually, the night shift seemed to be the shift where nurses in this field were needed the most.
It wasn't long before I worked all nights--which was a sad, true scary story
, and for a "morning person", it was a hard transition.
As you can imagine, I became dissatisfied working like this, and sought out other opportunities.
These opportunities came in the way of travel nursing positions, mostly in the
I was all prepared to take a three-month travel nurse assignment in
Without even thinking, I picked up the phone and inquired about nursing positions. The next thing I knew, I was off to Saudi, and thus the beginning of my wild adventures, true scary stories, tales within Saudi and the subject matter for my first novel, Surreal in Saudi
When I told my friends and family about working in Arabia, they told me many a true scary story, but it didn't deter me.
I felt I had a purpose to go--there was no explanation for what I felt, other than Divine intervention, but in my heart of hearts, I knew, in spite of any true scary story , I was meant to go.
Lo and behold, the next thing I knew, I was on a plane to
I signed a two-year work agreement with the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and
In
For a while, I lived outside of the compounds, taking care of prominent Princesses--but I wouldn't recommend it. Too many scary stories--but because of my bravery--or stupidity--
I saw a world very few ever see…these true scary stories are in my book...but…let me continue with the beginning...
The apartments on the hospital compound are for single women, and most have to share their living quarters with another person.
When you first arrive, you do not have a say in who your roommate is--you are assigned. Normally this person has been in Saudi for a while, and she is supposed to "show you the ropes", so adjustment to life in Saudi isn't too hard.
For most, your roommate is hospitable and gracious towards you--but there is the occasional true scary story of how some roommates sabotage others.
Barely in the country, one of the first things to happen was the arrest of my roommate--a woman I barely knew.
Talk about a true scary story!
Later I learned She went downtown with her boyfriend, and was caught, arrested and thrown in jail.
I didn't know about her incarceration for several hours because, unlike in
Her boyfriend was also arrested--but his "crimes" were deemed menial, and after he was interrogated, he was set free. He called me as soon as he got the chance, and that is how I found out about my roommate's arrest.
I was scared to death--petrified--and I didn't know who to turn to for help.
I heard many rumors of true scary stories of maiming, stonings and decapitation. It's hard to believe that things like that happen in our day and age--but they do.
Desperate to help her, I had to go through what seemed like a myriad of obstacles before being able to reach the right people who could intervene and get the help this woman needed.
It was scary--more than scary, and the details are chronicled in my book, Surreal in Saudi
Remember--I was new to the country--didn't know a soul, and was desperate for help.
Wahhabi Extremism
Inside Saudi
BY KAVANWAL MD
Wahhabis are the most extreme groups out of the Sunni branch of Islam, and even though the Saudi government has made attempts to sweep out those who offend those of other beliefs or cultures, the very real threat of the extreme belief and practices lingers.
Sworn to rid the world of its “impurities”, the Wahhabi branch of Islam, or Salafi as the Saudis prefer to call themselves, is a sect or movement within Islam that is most prevalent in
Some facts about
Wahhabism gives rise to supremacist ideologies due to the belief it is the purest form of Islam, and is the most conservative, violent and hate-propagating faction of all the sects of Islam.
Saudi-American children educated in either the
It is no secret that a Jihad has been called against
Sheik Saleh Al-Fawzan, a famous and revered Wahhabi religious authority in
In order to understand what these facts about
Awry in Arabia
further explains fascinating facts about Saudi culture, but includes and embraces the Westerner's attitudes and biases toward their host country,
After living and working in Saudi Arabia , and being exposed to and being witness to events and regular occurrences most outsiders rarely see, there are many topics of interest.A brief overview of the sects of Islam, Wahhabi tribes being the most familiar, is briefly explained and discussed.
Various groups and organizations invite me, the author, to come and talk aout these subjects at their events and general meetings, or even on radio talk shows.
When discussing
The speeches and radio and/or TV appearances are simply a means to explain the thinking of the general Arabic population, which differs greatly from Western thinking. My knowledge is based on my real-life experiences and unique exposure to the culture.
How can some Wahhabis be so violent? I believe it begins like this:
In some traditional and strict tribes, the Saudi child is forbidden creative play. The lack of use of imagination and the constant reinforcement of hateful propaganda leads to training the mind in linear thought, including encouragement of martyrdom as a viable “career choice”.
A document published by the Higher Committee for Educational Policy in
The inability to conceptualize due to constant inundation of what is “pure and correct” and these one-way thought patterns bear credence to absolute right and absolute wrong, fueling the way for vigilante justice in the face of a perceived threat. As stated in a school textbook, Islamic Education, Grade 10, (2002, pp. 111) p. 69 (State school) “Jihad is honor. Inability to perform it is a cause for grief.”
When I was living and working in a
In discussions with young Princes and Princesses, the young men, who were nineteen and twenty at the time and American citizens, boasted they were studying political science in
These American-born, Saudi-American royals have power, money and might, but their loyalties are to
My life in the palace was no picnic. Although welcomed by the Royals to care for an elderly high-ranking Princess, the servants shunned me. These Wahhabi women couldn’t comprehend the roles of Western nurses, who were living amongst them. (This story is recanted in the novel, Surreal in Saudi )
--Keep in mind, Wahhabi children are taught from a very young age that anyone outside of Islam is the devil incarnate, yet here the servants were forced to reside with two of “Satan’s handmaids.”
Religious authorities, shouting messages of hate and condemnation from the mosques on a daily basis easily influence the masses, feeding into the hatred, distrust and violence that is almost inherent.
A sense of righteous justice was the motivator for rebellion amongst the servants at the palace where I lived. During my time there, my colleague and I tried to build a bridge and reach out, but when the Princess fell ill, the servants blamed us, shouting accusations of treason.
A desperate need to protect and guard against the evils the nurses brought to them arose, and in my novel, Surreal in Saudi , I tell how I averted a kidnapping and being left to die in the desert.
The Saudi authorities often overlook this type of vigil ante justice. No one is faulted for carrying out an interpretation of Jihad.
The Saudi justice system adheres to Sharia Law. Tore Kjeilen, editor of Editor of Encyclopaedia of the Orient defines Sahria law: “Sharia is the totality of religious, political, social, domestic and private life. Sharia is primarily meant for all Muslims, but applies to a certain extent also for people living inside a Muslim society.”
The severity of Sahria Law inside the
Matawa attend Madrassas to further indoctrinate themselves in their theology, and devote their lives to the prevention of acts against Allah.
The Committee for The Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice is the English name of the Saudi Arabian government bureaucracy who employ mutawa to enforce Sharia Law.
In
They hit women, sometimes slicing them in public with thos long swords and enforce the law as they interpret it.
Some of these Matawa are criminals. They have murdered, raped and committed other violent acts, but because they are Saudis, and Wahhibi of the purest sect and have asked for redemption by devoting the rest of their lives to Allah in reparation for their crimes, they are sent to Matawa school.
Abu Ghraib, as disgusting as it was, pales in comparison to the treatment of people in Saudi prisons, and the Saudis have no right to ‘throw stones’.
Women are arrested for menial crimes—-crimes such as wearing too much make-up, or laughing out loud in public.
This in itself may not be breaking news, but what people don’t know outside of Saudi, is the plight of the some female workers.
In their hierarchal system, Filipinos rank near the bottom of “humaneness.”
If a Philippine national is arrested and accused of prostitution, she is jailed, along with her children, subjected to rape, torture and other brutal crimes.
There is no greater torture than the suffering of one’s child, and for these mothers, the anguish is excruciating.
In the severest form of Wahhabi beliefs, many atrocities are committed, and now, as evidenced by global acts of violence, the outside world is beginning to open her eyes to the extremes of the misguided sects of Wahhabism.
Whipping Women Inside Saudi
By MD Kavanwal
Stories of whipping women occasionally seep out of the
The unfortunate truth is, whipping women, men and youth in public or private, by governmental authorities, occurs on a more regular basis than what is ever reported by media sources.
When I was in
Was she in the wrong? Perhaps.
The point is, there are no exceptions to the law of the land, especially for foreigners of another faith and culture. Embassies are often helpless to intervene.
If a person disobeys the laws, they are subjected to the severity of its application.
According to the strict observances of Sharia Law, whipping women is a mandatory punishment for committing a crime of morality.
These mandatory punishments extend to, and include illicit sexual activities such as:
extramarital affairs
alleged adultery
fornication
prostitution
consensual homosexual activities and
‘proven’ cases of rape.
The definitions of some of these offenses are quite different to Western interpretation. Prostitution, for example, doesn’t mean a woman sells her body on the street. Prostitution in the Islamic tradition as practiced in
In
Offenses such as the ones listed, are generally directed at women. In the Wahhabi Islamist’s view, the woman is always to blame, because it is she who causes a man to sin.
Whipping women, and sometimes whipping men, is a punishment that is also given for other offences, such as involving the use or threat of violence against another person, as in assault and battery, and some non-violent offences, for example, vandalism. It is sometimes used against individuals for violation of immigration laws. More serious crimes, for instance, kidnapping, or crimes that intentionally or voluntarily cause grievous harm, are also punishably by whipping.
The teachings of Mohammad and the interpretations of the Hadith vary greatly between the sects of Islam, and thus so do the range of crimes for which whipping is prescribed. Islamic Law is therefore not evenly applied due to interpretation of the Law derived from the Hadith, and interpreted by scholars. Sharia Law varies in practice and implementation and is different from country to country.
In
In
Lashing is a common penalty under Wahhabi interpretations of Sharia law, and is routinely implemented.
In
The Koran specifies the number of lashes required for a particular offense, but it doesn’t specify the number of lashes for all crimes.
It is important to note that not all Islamic scholars agree that whipping women is condoned in the Koran.
Whipping women has not traditionally been practiced in all Islamic states. Some believe public flogging is steeped more in local customs and traditions, rather than in Islam.
In the sentencing process for most crimes, the terms of the sentence are at the discretion of the judge hearing the case.
When a person is sentenced to have lashings, a judge will decree three things:
1) The number of lashes
2) Whether the punishment will be in public or private (inside the prison facility)
3) How many lashes to be delivered at a time.
Whipping women 200 lashes at a time may result in her death, and the floggings are not meant to be a “death sentence”.
For the men, they usually receive 50 to 60 lashes at a time, with one or two weeks between floggings. Not all sets of floggings may be conducted in public. For the men, they are usually subjected to floggings inside the prisons.
Whipping women is often done inside the prisons, but if she is a foreigner, she is more likely to receive lashings in public, to remind people of what happens when they break the law.
A female prisoner will have 10 to 30 lashings a week, or every second week, and no one, male or female, will have more than 60 to 70 lashes at any one time.
Because it is not the intent to kill the prisoner, a doctor will conduct an examination to determine if the person is healthy enough to withstand lashes. This determination is highly individualized, and it isn’t uncommon for a prisoner to die from complications due to the lashes, rather than from the lashes themselves.
Floggings in
Sometimes a police officer will conduct the whippings, or a matawa. They often hold the Koran under one arm, or there is an official who will hold the Koran before, during and after the floggings. Often, there are special men hired by the government for the sole purpose of whipping women and others who are condemned to this form of punishment.
They often use a long bamboo whip, extending to seven feet in length. Another tool used for punishment is a ‘cat-of-nine tales’ type of rope, made out of wool and/or camel hair, with knots at the ends of the tethers. The knots can be made out of metal or hard, cloth-like material.
These whipping tools sting, mark and maim the individuals receiving the lashings.
As described in the novel, Surreal in Saudi , whipping women in public is a tradition that is not only honored, but celebrated.
By M.D. Kavanwal
Traditional Saudi Arabia Clothing was cut from large pieces of cloth, and in times past, was often difficult to distinguish the difference between men's and women's clothing. The difference was in the way men and women wrapped the cloth around their bodies.
Traditional Arabic dress was as varied as the country itself. Less than fifty years ago, tribal lineages were more distinct, and styles were influenced by not only a particular tribal alliance, but also because of regional variations.
Variations in
Often the wandering tribes people, more commonly known as Bedouins, had hand sewn fabrics with intricate embroidery. Fabrics were made from cotton from northern
Every item of traditional apparel was designed for protection against the relentless desert sun, whether it be for a man or a woman. Folds and layering were the unifying factors, both for insulation and to retain body moisture. (the retention of body moisture prevents dehydration related to the harsh desert conditions).
The head was always covered, and headcloths were held in place by a practical circlet made of either cloth, leather, fiber or metal, and sometimes a combination of these. Both men and women drew the headcloth about the face to protect themselves from dust and blowing sand and to shade their eyes from glare.
There was very little difference between the cut of garments worn by men and women in traditional
The clothing served to protect, but it was also fashioned to preserve the modesty of the man and women, as dictated by the Prophet Mohammad himself, and to curb untoward behavior.
(Modern
Saudi Dress for Men
In the Bedouin lifestyle, sitting cross-legged or reclining on carpets and bolsters or body pillows, is the tradition, and therefore calls for loose and unrevealing clothing. Although the head covering, the outer cloak and the bodyshirt all evolved before the dawn of Islam, Islam has preserved these ancient costumes, mostly to adhere to the rules of modesty as outlined by their religious leaders, and the Prophet Mohammad himself.
The proportions of the Arabic dress or man's bodyshirt's cut vary in different regions of the
The
Women living in the
Townswomen of lowland coastal Hijaz, living in the urban centers of Makkah,
With the advent of trade and the introduction of international commerce, other fabrics, colors, dyes etc. were introduced, and the womenfolk created some elaborate costumes. (Some of these ancient costumes have been preserved, and are on display at museums in various parts of the world.) In times past, the attire of the Bedouins, townswomen and others was markedly different, and each and every tribe had its own design, imprint and fine detailing, depending on the region or tribal alliance.
This is not to say that the vivid colors and fine cloths are altogether obsolete. Underneath the black cloak, or abaya of today, women wear the most beautiful clothes, imported from
The women will unveil themselves and parade the latest fashions when they gather for afternoon tea--when the men are safely away at prayer, and they have the luxury of being solely in the company of other women. The women must abide by the rules of modesty, and are careful to cover their bodies before venturing outside and away from the privacy of their homes.
Kings, rulers, religious leaders and men of influence within the Kingdom have, over time, influenced the styles of Saudi Arabia clothing.
Traditional Arabic Dress For the Arab Man Inside Saudi
BY MD KAVANWAL
The Arabic dress for the typical Saudi Arab man, is a long white, shirt-like garment, called a Thobe. The thobes look like an extended dress shirt, complete with different types of collars and cuffs.
This Arabic dress garment is loose fitting, always long sleeved, and ankle-length. Thobes are usually made out of cotton material, but can be a cotton blend, such as cotton polyester or nylon. Some thobes are made from fine wool blends, and very expensive ones made from silk. The Thobes are never pure silk or wool, they must be a blend.
The Saudi Arabic dress code is white in the summer, and muted colored thobes may be worn in the winter months.
During the season of Ramadan, some Saudi Arab men will wear tans, browns, yellows, grays, navy blues but most men stay with the traditional white thobes. Some may wear black, but it is discouraged because the Prophet Mohammad frowned on black, and reserved that color for women.
The Thobes can have mandarin-type stand up collars, or pointed collars. There are even some with buttoned down collars on designer thobes.
The Thobe is fastened with little buttons down the center front, or in less expensive Thobes, they buttons are replaced with snaps.
The more expensive Thobes have covered buttons, pockets at the hips and sometimes a breast pocket. Some have buttoned sleeves and others have French cuffs. The Arab men often use 18 karat gold cuff links, or cuff links with gem stones to hold the sleeves together.
As long as the adornments applied to the Arabic dress garment are not made of pure gold or silver, then the Arab man is in compliance of Sahria Law.
One of the most important aspects of Arabic dress for the Arab man is what is worn underneath the thobe.
The Prophet Mohammad decreed that a man, like a woman, must be modest. He must protect his "awrah" at all costs.
"Awrah" is the area between a man's navel and his knee. In the Koran, it states: "O Children of Adam, take your adornment (by wearing proper clothing) for every mosque", and religious scholars have further defined the meaning of this statement in terms of male modesty, namely, protecting the "awrah".
Arabic dress code for the Arab man is obligatory according to Islamic law. Wearing shorts that disclose the thighs or show the shape of the buttocks, does not cover the "awrah".
Neither does Arabic dress that is transparent and displays skin complexion, nor a tight clothes that show the size, shape or bends of the "awrah".
All of this is forbidden, especially showing off in front of other people. It doesn't matter if women are embarrassed by seeing something they shouldn't. They won't be punished in this case. This is the one time it is the man's fault for not being modest, as he is called to be.
If an Arab man's pants are wide enough and not tight, then he may tuck his shirt in his pants, as long as he does not display his "awrah".
Covering the "awrah" is most important and obligatory during the prayer time. What many people do is cover their "awrah" while going to prayer but are negligent of it outside the prayer. This is a clear mistake and a wrongful act.
The Matawa will reprimand an Arab man for improper Arabic dress, but not as severely as he would for a woman.
The differing countries in the Middle Eastern region will have their own variations of the thobe style as well as the way the head gear may be worn, but the principals are universal in Islam.
Arabic under garments are also prescribed for the Arab man. Older men wear boxer-like shorts that go from the navel to the knee, then wear loose fitting long white pants over them. These long white pants extend to the mid-thigh.
These boxers and longer white pants do not have a slit in the front of them like North American underwear.
Many Muslims believe that urinals are offensive, and some refuse to use them at all.
When nature calls, the proper and correct code of behavior, is to squat or sit. To stand to urinate is not in accord with the purest translation of Sharia Law.
Younger, less traditional men don't wear the boxer-type shorts--they just wear the loose-loose fitting white pants, that extend from the navel to the mid-calf.
Sometimes a young Arab man will simply wear the boxer-type shorts that extend to the knee instead of mid-calf. According to the Islamic traditionalists, this is improper Arabic dress, but rarely is a young man punished for this.
Arabic dress dictates a man wear a tee shirt under his thobe, because sometimes the thobe is sheer, and another person should not look at the nakedness of another.
The tee shirt can be either short or long sleeved, and is made out of cotton or a cotton blend.
The parts of the headdress are:
Tagiyah: A white knitted skull cap worn under the Ghutra. It can be made from a find wool or cotton cord, crocheted, knitted, or solid white cloth. Some have pleats, a little button on the crown. The variations, like the thobe, are depending on the Arab man's personal style and taste, or are sometimes a distinguishing feature of his tribal tradition.
Ghutra: A square scarf, made of cotton or silk blend, folded in a triangle and worn over the Tagiyah. In
Igal: A thick, double, black cord that is worn on the top of the Ghutra to hold it in place. It can be made for camel's or cow leather, or it can be a cord fashioned from wool or cotton. It is NEVER made from pig skin.
The Arabic dress style varies for a mutawa, or religious policeman. He has to prescribe to the same requirements for the undergarments, but his thobe is much shorter than the average man.
The matawa's thobe is just past mid thigh--just long enough to cover the longer pants of his undergarment.
He also differs in appearance. Matawa grow their beards to their mid chest, and most are scraggly and unkempt.
The matawa's appearance and dress make him standout in the crowds, and the average person knows to behave or escape the scrutiny of the feared religious police.
The faces of the ordinary Saudi Arab man are clean shaven.
A Muslim man is permitted to wear whatever is the customary dress when visiting another country, or within his own country, as long as he avoids any expressly unlawful behavior with respect to traditional Arabic dress.
Saudi Women; Traditional Dress
Saudi women, like their other Arab counterparts, wear a traditional covering, called an abaya. It is a large, loose-fitting cloak-like garment worn over their clothes. The purpose of this Arabic dress is to protect the women, and help them to remain modest.
The abaya, the name for the traditional Arabic dress, hides a woman’s figure from the eyes of a man, and therefore, she cannot lead him to sin if she is properly covered.
The Abaya is made from cotton, polyester, nylon, wool or silk. There are varying cuts—from a sack-like tent robe, to a flowing a-line, glamorous gown-like covering. Some of the Abayas have embroidery, tassels, beading, sequins, ribbons, lace and other decorative accessories. They can be buttoned, zipped or snapped together, and as long as the neck, wrists and ankles are covered, the abaya is doing its job.
The styles and cuts of Arabic dress are as individual as the woman who wears them, and prices range from approximately $20.00 US dollars, to several hundred dollars.
The Saudi woman wears the abaya in adherence to her religious practices. The rules for Arabic dress are derived from the Koran, and hadith, or traditions of the Prophet Mohammad. In the Koran, it is written: "
…say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and adornments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, sons and uncles…” (the Koran goes on to list exceptions)
Arabic women from different parts of the world wear various colors of cloth to cover their body, but Saudi women usually wear black.
When I was in the Kingdom, some of the Saudi women were starting to add colored embroidery to their black garments, and in Jeddah, women often wore brightly colored abayas. These abayas, and their colors and patterns reflected tribal associations from neighboring African countries.
Saudi women pride themselves on their tradition, and most will wear plain black.
Saudi women of influence will pay large sums of money to have customized abayas cut from the finest of fabrics. They detail the garments with real gem stones, in modest proportions, and Saudi women will compare the flow, style and designer abayas amongst themselves.
The religious police don’t care about material or design. As long as a woman is covered, he will leave her alone.
A Saudi woman has to cover not only her body, but her head. In Saudi, I came across Saudi women who covered their heads and faces completely, and some who even wore gloves. No matter how long I was in the country, I couldn’t help but giggle when a woman passed, veiled from head to toe, in a very traditional Arabic dress style, with netting over her face, wearing her glasses on the exterior of her covering. I often wondered how the glasses stayed in place. The women looked like black mummies wandering the streets in glasses.
How much of a woman’s body she has to cover is at the discretion of the man she belongs to, normally her husband. If a Saudi woman is too young to wed, then her father, brothers and/or uncles dictate how modest she should be.
Hijab is a general word that indicates not just the headscarf, but clothing in its entirety. A proper Arabic woman has to meet the following conditions :
1. Clothing must cover the entire body, only the hands and face may remain visible (depending on the Islamic school of thought and what her husband or protective male dictates)
2. The material must not be so thin that one can see through it.
3. The clothing must hang loose so that the shape or form of the body is not apparent.
4. The female clothing must not resemble the man's clothing.
5. The design of the clothing must not resemble the clothing of the non-believing women.
6. The design must not consist of bold designs which attract attention.
7. Clothing should not be worn for the sole purpose of gaining reputation or increasing one's status in society.
The reason for this strictness is so that the woman is protected from the lustful gaze of men. She should not attract attention to herself in any way. It is permissible for a man to catch the eye of a woman , however it is forbidden for a man to look twice as this encourages lustful thoughts. If he does, then the woman is to blame for his sin. She did not cover properly.
Sometimes her family members require that on hair show, or any skin. Saudi women therefore weat a long veil, abaya and long black gloves to cover all parts ofher body. Even her feet may be wrapped in cloth, or hidden in shoes. A woman’s head should always covered, and very little hair should be exposed. A “good and traditional Saudi woman” will hide all of her face and hair beneath her veil.
The veil or head covering has different names according to the region an Arabic women comes from. A Saudi woman usually calls her veil a hijab, which literally means the entire modest dress of the Muslim woman.
Head coverings have different names, depending on the styles worn in different countries. There are various names for the style and type of headdress. Some women wrap material around their head and tie it in knots, while others have a veil attached at the base of their neck.
Saudi women usually wear a veil that extends over their head and reaches to their waist. They have an inner piece of material that can be tied around their nose and mouth, further hiding their facial features, and sometimes it is referred to as a Niqaab. A niqaab is a veil that covers the face and entire head and has a slit cut out for the eyes.
A “half niqab” is quite popular in
Another style Saudi women wear, but less popular, is known as the buknuk. This is a veil that extends to the bosom, instead of past the waist.
Most often, though, Saudi women call their head coverings by the generic term, ”hijab”.
Names and styles from other countries include:
Bushiyya: a veil that is tied on at the forehead and falls to cover the entire face. It doesn’t have a cut-out slit for the eyes. Arabic women wear a sheer fabric that can be seen through.(one of the Princesses I nursed in Saudi wore this kind of veil as described in my novel, Awry in Arabia, but it is not commonly worn by Saudi women).
Burka: This is most often worn in
Chandor: This is typically worn in
Western women in Saudi Arabia , are required to wear an abaya, but do not always have to cover their heads and/or hide their hair. It is advisable, however, to always carry some kind of covering, in case you meet up with one of the religious policemen, known as the matawa.
The matawa strictly enforce the law, and to be in defiance of the law leads to dire consequences.Even the Saudi women are reprimanded by the matawa if they don't conform to proper Arabic dress, and if their hijab doesn’t meet the modesty requirements, she could end up in prison, until her father or husband is available to put her in her place.
History Overview of
By M.D. Kavanwal
Much of
It has a mountainous region in the southwest portion and an area known as the
The country is not uniform by any means, and the differences between coastal and desert life have played their part in
Those living on the water have had more contact with people from other areas and have therefore developed a more cosmopolitan outlook than those living in the interior. Jeddah, for example, one of the major cities on the Western peninsula, is known for its ‘freer’ lifestyle. There, you will find Ethiopians, Somalis, Indians and others, some of whom will wear their colorful abayas. They contrast sharply to the black abayas worn by the Saudi women.
The
Because of power, greed and the desire for supremacy, many battles ensued over the course of two and a half centuries, and the end result is the
To simplify the long and complicated history, and without getting into the detail of the numerous conquerors and the ruthless wars and battles, the basic Saudi Arabia history can be divided into three distinct periods : the first Saudi State, the Second Saudi state and the third and final Saudi State.
The beginning of the statehood began with the rise of two important elements: the Saud dynasty and Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab
Sheikh Mohammed Ibn Abdul Wahhab was a very important historical figure, from the
Fueled with knowledge from his religious teachings, beliefs and practices, he set out to propagate what he learned, and became a teacher of Islam, himself. He called upon his people to abstain from the erroneous and unauthentic religious practices and follow the original Sharia laws that were embraced and practiced by the first generation of Islam. He preached and taught the multitudes, and soon had a huge following.
He criticized and denied polytheistic practices that arose over the decades. He and his followers destroyed the shrines, tombs, and anything that was erected and contrary to the original intent of the Prophet Mohammad.
The sparsely populated
In the early 1700 in
Saudi- wahhabi religious leaders were ruthless. They recruited the poor and convinced the desperate and destitute to die for them in the name of Allah. They twisted Islamic religious doctrine to promote their cause. They set out to oppress anyone and anything that stood in their way of achieving their goal: to gain ultimate control of the country.
The Saudi-Wahhabi soldiers moved throughout the
In the height of the
The final era in
When the numerous tribes and groups were coerced into statehood after the years of invasions, unrest and civil war, the pact between the followers of Ibn Abdul Wahhab and Ibn Saud dynasties was finalized.
On
The Treaty of Jeddah, which established the independence of
[It should be noted that
In 1932, the
With the formation of the
The word kingdom, is not an Islamic term, but the King decided to use it in the naming of the country because Abd al Aziz, the then King, wanted the world to understand the significance of religion in Saudi Arabia, and to make it understood that Saudis believe that ultimate authority rests with God (Allah). The Saudi ruler is Allah's secular representative and bases for political legitimacy. The
Saudi Arabia history, like the history of the world, continues to unfold. As the younger generations of Saudis embrace Western technologies and meld them with some of the restrictive Islamic philosophies, the conquering of those who desire independence continues.
Judicial Cultural Conflict
Inside
BY KAVANWAL MD
There is no doubt that cultural conflict arises when some Saudi Arabian practices and religious observances go against what Westerners deem appropriate.
In
Beheadings, for example, are abhorrent to us, yet, in some American states, the death penalty is advocated for those who commit treason, murder or other heinous crimes.
Are we really so different?
In Saudi Arabia, the judicial system works swiftly, and once a person is charged with a crime, he faces his punishment in days to weeks or even months after the Saudi courts deem him/her guilty as charged.(This is exemplified in the novel, Surreal in Saudi.)
In contrast, some prisoners in
It is true, however, that some people sit and rot in Saudi prison for months or years, suffering inhumane treatment, awaiting their trials.
Cultural conflict is not so apparent when we measure crime and punishment with jail terms as the only criteria. There are marked differences.
What differs, you ask?
The difference lies in the treatment of prisoners.
Cultural conflict comes into play when judicial systems are compared and analyzed.
We live in a culture where we try to uphold the dignity of our fellow human being. We believe we give our criminals fair trials, and the punishments are doled out according to the severity of the crime committed. There are several factors weighed and measured, and sometimes juries come to unanimous decisions, based on the law.
The law in the West is formed by the opinions of the majority, and if the law needs to be adjusted, we can lobby for change to bring new laws into play, or to abolish old laws.
In
Sharia Law has its roots in Islam, and is based on the Koran, Hadith , Ijma, which is a collaborative body of religious scholars, and qiyas, a type of reasoning for things not mentioned in the Koran, but fall into certain lines of thought or behaviors outlined in the Koran. Laws are based on debates between these religious scholars, and their outcome also depends on what school of religious doctrine the scholars subscribe to. (There are five Schools of Islam).
That is one reason why Sharia law seems mild in one area, for example,
(In another section of this website I'll delve into Sharia Law.)
The main difference between Arabian laws and the judicial system in the West is the fact that in Islam, the law is merged with their religious beliefs, and there is no separation between secular and religious activity. Thus a source of major cultural conflict.
In the West, we strive to keep religious belief and practices out of the courtroom, and for the recipient of punishment, religious beliefs are not the basis for the type of chastisement he receives.
Another source of cultural conflict is the fact that in
If a Saudi national commits a crime, and if male, he has an opportunity to atone for his "mistakes".
If he is royalty, the authorities overlook crimes such as alcoholism or drug abuse, claiming he has "psychological" problems, and once under the treatment of a psychiatrist, his 'mistakes' are forgiven.
If a Saudi national is not a prince or from an influential family, he may choose to go to
These exceptions to the application of law is a marked judicial cultural conflict between our two worlds. We do not condone the crimes of our citizens by turning them into law enforcement officers, nor do our laws turn their backs on wealthy, influential people and excuse their behavior.
In
Most of the beadings in
Another source of cultural conflict arises when women are accused of crimes.
Some Muslims believe that women's brains are one third the size of a man's, and are 'full of gossip' and lack the ability to rationalize. She is powerless against any accusatory body. As a woman, she is deemed a lesser human, just by her birthright, and even if her father and brothers advocate for her, she often ends up treated badly by the authorities.
Exceptions for Royal Saudi females, are similar to those Saudi Royal males who have 'psychological' problems, if they have the support of the male members of their family. Another source of cultural conflict.
In the West, we aim to apply the law equally to both men and women.
We posed the Question, "are we really so different"? Even in this micro study of the application of law in our societies, we know the answer is 'yes'. The cultural conflict between religion and fairness in application of the law is markedly apparent.
Child Sex Slaves inside Saudi
BY KAVANWAL MD
In the dark, dirty basements of the most luxurious palaces, child sex slaves huddle together, fearing the hours and days before them. They are denied proper shelter. They are denied food, and they are robbed of any and all dignity.
How can this be? It is a fair question. The basis of it lies in the words of Sheik Saleh Al-Fawzan, a famous and revered religious authority in
“Slavery is part of jihad, and jihad will remain as long there is Islam."(World Net Daily, 2003).
The endorsement of slavery from religious authorities allows for broad interpretation, and the pressure from the Western World to abolish slavery is a ‘thorn in the side’ for most Saudis. In pursuit to pacify the West, the ruling members of
Women from
They are eager to sell a daughter (or son—but it is mostly the girls that are sold). They believe it will benefit the family--they believe their child will live in luxury with a Saudi prince.
For the vulnerable, this is a dream come true, but in reality, is a farce.
A Saudi prince or rich businessman who purchases child sex slaves believes he is committing a charitable act by “rescuing” a family from abject poverty while delivering his slave into a fate worse than death.
He brings young girls into his palace, dumps them in damp basements without so much as a blanket for cover at night.
The young girl is lucky to have food, is often raped, tortured, and is persecuted by her owners and members of the royal household, both male and female.
How do you know? You ask me. I saw it with my own eyes.
When working in a place of a prominent Princess, I came across child sex slaves hidden in the basement. (The details are written in the fictionalized account of my time in Saudi in the novel, Surreal in Saudi , and in my articles that will soon be ready for download, if you seek in-depth, documented details on this subject)
Saudis believe in a hierarchal society and sanction supremacy, a pride that causes dissention between other Arabs within their brotherhood.
Saudi Arabs consider themselves superior to all other people and rank themselves above Arab Muslims of neighboring nations. Because they house and protect the two holy cities, Mecca and Medina, the heart and pillars of their faith, it gives credence to the justification of their supremacy, breeding an arrogant, egotistical pride and gives rise and causation to terrorist acts, such as 911.
In the Kingdom, 92 percent believe and practice Wahhabism, a form of Islam, which, according to Vali Nasr, an authority on Islamic Fundamentalism, is not practiced beyond the
The Saudis rank their Arab brethren according to devotion to Islam. The Saudi Arab is the highest, followed by Arabs from other nations.
According to the Wahhabis, no other form or practice of Islam is pure, and there is little tolerance for Shiites or Kurds or others.
Muslims from other nations are ranked below the Arab Muslim, even if they are Sunni, and their importance is determined by the nation they come from.
For example, a Muslim from
The “pure” Saudi man believes it is right to rule over others, subject the vulnerable to abhorrent conditions and make demands on the women he owns and marries.
Although he may treat his wife with some degree of respect, and follow the rules of beating his wives on a regular basis, the slave or servant is powerless against him.
I came face to face with the horrors and realities of trafficking and child sex slaves when living and working in one of two palaces of high-ranking Princesses in the
Servants have assigned tasks, may have annual holidays, and are sometimes paid for their work.
Slaves are dictated to and are ‘loaned’ to male servants when they are bored, so they can put a woman in her place or satisfy sexual desires.
These child sex slaves are beaten, tortured, even killed.
Condoned Incest Inside Saudi
By Kavanwal MD
Condoned Incest ? You ask.
It is generally believed that certain familial taboos exist across cultures, yet inside Saudi Arabia, a country who prides themselves on living according to what is “right and true”, and opposing all that is “wrong and evil”, as handed down by the Prophet Mohammad, incest is a common practice.
It is no secret that Muslim men often take more than one wife. If they can afford it, they are permitted to have up to five.
Saudi Arabs procreate at a fast rate. More than 26% of the population is under the age of 25, and with so many wives, one family can easily expand to 14-20 members in fewer than seven years.
When the children become of age, arranged marriages are commonplace. These marriages form tribal alliances, business relationships and upward mobility inside the Saudi culture.
Because of isolation, marriage choices are few, opening the door to a condoned means of incest.
Often these arranged marriages are between closely related family members.
If, for example, a baby girl is born, and there is a physical or mental ailment, and if it is determined this child can have children, she will be married to the first-born son of her uncle.
This cousin may in fact, have closer blood ties than what is apparent.
For example, two sisters marry two brothers. They make marriage arrangements between the eldest son of one, and the eldest daughter of the other couple.
The newlyweds have offspring, and one of their children is married to one of children from the brother/sister grandparents, so in reality, first cousins marry, produce a child, and then the children marry their uncles or aunts, produce children who marry their ‘cousins’. These cousins, according to DNA profiles, are in fact, half brothers and sisters.
It gets confusing—but the alliances are often too close. In the Saudi culture, they do not view it as incest.
Why do they do that? You ask.
Other than the tribal alliances and protection of wealth, the rational for marrying a handicapped daughter to her cousin, is that a woman has to have a guardian.
A girl is not desirable marriageable material if she has something wrong with her. Her life is salvageable if she can procreate. If however, it is determined the girl cannot have children in the future, she is ‘taken care of”. (the desert is a big place…dehydration and heat exhaustion are terrible ways to die…)
{A true story of a child I cared for and how her parents struggled to help her through prayer, medical intervention and herbal medicines, is described in the novel, Surreal in Saudi .}
Not all disabled children are taken to the desert. There are a handful of hospitals in the Kingdom to care for these people. One very good hospital is on the outskirts of Jeddah.
Many handicapped children end up as beggars on the streets.
Their depraved conditions warrant sympathy, and through the sympathy of those they beg from, these children and families live on the generosity of others.
It is sad to say, but these practices, produce genetic disorders due to inbreeding.
Islamic Watch,
There are some Muslims who claim that it is okay for a father to sleep with his daughter.
(I must add, this type of incest is not sanctioned by all Muslim tribes, but those that do believe in this form of sanctioned incest, believe this behavior is permitted through the words and deeds of the Prophet Mohammad, and it is widely practiced within these groups.)
According to the interpretation of some Islamic apologists, they believe that Allah says, through the Prophet Mohammad, “ women are the property of men and therefore, can have sex with women, at any age, in any way they want.”
For those who prescribe to this teaching, incest between a man and his daughter are permissible.
The belief is that, if a father has sexual intercourse with his daughter, it will curb his daughter’s sexual longings.
The Prophet Mohammad had sexual relations with his slave girls, who were as young as nine years old, and had relations with his daughter-in-law, with his son’s full knowledge.
Most of the slave girls were not Mohammad’s flesh and blood, but he would enter into an incest relationship with the daughters of the salves he impregnated.
Because Mohammad himself engaged in such activity, and is considered acceptable to those who follow the religious authorities who prescribe to this particular school of thought.
These behaviors are not limited to the Arab world. Muslims around the world engage in incest, believing it is sanctioned and blessed by Allah.
Jobs in
By MD Kavanwal
Jobs in Saudi Arabia are plentiful. Many people from underprivileged nations travel to Saudi Arabian cities to take jobs as taxi drivers, housekeepers and servants.
Before workers can enter the country to work in their jobs in
Upon entry into the country, passports are confiscated and a booklet called an Iggama is issued. This iggama contains personal information such as birth date and country of origin, as well as whom the worker belongs to.
If the worker is female, she has to have a male sponsor who will act as her uncle or brother.
These unskilled workers, who accept jobs in
A woman who accepts a position in a private home or place of business often steps into a precarious position.
Many employers abuse their female workers by assaulting them, raping them and withholding their wages. Some are subjected to long hours of work without any vacation time.
Why would a woman walk into these situations? You ask.
Jobs in
For the men, most jobs in the busy Saudi Arabian cities are in the transportation industry. To drive a taxi is a prestigious career, but the men also have a difficult time.
Men who seek to drive taxis have to be hired by the large taxi firms in the country. After they go through the immigration procedures, they do not automatically go to the large Saudi Arabian cities to work and meet their employer and drive a car.
These men have to earn the right to drive a cab, and they have to prove themselves worthy to their employer. They may end up taking menial jobs in remote areas until their employer feels this person is reliable and trustworthy enough, and therefore deserving to drive one of his cabs.
The taxi driver may wait weeks, months or even years before he sees the inside of one of his own cabs. While he waits, he takes horrible jobs, working hard long hours, sweeping the streets exposed to the hot desert sun, or doing other menial tasks just to survive.
Often these men will end up on the street selling Kleenex boxes or flowers or other items, just to earn a few dollars, or riyals, the Saudi currency, to buy food.
(To learn more about the fate of taxi drivers and how they eventually get their jobs in
Why don’t they just go home? you ask.
They can’t. Their passport has been handed over to their employer, and these individuals, alike all people who enter the country, need permission to leave. They need an exit visa.
If a man has to take other jobs to make a living before he is able to drive a taxi, he may not be able to find his sponsor.
He is living from hand to mouth—he has not transportation to find his employer, and he may suffer other complications because he has an illegal secondary employer. For a man in this situation, his future is bleak.
The majority of men who accept jobs in Saudi Arabia as taxi drivers usually end up driving a taxi after a period of time. Even when a man does have the privilege of driving a cab, he still has a difficult time.
He doesn’t own the care—he is responsible for making the car payments. A hefty percentage is taken from the cab fares, and a taxi driver has little left over. He is heavily reliant upon tips for survival.
Westerners coming to take jobs in Saudi Arabia don’t normally have it as tough. For the most part, westerners are professionals, filling much needed positions in hospitals, businesses, banks and the communications industry.
The American military presence also offers the Saudi people prosperity, security and training. Westerners have to hand over their passports to their employers as well, but they don’t have the difficulties that some people from developing countries have.
As westerners, we have good embassies and stable governments who will intervene on their citizen’s behalf. Not all countries care so much about the individual rights of their own countrymen.
Filipinos, for example, if they take jobs in
When I was in Saudi, there were several men and women who camped out on the roof of the Philippine embassy, hoping that someone would come to their rescue. No one did, not even when pressured by other embassies.
They were eventually smuggled out of the country by an underground movement, and reentered their own country. For them, to face the consequences of their “misbehavior” on familiar turf, was worth the risk.
It is important to note that the Saudi men do not view having sexual relations with their servants as ‘rape’. These women who came into the country to take jobs in
According to belief and custome, if a man has property, he is free to use the propertyion any wayhe chooses, as long as it doesn’t offend Allah.
Women who accept these positions, are the property of their employer.
They are not considered to be sex slaves because they are owned. Neither are they captives of war. Captives of war are not permitted in Islam. An Arab man cannot sleep with, rape or marry a woman who is captured during war.
Since these women came to pursue jobs in
(Watch for an article detailing the sex lives, marriage rights and rituals within Arabic culture, coming soon)
These women therefore, unknowingly, accept the conditions of employment, and agree to the terms of ‘ownership’ within the household.
Employers are often confused when the female employees request their wages and holiday time.
Some employers are very good, and treat their household staff fairly. Others deny them their wages and any travel to their country of origin.
For men or women coming from underprivileged countries to take jobs in
See this article published by Reuters
BY MD KAVANWAL
A ‘spirit of tolerance' has been invading North American consciousness for decades. This indoctrination has led to the erosion of our own traditions and values, and has created enemies since being embedded into the heart of our society.
Enemies, you ask? Of course we have enemies.
Who are they?
Our enemies are those who strive to minimize, diminish, abolish, and protest against religious practice, belief and observation. They try to infringe upon the right to free speech, impose limitations on lifestyle, education and status in society.
Our enemy criticizes, works to undermine and destroy and makes threats against us—and sometimes carries them out. 9/11 is one example.
Those who come to live in this country to work and raise their families are not our enemy. Their culture and religion may be foreign to us, and in the attempt to assimilate these groups into the American way of life, the movement of tolerance has gone too far. We go to extremes by funding cultural centers, adapting our schools, developing programs to help Americans become tolerant, all the while, eagerly handing our values, practices, traditions, beliefs over to strangers.
We are eroding our culture.
Tolerance is making us indulgent, selfish, judgmental and it's robbing future generations of Americans of their dignity and pride. We don't respect what we have. We don't respect our great nations. (
We do not need tolerance—we need respect.
Tolerance is a one-way street. It implies complete acceptance.
We may not completely accept others or their ways, but that does not mean these foreigners can’t live in harmony with us and beside us.
What is the answer? Respect. We must respect one another.
Respect means we acknowledge there is value to what others do.
Respect means we move over and give people the freedom to live as they believe they should live.
Respect means we may not understand their ways, but we do not have to change our ways to accommodate others.
It is important to learn about other’s values and traditions, their cultural differences , but in learning, it does not mean we adopt other’s principals and beliefs, ignoring our own. That is what “the spirit of tolerance” does.
It is important that others respect us, as we respect others.
Respect is a two-way street.
Our foreign neighbors, refugees and immigrants should learn about our culture, practices and norms, so they can understand us.
Understanding North Americans doesn't mean we give away our pride and national heritage. It means we teach--we show others how to treat us.
Tolerance implies such a broadmindedness that we sacrifice something of ourselves to adapt. Tolerance does not request adjustment, change or assimilation on the foreigner’s part.
Respect is what we need to advocate. Respect means that we may not understand our brother or what he does, but we allow him the freedom to live as he chooses, as long as he does not impose his beliefs, practices and prejudices on others.
We shouldn’t mold our language, change our education systems, construct buildings or alter our traditions to accommodate those who don’t want to assimilate and are therefore offended by our very own traditions and customs.
Living in
With the evolution of tolerance, we as a nation have become complacent. 9/11 was only a few years ago, and except for those who tragically lost someone in the crises, how many Americans (and Canadians) are apathetic?
No longer do many fear threats coming out of the
In Madrid Spain,
July 7, 2005 BBC Reports that al-Qaeda Terrorists admit to conducting a carefully planned reconnaissance mission, bombing
The Associated Press reported on June 7, 2006: a group of terror suspects plotted to storm
What does it take to wake up
The threats sound crazy—crazy words spew from the mouths of Arabic or other extremist leaders—but people—wake up! They are gathering their armies while
Americans have bought one of the lies of tolerance; nothing bad will ever happen. The sad truth is people don’t understand. Like children, if you don’t understand, then after a while, problems, threats and anything unsown is ignored.
It is time to do something—it is time to try to understand—to grasp concrete concepts of the ways of thinking that will destroy, maim and cripple our society. If we don’t, I fear another 911—the next time it will be worse.
If we know our enemy, we can be prepared. Our most prominent enemy are the Arabic extremists.
I have a mission: to help others understand the Arabic mindset.
When I returned from my stay in the
I was astounded to learn how little my colleagues knew about Arabic affairs and how the extremist groups affect our country—today--now. In 2008. Many denied they knew of the existence of any extremists, in spite of events such as 9/11, train bombings in
The call for a Jihad is such a foreign concept, that it is dismissed because it is impossible to comprehend such a dramatic change in lifestyle, that the “crazies” in the
9/11 had a minimal long-term affect on the minds of the average American because the majority of Americans were able to pick up and continue their lives as if nothing happened.
These lassie-faire attitudes arise from tolerance. The apathy is scary—and it only exists because the average person does not understand.
I am not saying that all Muslims and anything Islamic is “bad”—but we must keep our eyes open and pay attention. Anytime someone calls attention to something we have done as a long standing tradition “offensive”, then we must open our eyes and not yield to this spirit of tolerance. If it is offensive, we must ask others to respect our ways. If they cannot—they don’t belong here. They have no respect for us.
I decided I needed to do something, because, after living and working in
Our enemies are not only members of terrorist groups and organizations—but many of the “ordinary Saudis” as well. They fund the groups—they teach their children hatred—they believe Westerners are the devil incarnate. Where is their tolerance? Nowhere. It doesn’t exist.
I know these Jihadist threats sound like gibberish from the twelfth century, but they are very real. The threats out of the
We don’t have to look very far to see the results of this brewing hatred—
Don’t forget the train bombings in
In my recent novel, Surreal in Saudi , it chronicles some of the events I lived through while in the
I wrote this book to capture the attention of the ordinary person—like those I worked with in the major cities on the East coast. Many well-educated, Middle Americans don’t always listen to the news, nor are they knowledgeable of world events.
Without a minimal understanding, how can we possibly defend ourselves, or know what we are up against? We have to throw away tolerance, and adopt respect.
It is the average, ordinary hardworking person that will be most affected if we ever face another atrocity like 9/11 because they won’t understand how or why a catastrophe occurred—or can occur. They believe everyone in the world has adopted this spirit of tolerance.
When in shock, a person freezes, often is unable to think, act or react, and that is when the enemy could make another strike, further weakening our resolve.
It’s not to say that developing an understanding will protect us, but in the hours and days after a crises, if the shock from the aftermath is lessened because Americans are already armed with knowing the hows and whys, the sooner they can work toward rebuilding and protecting and helping one another.
The vulnerability factor will be lessened if we teach respect and learn about the Arabic mind-set. It will prove to the enemy that
Because of tolerance, we have lost respect in the world. No one likes or trusts a wishy-washy society.
Tolerance is a weak position, and that is how
If
As it stands now, the tolerance model projects weakness, insecurity and provides our enemies with opportunities to take from us. Sadly, tolerance hands our society to the world on a platter and shouts, “Come and take what you will! We don’t mind! We tolerate your words, deed and actions, no matter how offensive!”
We are no longer one nation under God—but several realms under no god. Our traditional benevolence in allowing people of all faiths and religions to worship in this great nation is admirable, but how long will it continue?
By all means we must extend a welcome to those who are different to us, to be respectful.
We cannot afford to be tolerant--tolerance implies acceptance—but do we accept the creeds and practices of ALL other religions?
My answer is no. We do not accept the teachings of Extreme Islam, calling for complete ‘reversion’ to the Muslim Faith, otherwise be killed.
Does that sound like an extremist statement? Perhaps—it is a common teaching in Islam—all children are taught the importance of martyrdom.
Various sects in the Islamic world define the degree of martyrdom, and the peace-loving Muslims in this country, modify their duty, practices and beliefs to fit into this society. They are not the enemy, but how deep are there ties to the revolutionary activists?
Are the Western ‘moderate Islamics’ of the same faith group as the Extremists?
Is the evolution of their beliefs a movement away from the warmongering foundation of Islam progressing into, perhaps, a new faith under the guise of Islam?
The basic foundation in Sunni and Shiia beliefs and practices are composed of the subjugation and oppression of women and the propagation of the Islamic faith. In extremist Islamic beliefs, if one doesn’t convert, he must be killed. There are those who preach tolerance —I say no! We cannot be tolerant of those who belong to organizations who want to bring us harm or plan and plot against us.
We need to stand up and hold fast to our own traditions, practices and faiths. The ‘spirit of tolerance’ calls us to step aside and make room—give up something so no one is offended. Rubbish. It doesn’t matter what we do—someone will be offended.
We need to learn to have the backbone of our forefathers, hold onto our traditions practices and continue to fight for the freedoms and luxuries our ancestors shed their blood for. Though tolerance, we are complacent as a nation. We cannot afford to be tolerant anymore, or we’ll face enemies we didn’t know existed.Put respect into practice—help the world to respect us in return.
By M.D. Kavanwal
In the
It is true however, that those with wealth fare better than those without. Kings, princes and Princess live well into their eighties, and that is mostly due to the good nutrition and medical supervision, care and treatment they are privileged to receive. For an impoverished Saudi family, his life may be cut short, but if he is able to gain access to medical treatment, his chances are much better.
Many Saudis in the
Most are granted permission, and the government-run hospitals will admit and treat their own citizens. The problem is that for many locals, the distrust of modern medicine looms. Another factor is that diabetes, meningitis and tropical disease is rampant within this population, and by the time a simple desert dweller seeks medical help, it is often too late.
Once he is granted permission, however, he has a certificate which allows the sick member of a Saudi Arab household to seek the advice, treatment and interventions needed from one of the royal-run hospitals, or he may even be fortunate enough to be allowed to travel overseas for care.
Illness in the Middle East general Islamic Faith must be met with patience and prayers. Illness is considered to be atonement for their sin, and death is a part of a journey to meet Allah. (Death, rituals concerning death and the afterlife, are described in the novel, Awry in Arabia, which will be released in 2009.) Muslims are strongly encouraged to seek treatment and care.
Traditional practices, such as the act of washing and being clean is considered a middle East general practice of "half of the faith." Dietary restrictions as outlined in the Koran, prohibits eating pork or pork products, meat of dead animals, blood and all intoxicants. The definition of “intoxicant” is broad, and medicines such as narcotics, are used sparingly, and need an abundance of support for its use. Anything that alters the mind, body or thought processes, is forbidden.
When I was in
In
They believed that if a woman had aspirin, her monthly period would last longer, thus keeping her in an “unclean” state for longer that what was necessary. If her periods are longer, that means not only is she unclean, but she is unavailable to her husband, thereby creating a ‘unholy frustration’, and this may lead him into sin.
They believed Aspirin may be one of the precursors to the introduction to AIDES into the country. It is believed that if a wife is unclean for a prolonged period, her husband had no choice but to go outside the country and seek ‘relief”, therefore it is woman's fautl AIDES invaded the country.
Another factor is that women’s heads are smaller than a man’s, and because they are, her brain is smaller and a woman is incapable of having the thinking capacity of a man. She is a lesser creature, with fewer brains.
If she takes aspirin, and it causes a bleed in her head, then she may die, or the result may be that she loses what little brain capacity she has.
Because of the increasing number of new medicines and to ‘save face’ in the international medical community, in 2004,
About Author MD Kavanwal
MD Kavanwal is an informative speaker, author, counselor and registered nurse of over twenty years. In her nursing career, she worked in several acute medical areas then specialized in Palliative and Hospice Care. She spent many years helping patients and their families through illness, dying and bereavement.
Her counseling and speaking skills were of great benefit in teaching, nurturing and assisting her co-workers, colleagues, subordinates as well as her clients and their families.
MD Kavanwal formally instructed, wrote and revised policy and procedure manuals for the medical community as well as authored teaching materials and newspaper articles for fund raising and awareness.
Her love for writing began as a small child. Her father, a well-accomplished and award-winning playwright, was her mentor, coach and source of inspiration growing up. Sadly, he passed away before her first novel, Surreal in Saudi , was published.
Throughout her nursing profession, she was exposed to numerous denominations within the Christian community, other main stream religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam, including occult and other metaphysical practices.
MD Kavanwal makes no claims on having extensive theological knowledge, she simply opened her heart and mind to those of other faiths and practices, learned some of their tenants and creeds so she could help others through their difficult times. She has a basic understanding of most religions and cults, and respects those of other faiths.
She has no tolerance for the propagation of human suffering, or the suffering of animals, whether it be by religious decree or cultural practice, nor does she tolerate cruel, inhumane random acts of callousness or violence.
Her interest in sociology and anthropology led to exploration of other cultures and societies. She helped, served, nursed, counseled taught and exposed herself to the intricate facets of God’s creation, the human person.
Mary Kavanwal lived in
This website, Inside Saudi, is a composition of aspects of
The Arabian culture is vastly different to Western societies, and she believes that we, as Westerners need to learn about this culture and aspects of the Islamic Religion because it is the fastest growing religion on earth, and it's influences are affecting our lives.
Author MD Kavanwal believes that having an understanding of some of the fundamentalist viewpoints and perspectives may lead the way to bridging a gap between the diversity, mind-set and humanitarian outreach. Author MD Kavanwal believes that having insight into the basic facts, culture and the impetuous and driving force behind martyrdom and acts of aggression, may help to avert grievous acts in the future.
Author MD Kavanwal believes that not all Muslims are "bad". There are some very kind Arab people with open hearts, minds and arms. It is in understanding the most rigid aspects of Sharia Law and its propagation that we must be wary of.
After living and working in
Her first-hand exploits are described in her first award-winning novel, Surreal in Saudi. 
"Award-Winner in the multicultural-fiction category of the National Best Books 2008 Awards, sponsored by
The gripping story of life in Arabia continues in her second novel, Awry in Arabia which will be published in 2009 Author MD Kavanwal wrote about Saudi Arabia in an entertaining, gripping and horror-filled novel, so that those who are not politically savvy, or care much for current events, will have a basic understanding of the Saudi culture.
MD Kavanwal is taking a new direction, and now that the Arabian novels are complete, is currently working on a non-fiction piece, composing a handbook of all the questions, circumstances and things people should know when they are faced with serious illness or death.
Womens Rights in Islamic
Womens rights in
Womans rights in Islam do not extend to an even or equal partnership with her mate. She is on the earth for the purpose of procreation, and to please the man’s sexual appetite. A man has rule over her, is responsible for her and owns her. She is his property, and if a woman does not heed the words of her husband, he has a holy duty to chastise her.
In brief, this is a summary of some of the Koranic commandments and elucidations, interpretations and laws concerning womens rights, and womens behavior and place in Islam:
Womens Rights Concerning Divorce:
If a man wishes to divorce his wife, he must ensure that a divorce interim is fulfilled. This interim must be measured precisely. A man must count three periods of menstruation before he can divorce his wife and once the third period is in effect, he knows that woman is not pregnant, and is therefore free to divorce her. During the interim period, a man must continue to provide for his wife. He must not evict her from her home, nor make life so miserable for her that she is forced to leave on her own, unless she commits adultery. At the end of the interim period, which must be measured carefully, the man may choose to reconcile or follow through with the divorce.
If a woman is in menopause, he must wait the interim period of three months to ensure this woman is not pregnant.
If a woman is too young, and has not yet menstruated, and she discovers she is pregnant, the interim period is over when his wife gives birth. The fathers of prepubescent girls may give them away, and their new husbands may consummate their marriage with them. (In
A man must provide a home, spend on her and treat her equitably until the interim period is over. If she decides to nurse her child, then womans rights include payment for this service until the child is weaned. The man may choose to hire a wet nurse instead, and must pay her for nursing his child.
A man must have two equitable witnesses to divorce his wife, and then it is done by announcing three times the woman is divorced from him.
The interim period is to make sure his wife is not pregnant. If she is pregnant, then he must provide for her until she delivers her child. If the woman decides to nurse the infant, he must continue to provide for her until the child is weaned. If the man still wants to divorce his wife, he must wait until a divorce interim is fulfilled. A woman may not marry again until three menstruations have passed. This ensures the woman is not pregnant with her first husband’s child.
Womens Rights Concerning Obedience:
Husbands may beat their wives even if the husbands simply fears haughty or overbearing behavior. A woman must be obedient ot her husband, and some men beat their wives regularly to ensure her submissiveness. Womens rights to be obedient, submissive and modest are behaviors rewarded in heaven.
According to a verse in the Quran, Sura 4:34
The Prophet said: "(How odd it is that) one of you should whip his wife as a slave is whipped and then sleep with her at the end of the day" Men are guardians of women because God has favored some more than others and because men spend out of their wealth. Righteous women are to be devoted and to guard what God has guarded even though out of sight (of the husband). As for those (women) on whose part you fear ill-will and nasty conduct, admonish them (first), (next) separate them in beds, (next) beat them. But if they obey you, then seek nothing against them.
Womens Rights Concerning Polygamy:
In Pre-Islamic days, men were marrying several women, creating for themselves huge harems. Some wealthy men had hundreds of wives. It was determined that if a man cannot care for his wives, or cannot afford them, which leads to woman’s misery, then he had to limit the number of women he owned. Because of the increased number of despondent and disobedient wives, and the misery many women suffered, the Prophet Mohammed, in his revelation, changed the behaviors of his countrymen.
The Prophet Mohammad declared that Allah revealed to him, men cannot give fair treatment to all of his wives, even if he tries very hard to do so. A man does, however, have the right to get rid of one of his wives if she is undesirable, and therefore cannot be equitable in his treatment toward all of his wives. “Undesirable” leaves a broad interpretation—it can be anything from ugliness to highhandedness.
Because of the broadness of the Koranic verse, leading to various interpretations, debate over polygamy ensued, and in some circles, continues today. The number of wives a man may have in Islam is one, two, three or four. The number is not so much to appease unhappy women, to instate womens rights nor due to a sense of justice, but rather to satisfy the man’s physical desire, which often tends to result in women’s misery.
In order to keep harmony in a home, and as long as a man is sexually satisfied Islam embraces monogamous marriage.
Womens Rights Concerning Single Parenting:
If a man deems it best for the orphans, he may marry their mothers - he may marry two, three, or four. If he fears he will be unfair to one or more of his wives, then he shall be content with only one wife, or with what he already has. Additionally, he is more likely to avoid financial hardship if he only has one wife.
A woman who is widowed may be remarried, but her children are considered orphans. The Koran states that if a man—(he could be brother to her husband, or step brother or cousin)—if he feels it is in the best interest of the children, then he may marry her, as long as he treats his wives with fairness. If he cannot afford to keep additional wives and their children, the widow is at the mercy of her community. If she has livestock, she may have a chance at a decent life for herself and family, but if not, and if she cannot return to her father’s home, she and her orphaned children may end up as beggars on the street.
A child, who has lost both parents, may most likely be cared for by one of his uncles, until he is old enough to care for himself. There are strict rules in guarding property of the orphan; it may not be confiscated, nor absorbed into the wealth of the man adopting the child. For example, if a family owned goats or sheep, and the adults died, the sheep and goats belong to the orphaned child. His new caretaker is to look after the herd until the child is of age. If the child is very young, it is possible the livestock may die before the child is of age, then by Allah’s own hand, the child is then left without an inheritance. If however, the uncle is benevolent, he may give the child a goats or sheep to develop his own wealth, but this is not always the case. Sometimes children coming from these sad circumstances struggle for survival, and if fortunate enough, may be able to go to
For females, a girl may be left with nothing, or a very tiny dowry. She would most likely be married off as soon as possible to relieve the burden of caring for her, or end up as a servant. If she is Saudi, it is unlikely she would be a slave simply because of her heritage.
A Woman’s Rights Concerning Incest:
Incest in Islam is forbidden under these conditions:
A man may not marry his mother, his daughter, his aunts on his father’s side, the sisters of his birth mother, the daughters of his brother, the daughter of his sister, nursing mothers, girls who nursed from the same woman as him, the mothers of his wives, or the daughters of his wives with which he has consummated the marriage. If the marriage has not been consummated, he may marry the daughters. He must not marry the wives of his genetic sons while they are married to his own biological sons. He should not be married to two sisters at the same time. A man may, however, marry his first cousin, as described in the novel, Surreal in Saudi
If a man happens to marry his sister, niece, daughter of his brothers, or daughter of one of his wives, a man is commanded not to break up any existing marriage, but to ask Allah for forgiveness, and treat all of his wives with fairness.
Other practices regarding womens rights in
-- Slave girls are sexual property of their male owners.
--A male gets a double share of the inheritance over that of a female. Womens rights defining inheritance are clearly spelled out: she gets half of what a man recieves.
--Husbands and wives are not equal: a man is a degree above a woman, and womens rights within his household are dictated by him.
-- A husband is permitted to have sex with his wife in any way, at any time under any condition he chooses. Womens rights in sexual engagement and her desires are ignored. Her refusal to have sex with her hsuband is punishable.
--A woman’s testimony counts half of a man’s testimony, but if that testimony be due to an accusation of prostitution, womans rights to bear witness are oppressed.
There are many other elements of Islam that oppress women and womens rights There isn’t one aspect of the human condition that isn’t discussed, had rules and/or interpretations of the Islamic way of life, from birth through death. The way of Islam is rigid, and, as in all faiths, not democratic. No one gets a vote on what was decreed by Allah. It just is, and devout practitioners of Islam are proud to embrace their religion and heritage, and fully practice and propagate the Laws of Allah.
It is true however, that in the interpretation of the Hadith, which is a narration about the life of the Prophet and things approved by him, and the Sunnah, which is a record of the way the prophet Mohammed lived his life, there are differences of interpretation and application of the Law, amongst the various sects of Islam. Some schools of Islamic religious studies, especially concerning womens rights, are stricter than others, and the Wahhabi followers inside Saudi, are rigid in their interpretation of the Sunnah, , and Hadith, and its relation to the Koran.
Yes, the Womens rights inside Saudi is unyielding and harsh in practice, yet there are some women who know no other way of life. In their devoutness and humility, they embrace their lot in life, and wholly support, defend and uphold what they believe, Allah has decreed.
Wealth Distribution Inside Saudi
By MD Kavanwal
Wealth distribution within the Kingdom is surreal in Saudi. Saudi oil, a valuable resource coveted by other nations in the world, is no secret that this commodity is responsible for Saudi’s prosperity and wealth.
Money pours into the country and into the hands of approximately 5000 Saudi Royals. Some of these privileged rulers, dripping in more money that they can spend in ten lifetimes, revert to an ancient means of wealth distribution.
What many people in the outside world do not understand, is the system of wealth distribution—a practice handed down over the centuries. In order to explain this antiquated system, it is important to understand the history behind some of these ancient practices.
A rudimentary overview: The Kingdom is composed of many, many tribes, and throughout
When I was living and working in
The King in this case, is not the Crowned Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but a member of the ruling royals, and in tribal terms, is deemed the King –the one who oversees the activities and interrelations of the people who ‘belong’ to him.
This King is revered, honored, and his word is final. A ‘commoner’s’ life is dependent on the King or his sons for not just wealth distribution, but for his fate, and often his very life.
As one of the recipients of the gains from the sale of oil, the King is responsible for wealth distribution among his subjects. It is through him that the multitudes have access to health care, education, housing and even marriage.
When I was in the palace of one of the prominent and ruling royal families, I was witness to wealth distribution and the treatment towards ordinary Saudis by one powerful royal family. This family was known as being kind and generous, and often men from other tribes sought marriage to females who were under the authority of these royals. (Permission has to be granted from both Kings and princes of the two tribes, and the royals decide amongst themselves which tribe the couple would belong to. Often, men seeking to become subjects of this particular family were disappointed, and would have to subject his new bride to the leadership of his own King.)
Every month the King and his sons would sit audience to the men of the tribes they ruled. The men were the designated heads of household for their family and extended family, and would come to literally beg favors from the royals. They had to explain to the King and his sons what their needs were, anticipated expenses, and allow the royal family to make a ruling on the needs of that particular family for the year.
Sometime families hire professional negotiators, because they know how to plead their case to gain favorable responses, and acquire adequate monies for anticipated needs.(ie: new baby, surgeries, purchase of camels or goats).
(Wealth distribution and the elaborate ceremony performed every month is detailed in the novel, Surreal in Saudi .)
Sometimes, while living in the places of these influential royals, I felt like I stepped back into Biblical times, when people held audiences before the Kings, begging for mercies or favors. It is a fascinating ritual—an ancient practice that continues amongst some of the royals who care for the people they rule.
It is true that distribution of wealth is not equal. There are those rulers who do not hold these audiences, and the people under them suffer, and are denied access to the wealth from oil. Many Saudi people living in the modern cities are living in poverty, and guest workers who either escaped their owners or whose contracts expired without a means to return home, are homeless, starving, lost and alone—they cannot survive in a modern world.
Work ethics have not been developed. Higher education is limited, and women are at the mercy of the men who own them. Several tribes do not live within the cities, and do not understand the value of money. If given dollars, they wouldn’t know what to do with them, other than use the bills for fuel for their fires.
Wedding Customs Inside Saudi
By MD Kavanwal
Traditionally, Saudi wedding customs are simple and swift. Since there is no dating in Saudi, Islamic marriage is prearranged. Sometimes the mother of the bride knows of a man she thinks would be a good match for her daughter, and sometimes men and women are paired by matchmakers. Often a man seeks alliances with other Saudi tribes to improve his station in life, and therefore will marry a woman for the sake of that alliance.
Every woman needs to marry for her safety and welfare. Without a husband, her fathers, brothers and uncles are responsible for her. They must clothe her, house her and protect her. Caring for a woman becomes burdensome, and traditionally, women are married as soon as possible.
Since international influence and the introduction of wealth into the Kingdom via oil sales, traditional wedding customs are not as swift as they were in the past. It used to be, Man meets woman, woman likes man, both agree to marry. In the last couple of decades, Western influence has crept in, and more elaborate ceremonies are planned. As in Western countries, Saudi girls dream of their ‘big day’, and the Islamic marriage ceremonies are becoming more elaborate and expensive.
Growing up in
The traditional wedding customs are still within the context of what an Islamic marriage should be, but the swiftness of the arranged marriages is now dragged out, and the costs for these arranged marriages have soared for both the bride’s family and groom’s family.
Traditional wedding customs include an engagement party, where the bride is introduced to her intended groom. She is preened to look as lovely as possible, her skin painted white, her eyes have painted black circles—a Saudi sign of beauty; her hair piled high on her head, resembling a camels’ hump, and she is perfectly manicured and then sat at a table, as if on display. Her parents and the groom’s parents sit down for dinner, and the intended bride is introduced to her intended groom. If she is lucky, the bride is allowed to decide during the course of the meal if she will marry this intended groom. If she agrees, then the male members of the bride’s family and the groom’s family meet to discuss the terms of the marriage contract, what to do in the case of divorce and the amount of the dowry. Sometimes a matawa or sheik is present during these negotiations, but not always. Once all aspects of the contract are agreed upon, the bride and groom are married.
Sometimes brides to be are denied the choice of marrying their intended husbands, and are directed to marry a man by the male members of her household who preside over them. Marriages are not unions based on love and affection, as they are in Western society, but for tribal alliances, increase in wealth or power and to align and sustain relationships within the religious community.
A Saudi man may marry a woman outside of
A dispensation from the royal family is required before a Saudi woman may marry an Arab who is not a citizen of the Gulf Cooperation Council, i.e.
Wedding customs normally prohibit Saudi females to marry outside of
The traditional wedding customs include the engagement party, as described above, and a settlement of the dowry.
A dowry in Islamic arranged marriages is known as a mahr.
The dowry, or mahr,is paid for by the groom, not the bride. A man must pay this sum to show his good intent.
In times past, the dowry was often paid for with sheep, goats and camels, but nowadays, the dowry is most often paid in Saudi Riyals, the currency of the country.
The average amount of money a groom pays for his bride today is about $20,000 Riyals, which equals approximately $5500.00 US dollars. If the woman is from a more influential family, the amount of the dowry is significantly more.
Modern wedding customs in Islamic marriage between Saudi men and non-Saudi women now involve registry in the court system. A contract is negotiated between the prospective husband and wife prior to marriage. These negotiations are conducted between the male members of the bride’s family on her behalf, and agreed to by the bride-to-be, are the legal basis for the marriage under Sharia Law. The bride and groom and their witnesses sign the contract in front of a
Even though the man and woman are officially married, many couples opt not to begin living as a married couple until they incorporate more ceremonious events into their wedding customs. This of course, is more expensive, for now, there is an elaborate engagement party after the bride agrees to marry, followed by henna parties, and parties for the groom, and one party for the bride.
The signing of the contract is delayed until after the henna party.
Henna parties are for the women only, and are a couple of days before the wedding. Wedding customs include sugaring, which is the removal of all body hair from the eyebrows down.
When I was in
The young bride is stripped naked, held down by other women, and her hair is removed by rolling a ball of boiled sugar over her skin. Hair clings to the sugar ball, and it is extracted by its roots. After the initial hair removal, women continue to have sugar treatments to keep body hair from growing, and the procedure is less painful the more times it is performed.
(Often the Saudi groom will inspect his bride, and if she has any hair, other than on her head or eyebrows, he has the right to divorce her on the spot. In rare occasions, and according to ancient wedding customs, a groom who discovers hair on his new bride, has the right to kill her for “displeasing and dishonoring” him.)
After the hair removal, the bride may be painted with henna dye. Her fingers, toes are dipped and the bottoms of her feet may be painted with the reddish dye, and sometimes her hair and lips colored. It isn’t often intricate designs are painted on her; that is an Indian tradition, but such wedding customs have been adopted by a few, mostly from the port cities in
There isn’t any wedding ceremony per se, but the men have one to several parties before the groom takes his new bride.
In the wedding customs of modern day Saudis, a woman will wear a very fancy white wedding gown, complete with veil. Her bridesmaids are dressed in red, signifying youth, virginity and pureness and the party starts late at night, well into the wee hours of the morning.
Invited guests are all women, and the women dress up, dance with one another and celebrate the marriage. The groom presents the bride with a gift—the gift is to equal the amount of the mahr, and is usually a piece of jewelry. (This gift does not include the price of the wedding ring.)
Wedding customs include the bride and groom going to the “wedding tent”, better known in Western societies as a honeymoon, then, if the groom can’t afford his own apartment, taking residence in the home of the groom’s parents. This usually means the bride goes into a house with several of the groom’s siblings and the wives of his father and their families.
(Men and women are still segregated as much as possible, even in apartments and homes. There are family sections, and men only sections.)
GENERAL EXPENSES FOR WEDDING CUSTOMS:
MAHR- 20,000 SR per woman on average ($5500.oo
BRIDAL GIFT AT ENGAGEMENT- equal to the mahr.
ENGAGEMENT PARTY- dinner, dresses, makeup photographer, etc. paid for by the bride’s family
HENNA PARTY- usually at the expense of the bride’s family but sometimes shared expense
WEDDING PARTY- (for bride) 30,000 Saudi Riyals, on average ($8000.00 US) –groom may have one or more parties.
HONEYMOON- groom’s family
NEW APARTMENT- depending on if a single flat or living with family rent is about 12,000 Riyals and up per year paid by husband ($3200.oo US and paid yearly, not monthly for an undesirable apartment by most Western standards)
FURNISHING NEW APARTMENT- paid by husband
Some recent wedding customs try to cut wedding costs by having fewer parties. One of the latest fashion craze of the Saudi brides is to rent a jazzy and elegant gown, rather than buying it. Many of the shops have opened up rental services and are cashing in on the sudden boom.
Sahria Law permits a man to have up to four wives, but with the cost of modern day wedding customs, Islamic marriages are decreasing the number of wives a man marries. Many younger Saudi Arabs are opting to have but one wife because of the costs of getting married. There are several families who dispel the modern wedding customs, and continue to marry simply, thus avoiding unnecessary costs.
Privacy Policy for Inside Saudi
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Halal Meat: A Disturbing Lesson
WARNING: THIS POST IS GRUESOME!
Muslims eat meat, but much like the Jewish term "kosher," the meat that Muslims eat is supposed to be "halal." What makes meat halal? Well, there are several conditions required. First, the animal to be slaughtered must be healthy. The kill must be done in a humane way so that the animal's suffering is kept to a minumum. Muslims use the method of one single swift swipe with a razor sharp blade across the animal's neck which severs the windpipe, the jugular vein and the carotid artery. This way the animal's death is quick and least painful. Right before the stroke of the knife, a recitation from the Quran is said aloud. Finally, all the blood must be drained from the animal.
There are also some other minor requirements as well. These include that the animal must be fed normally and given water just prior to the slaughter. Other animals cannot view the kill. The knife blade must be extremely sharp and should be four times the width of the animal's neck. The animal should also be positioned facing Makkah.
I remember when I was a kid growing up in
My husband grew up in
Recently a friend of mine, Manal, told me about an incident that happened at her ten-year-old son's Saudi school. A rabbit was brought into the classroom and the boys were allowed to play with the fluffy creature for a couple of hours or so. Then the teacher took the animal to demonstrate how an Islamic halal kill is performed. But when the demonstration was over, the animal was tossed into the garbage can! Manal's son was horrified. The event deeply disturbed him. He told his mom that he could understand if it was killed so someone could eat it, or even if the fur was going to be used for something. But to allow the kids to play with the cute little bunny, and then murder it and toss it into the garbage - what kind of senseless and disturbing lesson is this? Manal called the school to voice her objections and displeasure and was told that she was the only parent complaining about it! I find it hard to believe that other children weren't equally as distraught as Manal's son was and that no other parents made a fuss about it.
I don't know about customs around the world in regards to this subject, but I find what happened at this school to be reprehensible. This lesson makes a mockery of any compassion for life and dismisses the humane treatment of animals as a joke. What value is there in teaching children to kill animals like this?
Yesterday, April 15th, came and went without any fanfare here in
The
One thing that
I recently did a post listing many food prices here in the Kingdom so you can compare with your area. Here's the link in case you missed it. It's actually a nice feeling paying exactly what the sticker price says and not having to try to figure out how much more in taxes you will have to pay!
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