Watch these and try to give me ONE reason why I shouldn’t love this woman!
I don’t understand why, to this day, many Saudis do not understand the concept of rights. They don’t know the meaning of the word “rights.”
I believe that in general, for the Saudi woman, every day is a new battle. She needs to find ways to live on the face of this earth without colliding with the law, with men, with society, with the religious clerics, or with the political establishment. She is besieged. There are five types of shackles, or jails, for the woman – if she manages to escape one, she might enter another. The first is the tribe, then comes the family, then the religious institutions, the political establishment, and finally, society. Wherever you go, you encounter a battle.
We, in the East – and I am talking about the East in a broad sense, including Pakistan, Turkey, and the Kurds… The way I see it, these are all wretched people, wretched men. This is obvious. He who has nothing cannot give anything to others. These men have lost what could have given them a real sense of masculinity. They draw their masculinity from Islam, if they are Muslims, of if they are non-Muslims, from the customs and tradition of the very harsh society that gives men more rights than women. Hence, they do not draw any strength from within. In the case of our Saudi society, they draw their strength from the weakness of women too. Most women choose to be weak, because it makes their lives easier. The weaker the wife is, the stronger the husband feels. How can you rely on a man who does not draw his strength from within?
Saudi society is based on enslavement – the enslavement of women to men and of society to the state. People still do not make their own decisions, but it is the women of Saudi Arabia who have been denied everything. The Saudi woman still lives the life of a slavegirl. So in what way are we different from Guantanamo? At least in the case of Guantanamo, many prisoners have been releases, while we remain in this prison, and nobody ever hears of us. When will we be freed? I don’t know.
Oh and I just KNEW that she’d do something on women’s day, I knew it!
I Love you WOMAN!
14 responses so far ↓
Saudi Stepford Wife // March 16, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I truly worry for her safety…I hope because she is front and center in the public eye, this will be her protection.
Qabbani // March 16, 2008 at 1:07 pm
الله يفرجها عليكم
arab woman // March 16, 2008 at 2:10 pm
i agree with her on almost all the points. except that the men are not giving her freedom because they are afraid from her. may be in some areas it could be true, but i believe that men themselves dont have freedom in countries such as ksa, and they revenge in women and women revenge in maids and so on.
Noura // March 17, 2008 at 5:16 am
What a lady !!! I pray for her safety ..
Allen // March 18, 2008 at 7:25 am
Hmmmm……
All of you have the support of the world in this. I know there are detractors even outside Saudi Arabia, but they number in the thousands, whilst your supporters number in the billions. I stand behind the womens movement in Saudi Arabia. And, let it be known, I am a man. So you can’t say I am biased :)
Nat // March 18, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Have you thought of moving to another country or something? :)
Nicholas // March 18, 2008 at 9:41 pm
RE: Nat, Saudi women can’t even travel to another city without the permission of a guardian. They can’t even get hospital paperwork to say they’re fit to travel without the permission of their guardian. Like Wajeeha said, they are in a situation far worse than prisoners. They are slaves. I’m sure plenty of women if they had the chance to free themselves or be freed would jump at a chance to get out of Saudi, although saying that, I’m sure there are some who just can’t see they are enslaved. :S
Lalla Mona // March 24, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Nat: *singing* if I couuuuuld then I wouuuuuld… !!!
Thanks Nicholas.
AGdedouy // March 25, 2008 at 12:47 am
there is no any reason why U shouldn’t love this woman
ما عندي ولا سبب
Fa6ma // March 25, 2008 at 5:01 am
Where I live [East of Saudi] things aren’t to the extent that she described, I don’t feel at all enslaved! I can go about where ever I want, but yeah I can’t travel far alone and that’s not because of the “slavery”, it’s simply prohibited in our religion to travel far alone without a man. It is true that a lot of our problems as women and the feeling of opression is caused by lack of transportation and ability, and freedome to do your stuff on your own. Because of not driving a car. Yes, it’s the stupidest rule and I love the things she said about this. But I disagree with her on what she said about the shackles, maybe it’s true in some areas of the country but not all. I know that this woman comes from an area near to where I live, and people of that area are more free in tradition and culture than people in my area, and yet she’s speaking in such a harsh way. I doubt that ALL she says is true, she shouldn’t generalize especially that; well, look at her! Does she look opressed to you?
She has the choice to go in any direction she’d like to, and I have to. Thank God I was raised in an open minded society.
Fa6ma // March 25, 2008 at 5:04 am
And by the way, in order for her to receive my blessings and approval to represent me as a Saudi woman, I’d like her to cover her hair if she really knew “right from wrong” and her religious limitations. I certainly don’t want to be represented by someone who ignores simple knowledge like covering one’s hair in front of other men.
I didn’t mean to be mean =p,, I just thought it’s a free blog? hehe..
I apologize anyway!
Lalla Mona // March 25, 2008 at 9:32 am
Fa6ma: First of all, I’M SHOCKED!!! :|
I swear I didn’t think you’d say such thing!!! Anyway, I’m glad you’re not living the shackles life style cuz let me tell you something, it sucks!
She doesn’t look oppressed to me YET she’s thinking about other women (something we don’t see very often). I think she was talking to you in the 2nd video from 1:55 to 2:26 please watch it!
About your second comment, I think we have a loooong way to go if we’re still discarding every positive action for not wearing Hijab :S
P.S. you don’t have to apologize! : )
Jo // March 25, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Fatimah,
First of all, Wajeha never claimed that she was an oppressed Saudi woman.
Second of all, you obviously miss the point that Wajeha made when she so eloquently stated, “Saudis do not understand the concept of rights”. For you, rights are about what you have. You completely disregard the fact that as far as Saudi law is concerned YOU are PRIVILEGED. You show a lack of compassion for Saudi women who DO suffer as a result of the status quo, whereas Wajeha obviously understands that the law was not made to provide HER and ONLY HER with a materialistic lifestyle. The law is here to protect ALL citizens, not just you, Fatimah.
Finally, it is one thing to stand up and claim people are suffering when they are not, and quite another to claim that people are happy when they are clearly suffering. Personally, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night, knowing that I played a role in spreading propaganda at the expense of human life, but, hey, that’s just me (and Wajeha and anyone else with the slightest comprehension of what rights entail).
P.S. If you feel that Wajeha does not represent you in the way that she wears the scarf then I’m damn sure I’d find a hell of a lot of Saudis who wouldn’t approve of your way of covering. So, puh-lease, gimme a fucking break.
Fa6ma // March 30, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Thanks Lalla Mona, yes I don’t need to apologize but I respect you and respect people who agree OR disagree with Wajeha and I simply found it appropriate to do so.
As for Jo, your message received, and I am going to reply only not now, when I am in full energy because now I’m almost asleep on my keyboard so can ya give me a fucking break for a while? Thanks =)
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