Monday, March 26, 2007

Beyond the veil

I was just reading an article about "The Fatwa Wars" on Asharq Alawsat.com by Ahmed Al-Rabei.


Seriously! I'm getting confused. Why are they doing this to us? Is it a game?Swear to God, they're getting on my nerves! The middle east is getting more and more "masculinized" in the name of Islam!

Has anyone of you watched the "Al Hadath" show on LBC on Sunday?It was about Saudi TV hostesses! can you believe it? out of all the important "issues" we have, they picked this topic! now what's wrong with Saudi hostess?! One of the guestes -Shaikh- said that "TV hostesses want to appear on TV just to show their bodies!"


CAN YOU BLELIEVE THIS GUY! and he kept going on saying that Saudis have a "khosuseyya!"


The Saudi woman is smart, well-educated, and need to be given the chance to prove that she's as good as any other man! here are some of my favourites:-

Dr. Selwa Al-Hazzaa: "The first Saudi woman to win the prestigious award for excelling in a male-dominated bastion of medical sciences and community service and one of the most powerful Arab women in 2005 by Forbes Arabia, the Dubai-based Arabic edition of the world-renowned business and financial magazine Forbes, it comes as no surprise that Dr Selwa Al-Hazzaa, a Saudi doctor who is head of ophthalmology at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh and runs the most prestigious ophthalmology clinic in the city, is a pioneer in her field and an outspoken women's advocate who promotes her country and its women with pride"

- Dr. Hayat Sindi: "A leading Saudi medical researcher who was born in Mecca. She has invented a machine combining the effects of light and ultra-sound for use in the esoteric field of biotechnology. Her major project is being carried out in partnership with the universities of Exeter and Cambridge. She is the only Arab woman in the field of biotechnology."

- Lubna Olayan: click on name

- Dr. Thoraya Ahmed Obaid: "The executive director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and was the first Saudi Arabian woman to receive a government scholarship to study at a university in the United States where she received a PhD. in English Literature from Wayne State University. She has had a distinguished career within the United Nations helping governments to establish women and development programs, and is respected leader in the international community forging a new global population agenda."

- Dr. Ilham Abuljadayel: " Biotech scientist and the sole inventor of the TriStem Technology. She discovered an infallible and cheap technique for changing white blood cells into perfect, pluripotent stem cells – the gold standard of stem-cell values." If you wanna read more about it here is the {link}


Dr. Nahid Taher, our first woman bank CEO

Dr. Lama Al Sulaiman, Board of Directors, Jaddah Chamber of Commerce

Dr. Noura Al-Asheikh, head of the Women's Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs; along with Jowhara Al-Anqari and Dr. Suhaila Zain Al-Abideen, both prominent members of the National Society for Human Rights.

Dr. Hanan Al-Ahmedi, head of the Women's Department at the Saudi Management Society and ALOT more!


You see, I LOVE my country, and Saudi Arabia is actually changing and developing educationally, economically, and socially! why take us 100 years back? now that's my eternal question!

10 comments:

Hopeless Poet said...

Why are you promoting MSN messenger at the end? :P

And what is with LBC and Saudi Arabia? Even the sports programs about the Saudi league!!

And talking about women in TV.. that day I was surprised to 2 of them in the sport channel interviewing a female doctor about pregnant women and sport :D

Anonymous said...

LBC is owned by saudi business men!

and about the MSN thing, that's because i sent it via hotmail, so they sent it :P

Hopeless Poet said...

But it seems that they are the cheap kind of business men unlike the owners of MBC! :P

Bassem said...

first let me say that seeing this list makes me feel proud :)

I had thought of posting a similar one on my blog a couple of weeks ago when Arab news, i think, had a special edition regarding Saudi women. Many of those you have mentioned were included in the paper in addition to a few more.

There's no doubt there are hundreds of saudi bright woman who deserve to have a spot light on and i'm sure if given the chance more and more will rise too.

Too bad though that in most areas of the kingdom this kind of thing isn't encouraged.

Anyhow, thanks for posting this ;)

3ogbalek enty when we mention you !

Euphoria said...

HP: Okay! :P

Bassem: Thaaaaaaaaaaaanks :)

Gloomy said...

esh ahtha yegharo marah :(

Nouph said...

This is one of the best posts I read.. Ever :)

Reema said...

heyy dear:*

well, such shows and such guests infuriate the hell out of me.it is not enough for them that they want ppl here to live according to their wishes. they also dont hesitate over disgracing us with such futile discussions!!

thanks for ur wonderful post girl

Anonymous said...

Here here! First womens' right, next on the agenda is the legalization of that wonderous nose candy, cocaine!

Arabian breeze said...

nice blog, i like the "beyond the veil" section, i agree with it all the way, however, i still think that part of the “Saudi women” problem lays on the ladies them selves, when they start accepting to be #2, to be the second, to be behind and not ahead. Then they put them selves in the default position to be the victim and to be in the position of reaction rather than be the action.
I recently remember reading a news paper article in “aleqtisadiyah” news papers – and no I am not fan of reading Saudi news papers, but its part of my business- there was a news article about a Saudi lady who won a prize in a semi-major competition, since you live in Saudi it will not be hard for you to imagine who came over to claim the prize, it was of course not her but her brother’s son –nephew- now this is not surprising to me.
The surprise was that this lady-winner was a supposed to be professional doctor working in a major city.
Question is: for such women like this so-called “doctor” if she and her likes are not able to even claim their own rights for their own prizes, then how can they ever move the next step to claim a bigger rule in this society.
Regards,
Tariq