The life of women in Saudi Arabia. Unusual women of saudi arabia saudi arabia women's life
100 facts about Saudi Arabia, one of the most closed countries in the world. I do not pretend to be the ultimate truth, what I encountered, I wrote about it.
1. First, do you know why Arabia is Saudi? The name came from the Saudi dynasty, who fought with the Rashidi dynasty (and if they had won, it would have been called Rashid Arabia, but in the end the Saudis won) and since then the country has been called the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
2. Well, by the name it is clear that the king rules in this country. Just the other day, the old 90-year-old king passed away and his 79-year-old brother ascended the throne.
3. The new king, by the way, as soon as he ascended the throne, distributed money to the Saudis. WithoutDmozDmezDno. All civil servants, pensioners and students received two salaries/pensions/stipends.
4. In general, since they are officially allowed to have 4 wives, the entire royal family has about 5 thousand (!!!) princes and princesses.
5. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive. Local doctors argue that driving can affect the ovaries and pelvic organs and the likelihood of giving birth to a child with a deviation is high, and local scientists say that driving a car by a woman, I quote, "will lead to the spread of prostitution, pornography, homosexuality and divorce." Despite this, women are actively fighting for the right to drive a car, some petitions are being written, etc.
6. In general, women in Saudi Arabia have very few rights. A woman does not have the right to go out alone, only accompanied by a male relative. Until recently, they didn’t even have passports, they fit first into the father’s passport, then into the husband’s passport. But the old king gave them the opportunity to have their passport.
7. At the same time, a woman cannot leave Saudi Arabia alone if she does not have written permission from her father / husband.
8. Another local feature is women's clothing. A woman cannot go outside in any clothing other than a black abaya. Well, of course, the hair should be covered with a black scarf. Faces are mostly also covered with niqab, but not always. Moreover, even a European woman has no right to appear in public without an abaya. You can not cover your face, hair sometimes too. Girls can walk without abaya, up to 12 years old.
Source: blog.comunicom.ru
9. Men mostly go in dishdash (such a white hoodie) and with a red and white scarf on their heads. Dishdasha is always dazzlingly white and ironed, and an Arab can adjust the scarf on his head for half an hour in front of a mirror so that everything sits beautifully.
10. From paragraph 9, we can conclude that the Saudis are usually in no hurry, because in such attire you can’t run, you can’t jump, and in general you can only sit sedately or slowly move from one point to another. And it's true, don't rush.
11. In general, the Saudis are not very hard-working people, I would even say that they are not hard-working at all. To tell the truth, they are lazy. Their attitude to work is well reflected in the phrase “If someone can do it, let him do it!” They will surely promise to do everything tomorrow, but ... The phrase "inshaala bokra" sounds in Arabic more often than others, it means "if Allah allows, then tomorrow." But it seems that Allah often does not allow, so if they say “tomorrow” to you, then this is at least a week later, but you should not flatter yourself, it can also mean NEVER. You just need to get used to it. I don’t speak for all Saudis, maybe there are hard-working and responsible ones, but I haven’t met such people yet. Although not, one can still be set as an example to others.
12. Saudis - colleagues do not like to answer letters. Very. It is better to resolve all issues by phone, and even better in person. Eyes to eyes. First, talk about life, and then get down to business. Because a letter is a document, and a telephone conversation is just a telephone conversation, you can then say whatever you like, clapping your honest black eyes.
13. The Saudis themselves work mainly in government agencies, and if in some company, then in the HR Department, well, or top management. All other work is done by expats (unskilled labor - Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinos, engineers - Americans, Europeans, other Arabs (Jordan, Yemen, Iraq, etc.))
14. There is such a thing as Saudiization. Each company must have a certain percentage of the local population in the state, and not just gasters. The more Saudis in the company, the more companies give permission to hire foreigners.
15. Arabs love to go to each other's office at work and talk about life. And they do it loudly. This endless gyr-gyr-gyr can be heard from everywhere.
16. Returning to point 5, I would like to say that I even understand a little why women are not allowed to drive cars. To drive a car in this country, you need to have balls of steel, because I have not seen such crazy drivers anywhere else (well, maybe in Tripoli and also in Cairo). Interestingly, the Saudis usually do not rush anywhere in life, but they always drive fast and aggressively by car. You need to be constantly on the alert so as not to get into an accident. And I see several accidents every day. Traveled several times with the locals as a passenger, the bricks are deposited simply with a bang! The usual picture is that you are driving on the far right with a permitted speed of 120 km per hour, a truck transporting camels overtakes you on the side of the road.
17. In Saudi Arabia, huge fines for traffic violations. The average fine is 500 reais (1 real - 16 rubles) Cameras are all around, there are cars with cameras on the tracks, but this does not stop anyone.
18. The Saudis do not wear seat belts. Baby seat? Nope, didn't hear it. Usually, the baby sits with his mother in the front seat, leaning out the window, in the back a bunch of Arabs jumps around the seat.
19. Normally, when two Saudis in jeeps stopped opposite each other on a narrow street, blocking the street and standing chatting, not paying attention to the others.
20. If you see an empty car on a jack in the desert, you are in Saudi Arabia. Spare? What the fuck is the spare tire, you chow?
21. If you are standing in an auto queue of three cars and suddenly one more car starts to wedged into it between the first and second car - you are in Saudi Arabia. Oh how they don't like queues. Oh, they don't like it.
22. About queues. I met several queues in institutions. For locals, for non-locals and separately for Paki / Hindus / Pilipinas. Direct signs hang over the queues. Racism, yeah
23. White expats usually do not go to state institutions, all issues are decided by HR. In cases where your presence is mandatory, the HR specialist will come with you, will lead you by the pen from office to office and explain everything. All you need to do is say hello and smile.
24. In general, if you can’t decide something yourself somewhere, it’s supposedly not supposed to be, and all things, an Arab with an Arab will always decide between themselves. It's good to have a Saudi friend.
25. And they can easily in your documents (for example, in your passport) scribble their scribbles and they will roll like a document. Even without printing. Verified personally.
26. In Saudi there is a rule of the “right hand” - you can’t eat with the left, pass something, because the left hand is considered unclean (yes, they are washed with it). A friend works with the Arabs at the field, says that they beat their hands when, forgetting, they take food with their left hand. Joking, of course, but still. I also try to submit documents only with my right hand, it doesn’t cost me anything, they are pleased.
27. Not in every Saudi toilet you will find toilet paper, but in every, even the most shabby one, there will be a washcloth. Such a small shower on a hose. Great tool, I think.
28. Very little Western music. Mostly Arabic, around. Even young people in the car mostly listen to their native mournful motives. Of the entire set of radio stations, I found only 3 with Western music: one Radio Bahrain and two from the Saudi Aramco company (one has Western pop music, the second American nostalgia).
29. Saudi Aramco (Saudi-American Company) is the world's largest mining company. Organized by the Americans in the 30s, at first they were 50/50 with the Saudis, then the Saudis squeezed everything out, now the company is 100% owned by the locals. Produces a quarter of all oil on Earth. A lot of people from all over the world work in Aramco. The average salary of a specialist with experience (and inexperienced people are not accepted there) is fifteen bucks.
30. Entertainment is officially banned in Saudi Arabia. There is not a single cinema in the kingdom (according to some reports, the first cinema was recently opened in Jeddah, on a student campus, but I don’t know how true it is).
31. Separate education in schools: boys separately, girls separately.
32. Each restaurant has two sections: for single men and for families. Because seeing other people's women is not good. Esssno, if you are alone, then they will not let you into the family section. But even if you came with your wife, you still won’t look at someone else’s aunt, because even in the family section tables are separated by screens so that a woman can uncover herself and eat in peace.
33. Even in fast food restaurants (McDonald's, for example) there will be two queues to the cash registers: for women and for the rest. Food courts are also divided into zones for singles and families. There, the aunts no longer uncover themselves, they eat in the curtains. With one hand she lifted the curtain, with the other she put the fork in her mouth. In shopping centers at the box office, there is also a division. Women (or family) separately, single separately.
34. Well, you won’t see the face of someone else’s aunt, very often siblings don’t know what the brothers’ wives look like. This is normal.
35. Alcohol is banned in Saudi Arabia. Strictly prohibited. Punishable by imprisonment and caning. But the locals somehow smuggle in, brew moonshine on dates, and so on. You can buy, but very expensive. Whiskey will cost about 300 bucks per bubble.
36. Sticks hurt. Not everyone will survive the caning. I don't know if it's true or not, but after 100 hits a person can die. Therefore, a doctor is always nearby, if anything, he will stop the punishment. The rest of the person will receive when he heals. If the punishment is, for example, 200 sticks, then it is divided into several months.
37. Pork is prohibited.
38. For drugs, the death penalty.
39. For homosexuality, by the way, too! But there are still a lot of gays here. Guys from childhood are separated from girls, at school there are guys around, at the university there are guys, in cafes you can only sit in a single section, where there are only guys. Well, this one too. Fall in love with each other.
40. Executions are usually on Fridays, in the squares. They cut off the head. The people are standing and watching. I saw the video, the sight is not pleasant, I tell you. The truth is less and less lately.
41. In Saudi Arabia, censorship. Pretty tough. In all films, even scenes with kisses are cut out, not to mention bed scenes. They just cut out stupidly, not caring that the plot might get confused from this. Even on the radio, words are cut out of songs. Remember Psy with his gangnam style? There in the chorus "Eeeee, sexy lady". So in Saudi Arabia he just sings “Eeeee, ik lady”. Okay, sex, of course, but here is a great song by Sia – Chandelier, where in the chorus “one two three one two three drink”, drink is stupidly cut out.
42. But most of all, censorship in stores touches me. There are specially trained people who paint over the exposed parts of the body of not only women, but also men on boxes and packages. Men's underpants are for sale, for example, the legs and arms are painted over. An inflatable pool is for sale, a happy family is on the package - the male children are left as they are, the aunt is completely covered with a black marker. In fashion magazines, long sleeves are neatly added to girls in short-sleeved T-shirts. And laughter and sin.
43. Of the religions, only Islam is allowed. All other religions are strictly prohibited. Of course, I wear a cross, but I try not to shine.
44. In addition to the ordinary police in Saudi Arabia, there is also a religious police, which just monitors the implementation of all the above prohibitions. It is called the "commission for the promotion of virtue" or simply mutawa. They can come up and make a comment if something is wrong. Can be arrested for a serious offense. My friend was once stopped on Friday before lunch (the time of the main prayer) and asked why he was not at prayer at that time. The fact that he is not a Muslim did not satisfy them much. I sat in their car until the prayer time was over, then they let me go.
45. They pray here 5 times a day (in the holy month of Ramadan - 6 times). During prayer, the entire kingdom freezes. Shops, all institutions, gas stations are closed for half an hour. NOTHING works. There are a lot of mosques. There are several in each area. Every shopping center, every institution has a place for prayer. Each hotel room has a prayer rug, a Koran and an indication of which side of Mecca.
46. In the toilets before prayer, everything is filled with water. Since it is necessary to pray clean, the locals wash themselves very carefully, the usual picture is to go to the toilet, and there they wash their feet in the sinks.
47. Friday is a sacred day! Nobody works. Until lunch everything is closed, the streets are empty, everyone is praying.
48. The Holy Quran is the most needed book. She is the official constitution of the kingdom, she teaches the faithful Muslims what is possible and what is not.
49. As in all Arab countries, there is a cult of the family. Every Friday they gather with large families, in restaurants, on picnics, etc. Elders are highly respected.
50. Gasoline is very cheap in Saudi. A liter of the 91st costs 0.45 real, the 95th - 0.6 (7 and 10 rubles, respectively)
51. For some reason, most Saudi men have long nails. I don’t understand what this is connected with, but I’m still not used to it, it twitches every time.
52. Summer in Saudi Arabia is very hot. Often, the temperature in the shade can reach +50C.
53. Therefore, on weekends in the summer, all the malls (shopping centers) are full of Arabs and expats. In the malls they walk, communicate, eat. Personally, it’s always cold for me in these malls, because they turn on air conditioners at + 18C, the Arabs are wrapped up just the same, but I’m cold.
54. In general, a lot of expats live in compounds, this is such an area, separated from everyone by a high wall, with security. Inside the compound, white women don't have to wear a black abaya, they can wear whatever they want.
How expats live in Saudi Arabia: http://finniken.livejournal.com/189886.html
55. Arab women put on a lot of makeup. Eyebrows as thick as a finger, brightly painted eyes, henna drawings on the hands. Everything that can be shown is decorated.
56. Despite the fact that women can only appear on the street covered, modern women's clothing stores do not experience a shortage of customers at all. Arab women actively buy all this to show off at home in front of their husbands.
57. There are no fitting rooms in Saudi malls. Women usually buy clothes, try them on at home, if they didn’t like it, they brought it back. Or in the toilet of the shopping center they will try it on without a mirror and will also return it if you don’t like it.
58. There is crime. If you leave your laptop in the car, they can break the window and pull it out. In the evening they can take away the money-phone.
59. Saudis swim in the sea mostly in clothes. Especially women. The men are in shorts and T-shirts, the woman is completely covered. Most do not know how to swim.
60. The beaches, by the way, are also separate. Somehow out of ignorance, I came to swim at the family beach, for a long time I did not understand why they looked at me accusingly. But no one said anything. A large family usually comes to the beach, from children to the elderly. With food, barbecues, hookahs.
61. The country is very dirty. Where there is a person, there is dirty. Paper, bags, packaging. The family came for a picnic, ate and drank, left all the srach. The usual picture - you are driving, a bag of garbage falls out of the window from the car in front. Or he got up at a traffic light, napkins, leftover food are thrown out of the adjacent car.
62. Inside the cars of the Saudis is also usually very dirty. Very. The interior decoration of the car can be done in a couple of months. Make a mess. Therefore, many years do not remove the polyethylene from the seats.
63. Usually Indians clean up garbage from the streets. Well, how do they clean it up? They pretend. He walks with a bag, picks up one piece of paper, ten are left lying, goes on.
64. Almost every company has a tea boy. The dude who delivers tea and coffee to the offices. Looks in, asks what you want to drink today, leaves, brings.
65. In general, getting into Saudi Arabia is not so easy, it is not a tourist country. A visa will be given if 1) if you are at work, 2) if you are going to a close relative (daughter, son, mother, father) 3) if you are a Muslim and perform the holy Hajj to Mecca.
66. Mecca - the cradle of Islam, is located in the west of the kingdom. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world visit Mecca every year. Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter this shrine.
67. When you come to work in Saudi Arabia, usually HR takes your passport from you (not always and not from everyone, they didn’t take it from me) and in return they issue an iqama (residence permit). Iqama is considered an official document in the kingdom. In order to open a bank account or buy a car, an iqama is required. Nobody asks for a passport. By the way, everyone has ugly pictures on their iqama. The photo is taken from the system, the one that was taken during the first passage through passport control. Usually fotkaetsya somehow from below and the people zadrochenny. When leaving Saudi Arabia, the iqama is surrendered, the passport is returned.
68.After receiving the iqamah, a Saudi driver's license must be obtained. Russians (and many others) are simply issued on the basis of Russian licenses, while Indonesians, for example, need to pass exams from scratch to obtain a license. The number of the water certificate is exactly the same as that of the iqama. Photo too, yep
69. Rain in Saudi Arabia is a rarity. Three or four times a year. And therefore, storm sewers are absent here as a class. And therefore, when the rain does happen, then a state of emergency is declared. Cities flood, cars float.
70. In winter, even snow can fall in the desert. But once in pisyat years. The last time was in 2013.
71. The deserts in Saudi Arabia are beautiful. Sands of different colors, from yellow to red. By the way, there are fences everywhere along the roads in the desert, you can only go to the desert at certain exits.
72. Although polygamy is allowed in the Kingdom, among my acquaintances there is no one who would have two (not to mention four) wives. Because according to the law, if you have a second wife, be kind enough to provide her no worse than the first. I mean, the first wife has a house, so you should also buy a house for the second wife just as well. The first wife has such and such a car with a driver, the second should be no worse. And time should be given to both equally. Such an expensive pleasure.
73. Almost every Arab family has Filipina/Indian nannies. There are a lot of children, for all eyes and eyes. And not just nannies. Cleaners also live in many families. The usual picture in the mall is an Arab family walking behind 3-4 children with one or two Filipina nannies.
74. Since entertainment is prohibited, the Saudis try to entertain themselves with just about anything. One of the entertainments is car racing (that's why a lot of people crash), riding on two wheels on their side and changing wheels on the go. Another extreme entertainment is slipper racing. This is when you get out of the car at speed and ride on slippers. At speeds over 100 km/h. Don't believe? Hit youtube with saudi crazy driver and saudi crazy skaters.
75. Another of the entertainments is to cover your car with stones (between the wheels and the bottom). I don't understand the meaning of this.
76. Over the weekend, neighboring Bahrain and the UAE are flooded with cars with the Saudis. They generally call Bahrain "our bar". Yes, yes, from Thursday to Saturday, all the bars are packed with Saudis. And cho, under the roof, Allah does not see how they joke.
77. During children's holidays, people travel to Bahrain and the UAE even more en masse. There are wild traffic jams at the borders. Entertain children. Cinemas, water parks, everything.
78. Weekend in Saudi Arabia - Friday - Saturday. A couple of years ago, the weekend was on Thursday-Friday, but then they decided to shift it by one day for international business.
79. Basically, they don’t know how to drink. They get wet. I taught one colleague. Well, as he taught, he explained why he quickly gets drunk, said that the snack is very important. Now he drinks like a human, even his head stopped hurting in the morning-)
80. They like to ask about everything forbidden for them (sex, drinking, etc.) Sometimes they remind me of children.
81. Despite strict prohibitions, local girls still manage to have sex outside of marriage. They meet in social networks, meet secretly. There are meeting houses. Even an expat can get there if he passes the “quest” and face control. Here is a story about it. http://finniken.livejournal.com/325867.html
82. Saudi Arabia does not celebrate the New Year. At all. Even Arabic.
83. By the way, according to the local calendar, it is now 1436.
84. In the holy month of Ramadan, the Saudis fast. Do not eat or drink during daylight hours. In recent years, Ramadan fell on the hottest months, it was hard for the Arabs, not a sip of water all day. Expats are also strongly advised not to drink or eat in the presence of fasting people, to respect fasting. All offices have a shorter working day during Ramadan.
85. But after Ramadan, the whole country walks for 9 days. Well, maybe not the whole country, but our office has been resting for 9 days in recent years.
86. In general, there are only 3 official holidays in the country. These are Eid al-Fitr aka Uraza Bayram (after Ramadan), Eid al Adha aka Kurban Bayram (also, by the way, they rest for 9 days) and National Day.
87. Many websites are blocked in Saudi Arabia. For example, our Vkontakte, Chips, not to mention porn sites.
88. It is forbidden to take pictures of people (especially military, police and women). Recently, one dude was arrested for having found wedding photos of various couples (he had a photo studio and three aunts-photographers customized photos from weddings for him, and he sold them to other men). Photos are decent, no nudity, just faces.
89. I have never seen public transport in Saudi Arabia. Taxi only. Maybe it's there somewhere, but I'm not sure.
90. Sometimes at crossroads you can meet women wrapped in abayas who go from car to car and beg. These are not Saudis. Refugees.
91. There are no orphanages in Saudi Arabia. If the parents are dead/died, the children live with relatives.
92. Here they are calm about minor accidents with scratches and small dents. They can safely disperse after such an accident without calling the police and without any complaints at all. A couple of times they drove me slightly into the stern, they just drove away.
93. Traffic jams in the desert often go around just in the desert. On the side of the road in 5 rows.
94. The Saudis, driving up to the store, often do not even get out of the car. Specially trained Indians run up, take the order, take the money, run away, bring the order and change. For a penny tip.
95. In general, the Indians do a lot of things here for a penny. For 100 rials a month, your car will be washed three times a week.
There are a lot of rumors and tales about how women live in Saudi Arabia, which, at first glance, arouse interest, but do not cause doubts, since this country is unknown to a simple layman, and he takes on faith everything that somewhere once heard. It is usually argued that women live there very hard: no rights, no freedom of speech, no opportunity to somehow express themselves.
However, if you travel around Europe or other countries of the world and about Russia, you can hear a huge number of fables that have no basis. The only truly correct way to find out the truth is to travel to Saudi Arabia.
In fact, the position of a woman in the ordinary and Muslim world is a concept of different poles. And a girl who has arrived, for example, from Europe, will immediately feel the restrictions and prohibitions. So, women are forbidden to be on the street without a man, and he must be a spouse or close relative who has reached the age of majority. Arabian women cannot drive a car either. In addition, they cannot walk in anything other than a long black robe that covers the body from head to toe, a kind of dress-coat called an abaya, and if the woman nevertheless committed an illegal act, the husband bears responsibility for her. All this information is easy to find on the Internet, but it is much more interesting to make sure “live” of the veracity of the assumptions.
The most difficult thing, however, upon arriving in the country (which is not so easy, especially for women who are extremely difficult to obtain a visa), is to ask a real Arab woman about the conditions, since the catch is that it is forbidden for women to be in the presence of men who are not relatives. In addition, the fair sex from the Arab Emirates cannot visit absolutely all public places. The only way is to get an invitation to visit from local residents.
Housing in Saudi Arabia
By the way, remarkable features can be found not only in the way of life, but also in the dwellings themselves. As a rule, this is a cluster of one-story buildings with its own rather large courtyard and garden. Indoors, there are usually very low sofas, on which the people of Saudi Arabia like to sit much more than on the usual high (uncomfortable for them) European chairs. Earnings for men, as it is right, are quite large, therefore it is not uncommon to find huge plasma screens and rather expensive furniture and appliances in houses.
Women and outfits
When guests come to the husband, the wife usually does not come out to them, and if something is necessary, she calls the internal telephone. However, they are allowed to see women who come to visit. By the way, they walk around the house in ordinary and familiar European clothes. The difference between street and home outfits is explained by the fact that traditionally women are used to keeping their beauty from prying eyes, showing it only to relatives. For them, this is a kind of comfort zone, and women do not suffer from this at all. The custom has been around for many years, and women simply take it not just for granted, but as correct and the only true.
Even if a family friend is a man, a woman can only go out to him in black attire, but with women it’s easier - they can see them in ordinary clothes. By the way, Arab girls prepare amazingly delicious national coffee with a nutty flavor, reminiscent of weakly brewed tea in color. The ability of a wife to properly brew such coffee is a reason for the true pride of her husband.
In addition to the modern clothes that they wear in the house, women do not only speak Arabic. Almost every local girl can boast of knowledge of English at a decent level, and some speak other languages. By the way, all abayas are the same and monotonous only at first glance, in fact they come from different fabrics, can be decorated with sparkles or rhinestones, and putting on such an outfit correctly is not so easy, there is a certain sequence. And abayas differ in style, the fashion for which changes every season, as for the most ordinary outfits. Women of the United Arab Emirates in following trends are no different from European or American.
It is impossible not to note the practicality of such black clothes in everyday life. An Arab woman is not forced to dress up or make up to go out, say, to a store or somewhere on an urgent matter. It is enough just to throw an abaya on everyday clothes (even on pajamas or a bathrobe) and the woman immediately looks decent and decent. She doesn't even need to paint. All this saves quite a lot of time, which can be used for more necessary or interesting things.
Beneath the black attire, which seems to those unfamiliar with Arab culture to be an unchanging, monotonous thing, women from Saudi Arabia wear ordinary clothes, no less fashionable than non-Muslim women are used to wearing. But only family and friends see her. By the way, Arab women attend parties where they come in fashionable dresses and sets. They wear shorts, miniskirts, and tops. Of course, with a black suit on top, which you can take off at a friend's house. Naturally, there are no men at such parties.
arab girls
You should also not believe the information from the Internet, which says that Arab women are stupid, and are obsessed exclusively with household chores, and apart from that they don’t know or see anything. On the contrary, they are quite well educated and modern. However, the fact that they are unlikely to be frank with a stranger, especially if it is a man, and generally talk for a long time, makes us consider Arab women downtrodden and modest.
By the way, they have their own half in the house, where there are usually modern household appliances and almost every home has Internet access, so you should not assume that Arab women live in an information vacuum. They watch movies online, sit on social networks and use Skype.
Rights and opportunities for girls in the UAE
Women in Saudi Arabia are not slaves. The fact that they wear a black abaya, often, by the way, decorated not only with rhinestones, sparkles, but with embroidery and even precious stones, does not mean at all that there is a weak-willed creature under it. The rights of women are protected by the marriage contract, violating which the man is liable and the punishments for offenses against women are often much more severe than in other states. Moreover, they can concern not only such egregious facts as assault, for example, but also ill-treatment (rudeness is also considered) or even the failure to provide decent living conditions. In addition, Arab women have the opportunity to work. With certain restrictions, but nonetheless. They also receive a good education.
It is worth talking about training separately. Saudi Arabia has special universities for both men and women (separate, of course). Moreover, not only the fair sex, but also men teach, but without direct contact. The teacher is in one room, the students are in another, and the training is conducted using a huge plasma screen. If one of the students has a question, she can call the lecturer on a special internal phone. Women themselves believe that their education is quite good. True, some gaps in geographical education are revealed in communication, which, however, can be attributed to the fact that confusing the names of places where you have never been is not so scary. You should not just think that they never leave their country or city. It happens that women travel with their husbands, but this is not as popular, for example, as in Europe.
Women from Saudi Arabia know very little about the life of other peoples and are very interested when they manage to meet a woman of a different nationality (since it is forbidden to communicate with strangers), they ask about traditions, national clothes, and food. In general, they are curious about Europeans all the information that Europeans themselves are interested in in them. They learn the strange habits of other women and men for them from someone's words, or by reading articles on the Internet.
Arab women often study not in order to work, they are interested in knowledge in itself, and work only in terms of passion or desire to be useful - a man traditionally earns money. If he parasitizes, this is not just a disgrace, but also, in a sense, an offense. Although traditions do not allow Arabs not to provide for their wives and sit idle.
There are special institutions in the country, for example, banks, where both visitors and staff are women. True, one has to work not without restrictions, but in general it is allowed to do this, contrary to the beliefs of visitors. The most significant nuance is that in order to start working or studying, a woman must obtain permission from the head of the family (spouse, father, brother).
Marriage in Saudi Arabia
Many also believe that getting married in Saudi Arabia is mandatory for those just out of childhood or adolescence. In fact, the age for marriage there, as elsewhere in the world, is on an upward trend. Often Arab women get married after finishing their university studies. Marriage at 25 or 27 is not considered something out of the ordinary, although the older generation is not entirely happy and agrees with this state of affairs.
By the way, about the tradition of marrying a girl to a "pig in a poke", that is, a man to whom she not only has no feelings, but whom she has never seen at all. In fact, things are somewhat different. Indeed, the spouse is chosen by the parents. The parents of the bride and groom also agree on the conditions of the wedding. But the future husband and wife first meet about a month before the proposed wedding, where they have the opportunity to get to know each other. If they do not like each other or cannot find a common language, relatives most likely will not insist on marriage.
Auto
As for the ban on driving a car, you can’t argue with it, of course, but Arab families usually have a driver who is ready to take a woman wherever she needs at any time, and you don’t have to do homework yourself either, since most often there are special au pairs.
Conclusion
Arab women do not envy European women. On the contrary, they are horrified that they are forced to constantly be in front of other people, unable to hide their faces and bodies. However, it could not be otherwise, because both of them were brought up in completely different cultural conditions. Cases when a wife provides for a husband who stays at home seem wild and unnatural for an Arab woman. They are proud that they can not work without a desire, but at the same time, they constantly feel surrounded by care. Women from Saudi Arabia, as a rule, do not experience dissatisfaction with their lives.
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From choosing a husband to traveling on public transport, almost everything is forbidden for women in this country. According to the World Economic Forum, Saudi Arabia ranks 129th out of 134 countries for gender equality. How does the beautiful half of humanity actually live in the country of the Arab world, where the rights of women are limited especially severely? Which of the stereotypes familiar to us is a myth, and which is true?
website will talk about the most unexpected bans that local residents face every day. Read to the end to find out how those who refuse to live by strict rules and risk breaking them are punished.
1. Not a step without a mahram
Women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to travel on their own without a legal spouse or male relative. Such an escort is called mahram. Without his permission, a girl cannot travel abroad, get a job, get married, go to university, and even have an operation.
In the case of going to court or the police, a male guardian is needed to confirm the identity, since a woman cannot take off her hijab. In such conditions, it is impossible to complain about the mahram, even if he exceeds his authority. However, local girls not only do not rebel, but actively defend their right to be under the guardianship of a man.
2. Right to rights?
But this point will soon become a myth. In recent years, a number of laws have been passed in the Gulf countries to liberalize women's rights. In September 2017, the King of Saudi Arabia issued a decree allowing women in the country to drive. The permit will come into effect in June 2018. However, to get behind the wheel, motorists will need to obtain permission from the guardian. In the meantime, driving a car, alas, is illegal.
3. Public transport is banned
It would seem that you can not use the car, go by public transport. But even here everything is not so simple. You can move around on the train, but only in a separate carriagelocated at the end of the train. And most bus companies refuse to serve women at all.
In this regard, residents of Saudi Arabia have to move on foot, by taxi or with a personal driver.
4. Quite a big black dress
On the street, Saudi Arabian women completely cover the body, leaving only the oval of the face, hands and feet open. Black abaya (long dress with sleeves) and hijab (headdress) - that's all the variety that a woman can afford. Clothing should be of a dense fabric, loose, opaque and not accentuate the curves. The rules can be more or less strict, depending on the region. For example, the port city of Jeddah is more liberal, and the Najd district, where the Saudi dynasty lives, is very strict and conservative. In some areas, the niqab is still obligatory - a veil-like headdress that leaves only the eyes open.
Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, said that women have the right to refuse such a strict dress code. Whether they will heed such a recommendation is a big question. Public opinion and tribal laws have a lot of weight in the country. Thus, a rape victim may be found guilty if her clothing was not modest enough.
5. Higher education - you can. Is it necessary?
Girls can learn, but there are also enough restrictions. Oddly enough, the percentage of women in Saudi Arabia with higher education is higher than among the male population. At the same time, the quality of teaching in women's universities leaves much to be desired.
If the girl's guardian gives permission, she can get an education outside the country, but it will be more difficult to award a scholarship: preference is given to men. Most women have a pedagogical or natural science education. But after training they don't work.
6. Work is not a wolf?
Despite numerous reforms and lifting of bans, the share of women in the labor market is only 17%. This means that the lot of most women in Saudi Arabia is home and children.
Sharia does not prohibit women from working, if they do not neglect family responsibilities. To obtain a job, the permission of a male guardian is required. The choice of professions for women here is small: they can be doctors, nurses, educators - in order to avoid communicating with unfamiliar men. Rare exceptions are women politicians and lawyers. Building a career for women in Saudi Arabia is much more difficult than for men: they receive lower wages and are deprived of privileges like health insurance. To hire a woman, the employer will have to spend money on the arrangement of separate offices, toilets, recreation areas and even entrances.
7. Marry for love?
Family relations in Saudi Arabia is one of the hottest topics for debate and international discussion. The fact is that girls here get married very early - often even before puberty. As a result, they have to drop out of school. In addition, early pregnancies and childbirth undermine health and can even lead to death. The rights to a child older than 7 years belong exclusively to the father.
You can't receive guests either. More precisely, you can communicate with friends, but strictly in "your" half of the house, called harim. There is no dress code to follow here. Guests are received in the men's quarters, where ladies, of course, are strictly prohibited from entering. If the wife needs to tell her husband something, she can contact him by internal phone.
Most homes in Saudi Arabia have two separate entrances for men and women.
9. Boys - to the right, girls - to the left
Sex segregation is one of the fundamental principles of the life of women in Saudi Arabia, helping to avoid contact with unfamiliar men. It involves the division of society into women's and men's zones - not only at home, but also in public places: on beaches, in transport, in restaurants. This rule is especially strictly observed in catering establishments: there are spaces for family people, for bachelors and for unmarried girls.
Large Western companies, such as Pizza Hut, McDonald's, Starbucks, not wanting to lose customers, also refuse common halls, for which they become objects of criticism from liberal-minded citizens. There are also places in the country where gender segregation is not strictly observed: hospitals, banks and medical facilities.
10. All people are equal, but some are more equal
Hello site readers! I want to tell you about the way of life in Saudi Arabia and especially about the life of women in this country.
Everyone knows the fact that in Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, women's rights are very limited. Let's start with the main one.
Women's rights in Saudi Arabia
Every adult woman, for example, should have a close male relative as her "guardian" - this can be a husband or father, and in the absence of the latter, the closest male relative. Without his permission, a woman is forbidden to leave the country, get a job, receive education and even medical care, but read more about this below.
Entry and exit from the country
In order to leave the country for any reason or just leave for a while, a Saudi woman needs to obtain a visa, and, of course, the permission of her husband or father - a yellow card, yellow slip. The procedure for obtaining a visa is the same for all types of people (expats, Saudis, guest workers). However, if you are not an employee of a foreign firm and not a high-ranking Saudi official, this may take some time (usually a week). There is no way to urgently fly out of the country even for a very good reason (your relatives died abroad or something very important and urgent happened).
Only if you have a multi-visa that costs more than a regular visa (about 100 euros for six months), you have the right to leave and enter the country at any time during its validity. Otherwise, you are imprisoned by the country and subject to its inexorable system.
[By the way, about obtaining permission from the guardian to leave the country. Since November 2012, the SA authorities have implemented an automatic SMS alert system for women who cross the border. When entering a woman's passport data at the border, the computer system automatically sends a message to her husband. The notice is sent even if the husband is traveling with his wife. Here is such a story. Note. site editorial site]
A woman of another citizenship is allowed to enter the country only if she is officially married to a resident of this country. For other reasons, even being the bride or girlfriend of an Arab man, a woman will not get into the country in any way. But marriage permission also needs to be obtained from the government, read more about this in.
You can get a work visa, but even for a highly qualified female specialist, it is a very difficult task. There will always be a man who will be more suitable for the position, such a pattern in the Arab countries. In principle, there are no irreplaceable employees in a female guise here, as a category. The circle of women's specialties that can enter the country on a work visa without having an official husband in it is very narrow and includes only employees of the embassy, the Red Cross, the medical and educational industries.
Even if a foreigner has been living in the country for a long time and holds a decent position in a company, he is not allowed even to invite his girlfriend to stay for a few days if they are not legally married.
Job
Women in Saudi Arabia just a few years ago received the official right to work. And even then, this right consists only in the performance of labor activity exclusively in the women's team and on the condition that the woman is allowed to work by her guardian. Foreign women staying in the country are also affected. And since there are a very limited number of such jobs, even in the capital you can’t really work.
[There are still some shifts in this direction, the current monarch, the king of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz, begins to pursue some kind of reformist policy regarding women's rights in the country. After all, even the same vice police need female employees, so there are already rumors that women will soon be recruited into the police.
Or it is worth noting that in the summer of 2012, women athletes were first allowed to participate in the London Olympics, and since October 2012, women in Saudi Arabia have been allowed to work as lawyers.
Women are also forbidden to take part in elections and hold public office, only in 2009 for the first time a high state post - the position of Deputy Minister of Education for Girls - was granted by the king to a woman. Note. site site ]
Education
As for education in the country, the situation is the same. Regardless of which educational institution a woman decides to attend, be it a university or even a high school, she can only get an education with the permission of the men in her family. As for the universities themselves, they are divided into women's and men's, even for foreigners.
Here you will not see heterosexual people sitting at the same desk - only women can be in the class, as well as in the building itself. Teaching subjects are also exclusively women.
[The only university with co-education of boys and girls has been operating since 2009 near Jeddah, it was opened under the auspices of the king. Note. site editors]
The school curriculum, by the way, does not include physical education classes for girls. And all 153 official sports clubs of the SA are also closed to women. The only exception is the women's basketball section of Jeddah United, which is owned by a private company and is not on the list of official sports clubs.
Auto, transport
An Arab girl does not have the right to drive, just like a foreigner who is within the country.
Public transport services, that is, a taxi, a woman can use, while being only in the back seat. That is, only two women can sit in a car, and it is also strictly forbidden for a woman to be in a car with a man who is not her own, if he is not her husband or a close relative. Such a violation is punishable by law, and if you suddenly stop for a document check, you may well end up in jail for several days, as well as your driver. This law applies to absolutely all residents of the country and visiting tourists.
It is recommended to use only legally registered taxi services, otherwise a girl, especially a European, can get into a very unpleasant situation or even disappear altogether, and there are many such cases. With such things, it is better not to take risks and moderate your independence.
In view of such precautions, there is no public transport at all here (after all, men and women will intersect), with the rare exception of special women's buses, which can only run in a separate compound, and even then only on schedule.
That is, the only way for a woman to get to her destination, whether it be an educational institution, a place of work or an ordinary shopping center, is a personal driver in the person of her closest relative or, oddly enough, an employee. However, such a service is very inconvenient, and not everyone can afford it, which is another obstacle for a Saudi woman to get an education or work outside the home.
Of course, every Saudi woman would like to use a separate door of public transport, as, for example, women in Iran do, but such a luxury is by no means provided for them.
For this reason, seeing a ten-year-old boy driving a car is the norm in Saudi countries, especially in cities far from the capital. His mother and sisters can sit next to him, even if they are much older than their brother. The law looks at such actions quite normally, turning a blind eye to all the risk factors that such driving carries. By the way, it is noteworthy that, despite this, young men in Saudi Arabia receive the right to drive a car only at the age of eighteen.
[The women's "car issue" has been under consideration for a long time. First of all, there is the financial factor. It's no secret that Saudi Arabia is quite a wealthy country and the poverty line is much higher here than in most other countries, but it's foolish to think that every family owns its own source of oil. This is far from true. But, given that even a woman must be taken to the hospital by a driver, women have been fighting for the right to drive a car for a long time and very actively. Let's hope that this rule will be abolished soon. Note. site editorial site]
Moving around the city, walking
No woman in Saudi Arabia is allowed to walk the streets alone. The only exceptions are "short" walks inside very crowded places, for example, in a shopping center during shopping.
In any other case, a woman, whether Arab or foreign, is required by law to be accompanied by her husband or any other close male relative. In general, a woman cannot appear in public alone, only accompanied by a man from the family, and it does not matter that he will be only 6 years old.
They find such a law quite logical, given the number of missing women. And this is not some ordinary "scary story". If, for example, any man or group of men notice that you are walking alone every day along the same street or deserted place, you will certainly be robbed. For what? To rape and dispose of your corpse in the desert that makes up most of the country. Therefore, such walks are not only illegal, but also very, very dangerous for every woman.
By the way, just a Muslim man who also has a wife reported a similar case. And believe me, he will never allow his wife to go alone, and nowhere. And not because he is a tyrant, but precisely for the above reason.
Clothes, appearance
In crowded places, wherever she is, a woman must be dressed in an ibai - a black baggy robe that covers all parts of a woman's body, including her hands, from prying eyes. This item of clothing must be sewn in accordance with all the rules and measures of decency of the Arab society and be exclusively black and no other than black. The only decoration on clothes can be embroidery with thread or precious stones, but only on the sleeves.
By the way, this also applies to foreign women. When you arrive by plane at the airport in Saudi Arabia, you must put on your ibaya before going through customs, otherwise you may be in serious trouble.
The same applies to the headdress, that is, the veil. According to a recently issued law, in the country, on the streets of the city, only a foreign woman, if she does not profess the religion of Islam, can walk with her head uncovered. This applies only to foreigners with a different faith.
All other women are required by law to cover their heads, especially local residents. In the event that the religious police (mutawa) stop a girl of oriental appearance on the street with her head uncovered, and she turns out to be a Muslim, which will be indicated in her personal card, identifiable by the identity of citizens (everyone without exception is required to wear it), then her husband faces severe punishment in the form of whipping and a serious monetary fine.
At the same time, he can even be an employee of the British embassy or hold another high position - nothing will save him from punishment, neither money nor connections. Therefore, it is unlikely that any Muslim woman would think of doing such a stupid thing.
By the way, British women who are on the territory of English compounds can sometimes jokingly threaten their husbands to walk down the city street with their heads uncovered. Although in the compound itself they can dress as they please.
And despite the fact that, if you refer to the Koran, Muslim women can only cover their heads, most of them cover their faces as well, and completely. Rarely, somewhere in public places, you can see Muslim women with an open face, except that the eyes are visible, and even then it all depends on the whims of the husband.
As a rule, all Muslim men are in solidarity on this issue, and therefore women have to cover not only their heads, but their entire faces. Therefore, from childhood, girls are instilled with a great fear that if they do not cover their faces, they will be considered great sinners and will not go to heaven. So by the age of eighteen, every girl believes that she is certainly destined to go to heaven, and they believe in it quite sincerely.
Newborn children under the age of one are dressed quite classically, as in other countries - even in bright red colors. But with the advent of the first menstruation, the girl is already obliged to cover her head, and from eighteen - her face.
Entertainment, alcohol, drugs
By the way, it is much easier for the Saudis to get drugs than, for example, to get alcohol anywhere. And buying a car is much cheaper than getting married. Perhaps that is why, for young Arab guys, the only entertainment is stoned races on the highway.
Indeed, due to the lack of female society and, in fact, sex, many men literally go crazy. After all, there is no prostitution here, and for the nearest sexual entertainment you have to go only to neighboring Dubai or Bahrain. But not every Saudi can afford it. It is for a number of these reasons that men become “sexual maniacs” who literally eat women with their eyes and, of course, rape them at any opportunity. Of course, this does not apply to absolutely all Saudi men, but do not forget that there are many of them.
A woman here is considered to some extent a luxury and not everyone can afford to have a wife even at a decent age, although they get married here quite early. Marriage and maintenance of a wife is very expensive. Some may have two or three wives (up to four), but this is very rare.
Many catering establishments and places, such as restaurants, have a separate entrance for couples and single men and women.
It is possible for a man to have some kind of contact with a woman, even if it is just a conversation or a walk, not to mention visiting a restaurant or cafe, only if she is his wife. That is, any contact of an unmarried man with a woman is considered a violation of the law and is immediately stopped by a prison sentence.
This also applies to foreigners. A foreign woman may well sit in a cafe or restaurant with her husband in the circle of his friends or colleagues. But if she is caught doing this alone, she is guaranteed a prison and a fine.
If this is any structure, then women enter separately and only women serve them. In restaurants, the atmosphere is not very different from European ones, but the windows are not transparent so that people cannot see the family women behind the glass. As a rule, tables are located in separate booths or behind screens, less often in the common room. In no other country in the world is there such a cruel division of men and women as in Saudi Arabia.
The same is true with entertainment.
For example, to go to a zoo or an amusement park, which are very numerous and popular here, you need to choose an even or odd day, on which women with children (only with boys under 12) and men, also with their sons, can visit such establishments separately.
As for any entertainment other than visiting parks and attractions, the zoo and restaurants, they are no more. Watching movies is also prohibited - you will not find a single cinema, theater, opera and other noisy establishments in the country. The country seems to be a complete desert itself, where dead silence has reigned since the beginning of centuries. Music is forbidden in principle - there are no concerts, no public performances, no singers.
Even circus performances on the street or indoors are strictly prohibited. That is, you will not hear music anywhere absolutely. In special restaurants where there is a large audience of foreign customers, a festive menu may appear, and even then you are unlikely to see a mention of "Christmas" or "holiday" somewhere. Just the inscription "special menu" for certain holidays, for example, on December 24 and 25.
There is a well-known case of a Saudi girl who had a gorgeous voice and went to live in Lebanon to become a singer. On stage, she does not cover her head and does not cover her face. For this, her relatives cursed her and renounced her completely, and she is strictly forbidden to appear in Saudi Arabia. If she still dares to come, her family will kill her with their own hands. Here is such a grave sin in Arabia - to become a singer.
Photography
With photographs in Saudi Arabia, in general, it is very tight. In short, photography is not allowed. It is forbidden to take pictures of people, animals, buildings, streets and even indoors. If you are found on the street or anywhere indoors with a camera in your hands, you may be arrested. The lightest measure of punishment is the removal of the camera. All photographs that you have ever seen in the press or on video are taken with the official permission of the Ministry.
The reason for such a great ban on photography is that the Saudis are sure that terrorists lie in wait for them at every turn. Although progress has already reached more spectacular inventions, for example, mini-cameras, the size of a woman's ring. A few years ago, mobile phones with photo and video functions were even officially banned in the country.
Religion
Needless to say, you cannot practice your religion in Saudi Arabia. That is, of course, you can, but behind five locks. Any symbolism of any other religion, except Islam, is completely prohibited by law.
You will not be allowed to bring into the country either Buddhist or Christian literature, or crosses, or any other attributes of "non-Islamic" religions. Here you will not see temples and churches. Anything related to another religion is strictly prohibited. You can not wear a Christian cross openly around your neck. You can wear it on the body where no one will see it. But if suddenly someone ever sees him, very cruel punishment can follow, including rods, imprisonment and a fine.
By the way, not only religious symbols are prohibited, but also all the attributes of European holidays. For example, Santa Claus and all references to him, as well as a Christmas tree, Christmas tree decorations, images of Jesus, Christmas decorations, deer, gnomes and all other holiday attributes are strictly prohibited throughout the country. You will not see New Year's symbols anywhere during the holidays, even in large shopping centers, except perhaps for the illumination, which is already present on the streets of the night city all year round. Even Christmas decorations on your own house, if you live outside the compound, are punishable by law and are immediately suppressed in public, so as not to be in the habit.
And now let's think about whether it is comfortable for a European woman to live in a country? The answer may seem very obvious, however, it is not entirely true.
Within the limits of a compound (a separate, most often a fenced full-scale residential complex, even more likely a town), the life of a foreign woman proceeds in her usual mode. No matter how hard it is to believe, many European women who live in Saudi Arabia are quite satisfied with their lives. Here they feel great and can even engage in any activity they like.
The most common average compound looks like a European hotel of a medium or even high class, around which an area the size of a European town or village is spread out. A woman can dress as she pleases within the compound.
On the territory you can find a lot of various institutions, including sports clubs, museums, beauty salons, shops and cafes. You can also swim in the pool or play sports in the sports club, which is divided into men's and women's. The golf club can also be visited even with other men along with your husband.
If your husband is free in the evening and can take you shopping in the city, shopping in the country turns into the most exciting and interesting activity, since prices are much lower than European ones, due to the absence of customs duties. It is a pleasure to visit a cafe or a restaurant - the variety of oriental cuisine will not leave anyone indifferent. If you have a personal driver, you can even afford to visit shops or beauty salons in the city during the daytime. However, you can also use a specialized taxi service.
Discounts and sales will be a real paradise for any woman. If you do not want to spend all the time at home, then you can do something more useful than visiting beauty salons. For example, enroll in modeling courses, sewing, needlework, various types of creativity. Or polish your knowledge in foreign languages. By the way, within the compound there are all necessary communications, including mobile communications, satellite TV and high-speed Internet. So you definitely won’t find yourself in the information pit.
Do you want to continue your studies at the university or deepen your knowledge? No problem. You can easily enter the institute remotely. Distance learning is provided by many European and American universities, such as MBA. You can get medical or teaching education remotely and put your knowledge into practice at local schools or medical services. Work can be found both within the compound and outside it, but only in the women's team.
As for entertainment, you can drink alcohol within the territory of the compound, as long as you are not caught doing this activity outside the compound. How to get him there? In principle, it is not forbidden to keep alcohol, but there is already a matter of dexterity. With alcohol, you can organize the most wonderful parties with music and crazy dancing in the compound. There is nothing for you there.
Of course, one might think that this is just a drop in the bucket in the face of so many restrictions. However, next to the beloved man, such a life looks quite good. Imagine - your husband works and fully provides for you, and you do what you personally want, only with a little caution. You will have enough strength and opportunities to realize your independence in any other areas of life.
In Saudi Arabia, there is a law according to which the wife is completely, both morally and financially, dependent on her husband. However, if peace and mutual understanding reign in your family, then it will not be difficult for you to live happily with your husband even in a “golden cage”. But, of course, you need to figure out all the relationships in advance and be a thousand percent sure that your husband will always be the way he seems now. This is in case of any future conflicts. Because if in Europe social services for the protection of women's rights and even the police almost knock on your house, then there is no such thing here. A husband has the right to do whatever he pleases with his wife, and then blame only yourself. No one will help you, rest assured. So it is necessary to maintain the warmest relations with your husband, and everything will be fine, both for you and for your family.
Saudi Arabia is an interesting country with great opportunities, and therefore, for many people around the world, a job offer in this country is very attractive. Zero taxes and huge earnings attract both highly qualified engineers and other specialists, and ordinary people who do hard dirty work. These people work practically for a penny, but still value their work, because they know that they cannot earn even this in their native country. Here you can see Americans, Russians, and residents of Bangladesh.
As for Saudi women, do not rush to sigh pitifully at their expense. Many women live here like in a fairy tale. From childhood, they get used to the restrictions of religion, however, having successfully married, they receive a loving husband, and untold wealth, and travel, and a rich spiritual world. a happy love story with a Saudi via the link.
Although they do not have opportunities for professional development, they can develop spiritually and enrich their spiritual world. And endless shopping and beauty salons make their life a dream for every European. However, the saddest fate here is to be born a woman in a poor family. Because a European woman can realize much more opportunities in her country and “get out into the people”, which cannot be said about Saudi girls. Here their ability to take everything from life is reduced to almost zero.
Yuliya, a letter to the editors of the site site.
December 25, 2012Liked the article? Subscribe from the magazine "Marry a foreigner!"
36 comments on “ What is the life of a woman in Saudi Arabia”
- Young woman:
Julia, thanks for the article. very interesting, very similar to the truth ..
“a wife cannot leave the country without the permission of her husband”… everyone understands what it means, I think.
- Masha:
Really well written, both about clothes and about the position of women.
Here is another fact about SA. Not only do women walk around wrapped from head to toe, but they want even more, they believe that even a woman completely wrapped in a black hoodie can give rise to satanic desires in men thanks to “languid looks”.
They even made a draft law that would protect poor men from such a scourge, women are offered to close their eyes as well.
How far can such nonsense go. For example, in 2002 there was a high-profile story when the vice police did not release high school girls from a burning school building because their heads were not covered with a headscarf. As a result, 15 girls died, dozens suffered from burns and carbon monoxide poisoning.
This is fine?
- Olga:
Julia, thanks for the article. It was interesting to read about life in Saudi Arabia. Indeed, the country is closed and the outside world knows little about life there.
- natalia:
And what explains all these strange cruelties? There must be reasons.
- kira:
And they explain, dear women, that the Al-Saud dynasty is in power, which itself recently “came out” of the Bedouins, what do you want from people who have only recently moved from a camel to a Mercedes, there is also the so-called “Bedouin Code”, where the honor of a woman should in no way be tarnished.
In the Arabian Desert (since Bedouins live everywhere in the deserts in the Middle East) there was a case when a local Arab drew attention to an Arab Bedouin, they began a relationship, of course secretly, her mother understood everything when she became sick, became pregnant from him, so there the Bedouins shot the entire unit, which was located in the desert, for this girl, they killed everyone they could, then they had problems with the local authorities ..
Bedouins (although modern Saudis do not like to identify themselves with Bedouins), they are nomads, with a very strict, I would say cruel code of honor for women, although the men themselves allow themselves to walk, and from whom they buy more money for this money, Pakistani women, Indians, Filipinos from their fathers, since those poor Asian countries sell them for money, if a Filipina is hired as a nanny in a Saudi family, 99% of them will be attracted to have sex against their will, modern Saudis have the concept of an employee, and it doesn’t matter a woman or the man is absent, they think “If you work for my family, then I do whatever I want with you”, like slaves it even exists at the level of very rich and influential families, few of them are decent, even being even within the Al Saud dynasty attitude towards women very strict, mostly consumer, read “Notes of Princess Sultana”, one of the daughters of the Al Saud dynasty, then, as the heroine said, you need to look both ways so that your husband is on the same line with you, maybe if he is a European, then yes, since indeed many Europeans and Americans live and work there, taxes are really low, shopping is good, you can live in a compound, but outside even battered Arabs and other Muslims are afraid of this country, the death penalty, rods, as in the Middle Ages, women are intimidated, they kill a lot of them if what is wrong. Men are often gay in Saudi Arabia, since it is forbidden to be with a woman and just communicate. men love each other more than women. I'm not talking fairy tales, but what I really encountered.
Most of the Zalivians, of course, differ from the same Egyptians, the Palestinians in mentality, but the Saudis are something. Try to tell them that a Muslim woman may not cover her face, since the Koran says that the head should be covered and up to the hands, the face can desire, not obligation, they will “eat” you for these words, and other Arabs, even the Zalivs, will rather agree with you, but the Saudis never, they are very religious people, but it’s a pity that their Islam is Wahhabi, non-traditional, namely the Saudis (Emir Khattab) helped to catch up with fear and fight with Russia (if you remember in the Chechen Republic under Khattab and other emirs at one time, if women were seen there without a hijab, they were shot, because Kadyrov’s father Akhmat Hadji Kadyrov began to fight against them because he saw “their” Islam and not the way it should be
ask any Arab who goes to this country to work what they think about the Saudis?! At first they will be shy, then they will say that in fact .. They go only because of the money ..
My Arab friend, who worked as a doctor in Saudi for 5 years, his colleagues, apparently ordinary doctors - specialists, seemed to be friends, somehow they went to his house, the three of us, an Arab wife opened it, she replied that her husband was at work, come later so they raped her.
They, as a rule, are cowards by nature, they thought maybe they would blow through and not tell their husband, but she said, he called the local police, they didn’t help, they protect their own, he decided to act on his own ... invited them home, gave them tea, which contained poison ... and when they fell asleep forever, cut off their heads, and closed the door, and flew home .. there he personally addressed the prime minister, they called from Saudi, like we will close the entrance for your citizens .. The prime minister says close, look what yours have done, such a country is even for us no work is needed .. they didn’t close as before millions of Arabs and others work there ..
Another case, also another friend - an Arab told how his friend, a Saudi, a respected man kept a brothel like slaves, did not feed or drink at home, here is one Filipina, and wrote a phone number with the embassy number, well, my friend called, with he no longer spoke to that Saudi.
Another example of their wild mentality, the Saudi prince was sitting, playing in a casino, lost, one person just said something to him, he shot him, just paid money and left, and it was not in third countries, but in London!
Just meet a Saudi and live there, even here, and look, I want to say right away that not everyone is bad, I know one in Moscow who studies here, the guy is not bad, but it’s immediately clear that he is gay, and therefore not aggressive. Even the Gulf Arabs are not they love in the mass in their own because they behave so cruelly
In Egypt, they say that if a father married his daughter to a Saudi, then he wants to lose her because of money..
decide for yourself and read "Notes of the Princess Sultana. Life in Saudi Arabia"
- kira:
And why can there be all this cruelty, as I already said the Bedouin lifestyle in the past, patriarchy, and they have recently abolished serfdom, and so the Saudis brought slaves from Sudan.
Now there is a category of Saudis who want freedom, education, especially girls, and not those Bedouins without education, but the “man is always right” system kills everything in the bud, though they continue to fight for their rights, recently one Saudi woman got behind the wheel and took her dying brother to the hospital, in spite of everything, I think that soon they will be allowed to drive a car, it’s just that many men there think (complete nonsense! given such a contradiction as a woman is not allowed, but an employee is taken as a driver, as if, if desired, he cannot rape this Saudi woman!) that let the woman drive the way the king said: “There won’t be a single virgin left in our country”, “the devil will be with her” - complete nonsense, as if the Saudi only thinks how to drive on men! It’s immediately obvious that the local men there are oh-oh-oh, how afraid they are of losing their absolute power against the background of the activity of other Arab countries, since even Saudi women are already changing ..
Recently there was a case there, the husband got angry at his Saudi wife, and began to swear at her “in front of all the honest people”, she cry, and then the husband falls silent because he sees a flock of women from black abai with pans gathered around him, there were a lot of them, they they told him: "Come on, apologize to your wife, otherwise it will be worse" - ready to attack him at any moment, he trotted along with his wife. That's good, already progress.
But even if your husband is European, and he is a decent man, the very situation can make him feel superior to you, like he is a king, this is a country of men. You have to be very careful there, in everything! The society there is "not quite of this world"
- Yuri:
For those who are interested in the topic of life in Saudi Arabia, you can read books:
Gene P. Sasson
1. Princess. The True Story of Veiled Life in Saudi Arabia
2. Daughters of the princess.
There is also an interesting book about Iran, an American wrote it, it is called:
Only with daughter - Olga:
Jean P. Sasson is an American, so all of her books are written through an American lens. Even though it's an interesting read. It is better then to read Arabic authors. For example, Raja Aslani "Girls of Riyadh" (in Russian called "Sex in the Eastern City").
- Olga:
“My Arab friend, who worked as a doctor in Saudi for 5 years, his colleagues, apparently ordinary doctors - specialists, seemed to be friends, somehow they went into his house, the three of us, an Arab wife opened it, she replied that her husband was at work, come later, so they raped her..”
Even I, not being an Arab, know that in my husband's homeland in an Arab country, when he is not at home, you cannot open the door to strangers. All negotiations only through a closed door. And then an Arab woman opened the door, and even in Saudi! She must have been out of her mind...“Recently, there was a case there, the husband got angry at his Saudi wife, and began to swear at her “in front of all the honest people”, she cry, and then the husband falls silent because he sees a flock of women from black abai with pans gathered around him, there were a lot of them, they said to him: “Come on, apologize to your wife, otherwise it will get worse.”
_________________________________________________________
And do Saudi women walk around the street with frying pans (probably hiding them under abayas)? Or did you manage to run to the nearest store and buy it? 😀 - natalia:
Despite the fact that everyone understands that among all ethnic groups there are good and bad people...
Of no other religion but Islam, and no other ethnic community than the Arabs, so much is said about the deceit, dishonesty and barbaric laws that govern these people.
Even those countries in the Middle East that consider themselves "civilized" are just an external veneer. Inside they are ALL WITHOUT EXCEPTION rotten and slippery!!!
I thought that maybe I'm wrong, maybe only I come across such. Communicated with many of them. Even those who studied and worked in Russia after their studies speak Russian well, lived in Russia for several years (!) - as soon as communication passes from the stage of the first acquaintance, usually it is 3-4 meetings - and their Arabic rot begins to crawl out from terrible force from under a civilized suit with a tie.
Vile, rotten, slippery people ... It seems that they are not from Earth at all.
- Sofia:
Oh, I don’t like such topics… simply because few of us have been to Saudi Arabia.
Regarding Sesson's books, there are a lot of inconsistencies, from which it follows that the materials were collected from no one knows where and from whom, and were taught without deliberation. One puppy in the house of the father of the main character (a religious person) is worth something!
Also, do not forget that the heroine was born in 1956, and describes the times of 25-30 years ago.
Yes, 17 years ago, even women in Saudi Arabia did not have passports, and, in my opinion, they were not even counted in the censuses. no matter how you wrap me up, but my eyes and eyebrows are light, and my skin is so blue and white, and it’s immediately clear that I’m not an Arab. But they lagged behind. But for example, in some Emirates there are also strict rules - for example, a servant (actually a doorman) at a hotel, suspecting that a man has brought a “not his wife” to him, snitch on the police, and they will come - and it won’t seem enough if the watchman’s suspicions are true .
About the rigidity of the Bedouins.
As soon as Saudia began to use its oil, and then the Emirates, that's how it all began.
And it continues, and even intensifies.
And even though the Saudis now, it seems, have introduced passports for women, they are still incognita there, and we only feed on speculation, or brief views during the Hajj or from the compound. - kira:
Dear Olga!
I appeal to you about this phrase
Even I, not being an Arab, know that in my husband's homeland in an Arab country, when he is not at home, you cannot open the door to strangers. All negotiations only through a closed door. And then an Arab woman opened the door, and even in Saudi! She must have been out of her mind...
there is no need to judge anyone, especially since you do it, being, as you yourself said, not an Arab, since my Emirati husband always treated calmly if someone came to him, but he was not at home, he always said open if I no, please pass on such and such information, in case the servant comes in, and you know, somehow his friend came, but an acquaintance, and nothing like that happened, thank God, because people are civilized, not savages! at least look, please, what do you advise, you don’t need to open the door, (read sit down at home, I don’t want to get personal because I don’t know you, but what you advise looks exactly as I write, as if a woman is there - not a person, but an animal, without any slightest rights, what does it mean not to open the door, ?? !!! 8-o
and if the news is from your husband. if he is in the hospital, or God forbid died /
or he urgently needs help, it’s understandable that he may not ask for it from you, well, the logic and the feeling of compassion should be elementary, or what should the husband say and do, say die - die?you just need to be a man and respect the family, a normal Arab or Arabs, even if they need the husband of someone's wife, and somehow they won't find him on the phone and they will never come up with such wildness!!! rape someone's wife, they will be afraid of God,
so please don’t defend medieval savagery, it’s one thing to trust, but verify, another thing is savagery, these are nonhumans, and, unfortunately, there are many of them in the world. I’m talking about this, many non-Gulf Arabs dislike the Gulf Arabs for their medieval view of a woman, even despite the modern technologies that they began to have, but no one can compare with the Saudis in that very cruelty, they don’t care who the Arab woman is in front of them, non-Arab, wildness in these former Bedouins in the blood, it will take many more years to explain to them what's what.
the same neighboring Yemenis, more humane than the Saudis with their ban on everything
if so many people complain about them, the Saudis, the Arabs themselves complain about them, then there is no smoke without fire.
Jean P. Sasson is an American, so all her books are written through the prism of America. Even though it's an interesting read. It is better then to read Arabic authors. For example, Raja Aslani "Girls of Riyadh" (in Russian called "Sex in the Eastern City"). 8)
Jean is an American, you are right, only the book was written according to the princess under the nickname Sultan, she wrote from her words, since my Saudi friend, who lives in Moscow, confirmed my words that there was such a princess, like pouring mud on her family, (told the truth), I believe the Saudi will not lie, as he works for the embassy of his Saudi Arabia, is a distant relative of Prince Muhammad,
You can say anything, but there is truth, their attitude to life and to a woman, talk to a Saudi, call him to the theater, to the museum, anywhere in general, they will not budge, they are lazy to horror, just to sit, eat, sleep and forgive with ... to do the more the better, if you like a life full of absurdity and you are nobody in it, then go ahead WELCOME TO HELL (TO SAUDI), WELL OR TO PARADISE, WHO DOES IT LIKE! But if everything is fine there, why so many Arabs complain about them, I still understand, there is envy, about money, but no, they talk about real things, and you don’t have to go far into the forest, get to know a Saudi and you will see everything with your own eyes ...
- kira:
My grandmother first visited the Arab East in 1955-56 (Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt). Bedouins then walked with open faces, hung all over with beads and monists, with tattoos in all places.
Egypt was secular then, Algeria, Tunisia, Tangier, Libya were secular. Yes, and Syria was not particularly fanatical.
That's all right, Sofia, there were other times, you're right, and Egypt was different, I liked it more from old films (especially my favorite character Zaki Besha from Yakubyan's House, I really like the Egyptian intelligentsia of those times, I'm not there lived, but the image is magnificent what some Egyptians were, educated, far-sighted, able to understand a woman and hear her, after all, my opinion, the non-Gulf Arabs are much more developed than the Gulf Arabs in the ability to think about a woman 🙂)Even my aunt during the Soviet era served in our consulate in Yemen, so there the Bedouins of Aden, the most beautiful women of the East, also walked with their faces open, they didn’t close like now, she told me so when we were asked to give a lecture to their local women about clothes, they when they took off their abayas, she gasped so much, so French lace, stockings, the best underwear, etc.
now something from that time remains, but Saudi fundamentalism-idiocy kills everything
by the way, the same Yemenis are much kinder than the Saudis, they still have the Communist Party of Yemen, where they openly say that they don’t want what’s in Saudi, all the more they don’t have a king, but a president, though the elders on the ground decide a lot, but as far as I know, they don’t like Saudis .. they even want to create a free airline, they don’t like that Yemenia is half Saudi money. It’s clear that the country is poor, economically backward, with a tribal form of government, but people are honest, maybe not all, but much more honest than the Saudis ..
- Olga:
Dear Kira! In no way am I advocating or defending "MEDIEVAL WILDLIFE". In my husband's country (Egypt) there are customs that, by the way, are directly related to Islam. There, even if the master comes to fix the tap (in the absence of the husband), then the door is left open until he does his job and leaves. And if the husband is at home, then the wife of this very master is not shown in front of his eyes, because. there is nothing for an outsider to look at other people's wives. 🙂 And if, God forbid, something happened to my husband, then we live in the 21st century and everyone has mobile phones and the Internet. And I do not argue how much the laws in the SA are harsh. A few years ago, there was an article in the media that an elderly Saudi woman received canes as punishment for simply talking to a man who was not her relative on her doorstep. And the “good” neighbors, apparently, snitched on her. And you say open the door! A non-Muslim woman in this country is likely to have a hard time living.
I have read almost all of Jean P. Sasson's books. Yes, it is believed that she writes from the words of real people. But, nevertheless, she is an American and, first of all, protects the interests of her country. Therefore, all her books are written through the prism of America.
I know about Saudia from the stories of my husband's relatives, who have been living there for more than 30 years. One of them even received SA citizenship, which, as you probably know, is extremely rare. So, dear Kira, I am not defending the Saudis, but the received information still needs to be filtered. 🙂 - kira:
that wife of my Arab friend was not a Gulf Arab, they have a more secular attitude towards a woman than in the Gulf, there is more trust, both in Egypt and Jordan, it would never occur to anyone if, for some reason, friends came in and there was no husband at home, they will leave, they will come later,
I understand everyone with their charter does not go to a strange monastery, it’s just that there is ELEMENTARY DECENCY, PLEASE THINK ABOUT THIS,
A MAN, AN ARAB IS FIRST OF ALL A RELIGIOUS PERSON, IT WILL NOT GO TO HIS HEAD TO DO THIS, ESPECIALLY WITH AN ARAB WOMAN,
THIS ALSO SHOWS THE LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY, SO BACKGROUND WITH ALL MODERN TECHNOLOGIES AND MONEY, WHAT WHAT IS GOING ON THERE IS SIMPLY "MEDIEVAL WILDLIFE" Gulf Arabs are afraid of one name of this country ..
A normal-minded Arab could not even imagine that someone who is called a friend could do this to his wife .. This says something, at least about the meanness of the people living there, like don’t trust anyone at all .. I say in the eyes you are my friend, but behind the back - the enemy.. This is not an oriental approach, this is wildness already.. to rape a colleague's wife.. This is no longer haram, already khalas ... 😯 😯
- Olga:
“... we calmly came to visit, no one put on a niqab.”
________________________________________________________
That's right, you and your husband came to visit. Do you feel the difference?
Anyway, I won't argue with you anymore. Read at your leisure about Islam for the purpose of familiarization. 🙂 About a remote village, this is definitely not for me 😀 - Sofia:
Kira, the opinion of the neighbors is very important THERE. If the family does not live in a villa, but in a house, then looking at the neighbors and hissing in the ears can ruin life completely. Until the forced departure. And when the children grow up and look for a couple, everyone will remember. And in those places where it is customary to use the services of a matchmaker, a matchmaker will not come to your family, or will come with an improper offer.
Even if the young wife does not communicate with her neighbors, the mother-in-law communicates with them. And you have to be very lucky. So that the husband's mother is smart and tactful enough to direct his wife inoffensively, reasonably, with humor (for example, I was just lucky).
I can tell by my own example - I lived in Egypt for 16 years (out of 21 years of marriage). My husband is not a tyrant or a savage at all. His father is a bit of a tyrant and absolutely not a savage. But I stood out so sharply and stand out from a bunch of local women that I had to cover myself, leaving only my face and hands. In Yegi, it was not particularly customary to wear abayas, as in the Gulf countries ... but I did. Because otherwise, idiotic, funny and unpleasant things happen. And I opened my hair only in the house, or in the mall, or when my husband and I went to Bahrain - to the water park. And also on expeditions, in which I went with my husband. There I wore trousers. 🙂
And why create problems where they can be avoided quite simply? I note that we lived in Aswan, which was then less touristy. Where there are few Europeans.
As for the Saudis…well, a true Saudi never marries a Russian/Ukrainian…and be afraid of what will never happen to you, why? The maximum that a foreign wife who converted to Islam can get into KSA for Hajj or Umrah for a few days. And then, it will not be the wife of a Saudi, but also a Muslim who performs the Hajj, or who got a job in the KSA. Those. a priori, struck in the rights, and his wife, even more so.
This country has never aspired to democracy, and will not aspire. And to measure it by the standards of the emancipated countries of Europe and America is ridiculous. East is East, and West is West. And together they will never come together (R. Kipling). - kira:
This country has never aspired to democracy, and will not aspire. And to measure it by the standards of the emancipated countries of Europe and America is ridiculous. East is East, and West is West. And together they will never come together (R. Kipling).
Thank you for the answer. It was very interesting to learn about your experience, Well, I see a woman with a mind, but I hope you don’t run headlong out of the room when a plumber or another master comes to your house, or your mother-in-law, then that the door is open, I I think it already says a lot.
I have seen quite a lot of Egyptians, but for the most part, they are quite educated, and I will say, more modern than the Zalivians, also a lot of old Egyptian cinema of the 1950s confirms this, they, in my opinion, have more or less open relations than, say , in comparison with the Gulf Arabs, the Egyptians rather remind me of matriarchy, even though I heard from my Egyptian friends that children remain with their mother until a certain age, when it is very difficult to agree with the Gulf about children, in most cases, the child remains with dad , and in Egypt, I see, it’s more democratic, you live better, at least our Egyptian friends, all quite educated and open, maybe a maximum hijab for a wife, and then, if desired, there is no Saudi cruelty,
Then, I don’t want to measure Saudi and Europe, I can only compare some Arab countries with others, I traveled quite a bit in the Middle East and the Middle East, and I can say how they differ from one another, savagery is not my thing, since having Yemenis -friends whom I really appreciate, and a Saudi I know, I also know Egyptians, Palestinians, Omanis, Bahrainis and Emirates with Qataris, and I never compare East with West: different cultures, I'm just talking about elementary decency that does not cross the borders of savagery , where my friend's men, who pretend to be friends, had the audacity to betray trust and commit savagery with his Egyptian wife, also other Arabs faced similar cases, I think this is saying something, even if Jean Sasson believes it or not
- kira:
You see, there is just a human attitude towards a woman, but there is savagery, as, for example, in Saudi Arabia: one Saudi man played cards with his friends at home, his sister, about 13 years old, came out to loud voices, and in a hijab, asked not to shout Gromeo because she has to get up early for school, and what do you think, those friends of the Saudi, knowing that this is the sister of their friend, they think they are like brothers, they took and raped the girl in a crowd, and she became pregnant ... And what did the brother stand up for his sister ?! No, of course, she was sentenced to death by hanging, only first she had to give birth to a child, then under the pretty little hands on the scaffold .. Well, I think the Egyptians would not have come to this, they generally don’t like the Gulf, and the Saudis are semi-offenders - they consider them Wahhabis, they say so, we are Egyptians, Palestinians, etc., but not Gulf Arabs, these are not Arabs from the Gulf, From the Gulf ..
And when they start talking here, here I am, waiting for the tram, I didn’t have to open the door, without my husband, otherwise, go ahead, it’s uncivilized, not human, but medieval, if you have a civilized person in front of you, and not - a savage descended from the mountains, with a jambia, who, when he sees a woman, throws himself at her, or controls the tyrant so that she does not run away later, intimidates, you can open the door for him, he will normally ask you, and go about his business, will not rush to his wife, or she will calmly watch how she is being raped, and there is no need to say whether he is an Arab and was brought up in a different culture, or an American, who can also show savage tendencies, JUST SHOULD BE BORN A HUMAN !!! AND TO HAVE RESPECT FOR PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY FOR A WOMAN WHO IS PROTECTED IN EASTERN RELIGIONS, AND A TALK ABOUT WHAT SHOULD NOT BE SHOWN IN THE EYES OF A LOCKER OR A PLUMBER, RUNNING FROM THEM, IS CONFUSING, SINCE THIS IS THE POINT WHICH A WOMAN SENDS TO IN THE FUTURE, NOT TOTALLY CIVILIZED MAN TO GIVE A CHANCE TO ATTACK HER, THAT IS ACTUALLY GIVE HIM THE GREEN LIGHT TO THE ACTION OF TYRANCE. VANIE IN SAUDI LEAVES WITH A SMILE.. 🙁
Someone fills their ears that a Saudi is, and most likely just works there. Maybe a Gulf Arab, maybe a Yemeni.
This is not an option IMHO.
And about “how to behave” - there is a lot of information on the forum.
The country of the most orthodox Sunnism, we had one acquaintance from Jeddah with a hat - so he believed that a wife even in the house should walk in a kiab, and not even in a niqab, but with only one open eye ... they say this is a great happiness for a woman and a merit, even if her children don't see her face. This is of course a more than extreme case, but nevertheless not an isolated one ... - Simon:
Svetlana!
You can live with a Saudi in Ukraine if he works there, for example, at the embassy .. But be careful, there are still those people .. As long as you are needed or loved, everything will be ok, gifts, going to the cinema, somewhere else, and then as they say "soup with a cat" ..
Soup, of course, they won’t make you, but they can simply leave without explaining the reasons .. Still, the Saudis are different, there is nothing who studied at USEI. who are in Europe .. They are interesting people, religiosity, to a greater extent, shown, they can drink and hide behind the Koran, there was a story with the Saudis .. If you want to tell me, write your e-mail
Good luck to you 😉
- adel:
Givy v Saudii, zamygem, za inostrancem, rabotajushim zdes po kontrakty.Ljudi! ne nado vse svodit k krainosti. poimite, vse otnositelno! Otnositelno vashih zaprosov k gizni i k ludjam kotorie vas okrygajut. kto-to - doch horoshih i nebednih roditelei,davshih ei 1-2 obrazovanija.Ona emansipirovana,rabotaet v rossii,vidit "vkys gizni" -tyt ei bydet ad i turma.Kto-to -pravoslavnie(a-to i vovse ljudi bez prinadlegnosti k kakoi libo vere) - im tyt bydet nevinosimo. To-to - mysylmane, dlja takih-Rai! potomy chto Mekka, Medina - vse pod bokom.
Vot ja-mysylmanka ot rogdenija,ja zamygem za mysylmaninom kotorii hodit na raboty v kostjume,mi vmeste sovershaem polomnichestva po vihodnim,hot i dalekovato ehat do teh gorodov.Tolko odno propadaet-y menja 2 visshih obrazovanija,a ja ne workaju.Tolko din sovet,kto reshaet svoju sydby,i ishet menija ljudei na forumah,chtobi prinjat reshenie - zadaite sebe vopros: zachem-mne-eto-nygno ?
Kstati, who givet zdes, v Saudii - otzovites: [email protected]
Ja givy v city Yanbu 🙂 - Sofia:
And you, Slavena Russkaya, know all of your ancestors up to at least the 7th generation ... and they are all of the same blood and one confession ...
And there were no devout scoops among them, and the traditions are all entirely in the spirit of Domostroy, right?
Here I have, for example, Poles, Lithuanians, Russians, Georgians, Japanese in blood. These are only those whom I know. And I know my ancestors for more than 7 tribes, heh.
There may have been believers, and even more so religious ones, among them, but at least until the depths of 1750, definitely not a single one. All some tricks against the authorities, but brawlers, and entrepreneurs. And race has nothing to do with it. By the way, Arabs are Indo-Europeans, that is, "white", descendants of Ham.
The only tradition and faith is the family, men also have the fatherland. For women, the fatherland is the one that her husband chooses.
- Zhenya:
why is it inappropriate? This is truly creepy as well. And I don’t even look at princes in handkerchiefs, especially after such articles
- Zhenya:
- Sofia:
Because it has nothing to do with the topic.
But if you feel like it, I’ll say that in Islam “toilet” topics are not discussed in public in principle.
In general, Islam is very nervous about the topic of purity.
For example, there was a fatwa - why believing Muslims should not wear a ring with the name All-a on their hand - because the owner can go to a latrine, and then this name will be defiled.
In the same Saudi, such things are very jealous. This is an extremely taboo society. Those who grew up in it live in peace. the one who got into it from the side - even if it is an Arab (Zalivovsky, or Egyptian) - takes it all hard.
I was in KSA, the only time, with my husband, and that was enough for me ... and for him too. But he is an Arab, a Sunni, a performer! - Michael:
Great article!
😉 in Europe, so to speak, civilized is much worse, both materially and morally, since here a man is not completely a man and a woman you won’t understand a woman or where ...
In general, I really like the laws of Saudi Arabia and not everything is as feudal as it seems!
I choose only the east, here it is completely determined what is male and female, as it should be, I will definitely go to this country! 😆 😆 😆 - Graphomaniac:
Yeah, the spiritual world of a woman in SA is shopping and black drapery a la cockroach. It's funny to talk about princesses. Dubai can also be called a golden cage, and it is such a dark prison for women that I even wonder how they go there. And this is the country where the Kaaba is located? What a horror, it is not surprising that ISIS grew up on this, they also have “tales for princesses in black drapery”, they buy it like an animal, because everywhere they make one animal out of women ... or sick people, only zaer and big people, for example, AUTS have similar restrictions. That means who women are considered in Saudi Arabia ... Oh, and women are not properly given even the most elementary education in order to understand who they are for their fathers, husbands, and men in general. How do women raise their children in general, if they fell into SUCH slavery and even worse? 😯
- Dasha:
reading some messages, you are simply surprised: the feeling that there are people who have not met anything cooler than alcohol and miniskirts in their lives. You can find a lot of nonsense about SA, there is not much truthful information. A lot of attention is paid to women's education. Yes, students of different genders study separately. What is the most important thing in education? Are they studying to sit next to people of the opposite sex? The same applies to work. Personally, I'm not interested in all this at all. I like everything. I believe that women are thus protected like nowhere else. You can not be afraid of encroachment, or that the husband will force you to work or will demand to participate in the formation of the family budget, as happens sometimes in the so-called. free societies. I'm not religious, but it is this system that protects all women. And whoever doesn’t like it, no one keeps them and drags them into this country by force. Excuse me, even entering the country is not easy. There is nothing to say about a residence permit.
- Dasha:
And why is the topic of women always mentioned? There are no less strict rules for men in the SA, it is unfair to procrastinate only women's topics and cite dubious tabloid authors like Cesson as confirmation. If someone really read it, then you don’t have to be a prof. an orientalist to understand that even from a chronological point of view, her books are full of gross inconsistencies. Sesson and everyone who publicly rinses this topic of "female humiliation" obviously, in principle, do not know what they are talking about. you need to study the CULTURE of the country in which you plan to live or visit. Try to understand this culture, to understand the essence. But to do this according to tabloid novels and dubious sources is a thankless task, a minimum of benefit and a lot of horror stories that do not correspond to reality.
- Sandal:
Here, dear ones, for some reason it seems to me that with Saudi Arabia it is some kind of vicious circle. They wrapped the woman in an abaya and niqab so that (God forbid!) she would not lure any man with her charms. Although the Quran does not require a woman to cover her face. Anyway. What did this lead to - young men, who had never seen a single aunt, not a single girl, besides close relatives, began to fantasize wildly at the mere glance of those mysterious velvet eyes from under the black veil ... Guard !!! Debauchery! A shame! What to do!!! Close their eyes, so as not to glare! Otherwise, they are painfully sexy ... And the faint-hearted men went ... Well, how they will fall into unconsciousness! Who will work! The family will go from hunger to the world ...
Exactly. Cover your aunts' faces completely so that they can't even see their eyes. And then there are the gloves. Also a good topic. And then the white skin of delicate hands with graceful thin fingers catches the eye against the background of a black abaya. Men get on their nerves...
Well, everything. The woman is completely protected. From whom? From men with indefatigable imagination, who rush at everything that moves. Why are they throwing? Because forbidden fruit is sweet! Known since the dawn of time...
And who am I to be protected from? In my country (thank God!) men rush at women in the street and grab their hands and don't whistle after them.
So what is better: to look at the world through a black net and shy away from every oncoming cross (what if! No matter how it happened!) Or walk with an open face and smile at those who smile at you, or simply because you are in a good mood and do not expect from anyone a dirty trick or a vulgar comment.
However, everyone chooses for themselves ...And one more note, sorry if it's off topic ...
Sofia wrote: “Arabs, by the way, are Indo-Europeans, that is, “white”, descendants of Ham.”
I don't know who's descendants are. And some such Arabs. There are all kinds of Arabs - both “white”, and not very, and very not ... 😉
And about the “whites”: what do you think, what are the descendants of Japheth? Not "white" or what? And the descendants of Ham seem to have settled in Africa ... In general, we still need to dig deeper into the sources in order to clarify ... Maybe I'm wrong around ...
🙄 🙄 🙄
However, many are still skeptical about the possibility of lifting the driving ban in the near future, since the majority of conservatives, whose influence in the country is strong, firmly believe that allowing driving a car can become a lever for the transition to a Western way of life and the destruction of traditional values.
In early 2012, the government began considering a proposal for a nationwide women-only bus system. Activists were divided in their opinions, some supported the idea, arguing that it would reduce the frequency of sexual harassment of taxi drivers and transport costs. Others criticize that this is an escapism from the real issue of recognizing women's right to drive. In July 2011, a Jeddah woman was sentenced to ten lashes for driving. This caused a public outcry, since before that the woman was required to sign an obligation that she would never drive. The punishment of flogging began to be applied after the rallies in support of women's rights in June. King Abdullah vowed to protect women's rights and overturned the verdict.
Women also cannot travel abroad without the permission of a male guardian, this prohibition applies to wives, adult unmarried daughters and sons of Saudis under the age of 21, even if they are citizens of other countries.
In September 2013, a group of 16 women activists staged a car rally, for which they had to pay a fine of $80, and their guardians were ordered to hide the keys to the women.
Legal issues
Political life
Noura Al Faiz, Undersecretary for Women's Education, is the first Saudi woman to hold this level of public office.
Princess Lolwa al-Faisal describes her views as being moderately conservative, advocating reforms that would, however, be in line with Islamic norms, stating the following:
“Islam sees men and women as equal but different. The ultra-conservatives and ultra-liberals actually seek to destroy the true Islamic image, but we keep it. Although there is still a problem with the interpretation of the law in the courts, Saudi women in some cases have more rights than in the West: their property is inviolable, and men are obliged to take care of them, and Western indiscretion leads to poor parenting "
Nevertheless, Lolva supports women's suffrage in municipal elections. During an interview with the princess, Thomas Friedman asked her what she would do if she were queen for a day, she replied: "The first thing I would do is let women drive."
In 2013, for the first time, the Saudi government provided sports for girls in private schools. At the end of 2015, for the first time, women gained the right to vote and take part in municipal elections. Among the candidates were registered 5938 men and 978 women. Salma bint Khizab al-Oteibi received the post of deputy in the province of Mecca. Despite this, during the balloting, women candidates were required to speak behind the partition or they were represented by a man. In addition, more than 130 thousand women took part in the voting, which, although insignificant compared to the 1.35 million male voters, is small, but is already considered an impressive figure for the first women's vote.
New forms of communication
Against the backdrop of strong gender segregation, alternative modes of communication began to gain popularity, with the help of technology and communication. For example, the anonymous correspondence of women and men through bluetooth technology is very popular, and the Saudis were the pioneers of this type of communication.
Saudi women, often without any opportunity to express their opinion, use social networks for this, one of these women states the following:
“In Saudi Arabia, we live more in a virtual world than in a real one. I know a lot of people who have romances through Facebook text messages but never actually meet. Many women also use Facebook to express their political and human rights, because in real life they simply cannot or are afraid »
Some conservative clerics are calling for a Facebook block, arguing that it promotes gender mixing and is a "door to lust." In 2010, the social network was temporarily blocked due to the fact that it did not "correspond to the moral values of the inhabitants of this country."
Criticism
Western critics often draw a parallel between the situation of Saudi women and the apartheid that existed in South Africa and extended to the black population. As evidence, they cite restrictions on women to travel, study, choose a profession, access to courts, and political speech.
Representatives of The New York Times newspaper write that Saudi women are now deprived of the same rights as they were once black / colored during apartheid in South Africa. Some critics say outright that Saudi Arabia's gender policy is a crime against humanity and needs to be intervened by the international community. They also criticize the US government, which wages an information war against their enemies - the Taliban, and political ally - Saudi Arabia is often bypassed, although their gender policy is in many ways similar to the Taliban. Maria Kaldor argues that the discriminatory policies in Saudi Arabia and the Taliban are in fact the same. On the contrary, political commentator Daniel Pipes sees that despite gender segregation, women have the opportunity to go to school or work.
Western companies that cooperate with Saudi Arabia and observe gender segregation in their country are also criticized. For example, Starbucks and Pizza Hut have built separate areas for women in their restaurants, and in the men's areas the service is much better and faster.
In 2001, Washington Post editor Colbert King noted that, as in Saudi Arabia, in South Africa the apartheid government viewed international criticism as an interference with its sovereignty and internal affairs. And then American corporations operating in South Africa had to obey local laws. And Colbert compares the policies of Western companies in Saudi Arabia to the “racist” Sullivan Principles that existed among Western companies in South Africa, but in this case, women, not blacks, are the object of oppression. Journalist Ann Applebaum argues that gender apartheid in Saudi Arabia is of no interest to American feminists. Because while the civil rights movement for blacks in South Africa was heavily supported by American civil rights leaders such as Jesse Jackson, American feminists have little interest in working with Saudi activists. One of the reasons is that anti-apartheid actions are almost impossible to carry out in conditions of rigid gender segregation, especially for foreign women.
The cultural relativism of Saudi Arabia is at the root of the de facto inaction of feminists such as Azar Majedi, Pamela Bohm and Maryam Namazi. They argue that political Islam in the country is closely linked to misogyny, and that Western liberals' desire to be tolerant of Islam often blinds them to the issue of discrimination and violence against women. Majedi and Namazi are themselves from Iran, which has also had a discriminatory policy against women for 40 years, one of them says the following:
“Roughly speaking, because of my place of birth, I have less rights than the same woman who was born in Sweden, England or France”
Pamela Bohn says feminist apathy is fueled by a dreary cultural relativism that pervades many women: “We're no better than them; We must not impose our opinions on them; We must look only at our own shortcomings,” and cultural relativism comes from fear, since criticism of Islam can often be equated with racism in the Western sense.
Anne Elizabeth Meyer, an American scholar of Islamic law, believes that gender apartheid is enshrined in the very constitution of Saudi Arabia:
9) "Respect the values of Saudi society, its traditions and rituals", educating the younger generation "on the basis of the Islamic faith, its prescribed devotion and obedience to Almighty Allah, His Prophet and authorities."
10) "Strengthen the Arab family, preserve Islamic family values, create the necessary conditions for improving the well-being and developing the abilities of members of Arab families."
Mayer argues that Articles 9 and 10 are leverage to deprive Saudi women of any opportunity to participate in public law or government, namely while respecting the values of pre-modern Islamic law in order to maintain the traditional patriarchal family, and to keep women subordinate, thus this is main root of gender apartheid.
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