Friday, April 27, 2007

Here now, a multicultural moment...

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Beauty Pageant, Saudi-Style
In the religious apartheid kingdom of Saudi Arabia, women are forced into shapeless black sacks, forbidden to drive, and beaten by the religious police if they accidentally expose an ankle, but camels have elaborate beauty pageants...
. . .
This week, the Qahtani tribe of western Saudi Arabia has been welcoming entrants to its Mazayen al-Ibl competition, a parade of the “most beautiful camels” in the desolate desert region of Guwei’iyya, 120 km (75 miles) west of Riyadh.

posted by jillosophy at 4/27/2007 09:40:00 AM

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I live here in Saudi Arabia.. and no women aren't forced into "shapeless black sacks".

It's called an "abaya" or a "burqa" which women choose to wear on their own. It protects them from the piercing eyes of men with dirty minds.

If they don't wear it - nobody says anything.

And yes they're forbidden to drive which I accept is wrong. Though we just had our first women pilot. And women driving will soon be a reality.

And no women is beaten by police EVER. It's against the law to even touch a women who'se not your wife, mother, sister or daughter. And polices aren't exempted from it.

And leave alone an ankle.. even if a women doesn't cover her face.. nobody's gonna say anything to her. Millions live over here who never cover their face or ankles and go out without wearing a burqa. And no religous police will say anything to them.

(The religious police is there to see that at prayer times - men don't wander in streets without going to the mosque.. and shops are closed at those times.. and that women don't go out in bikinis or short pants and bras.. jeans and tshirt is ok..)

Hope that gives you the REAL picture of what Saudia is. And next time - don't say something if you don't know for a FACT that it's true.

God bless you.

8:19 AM  

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