Speaking of Saudi Arabia.......My Niece was married to a guy that worked for BP there & one day they were told "no one can leave the camp".....That day in the town there was a Beheading....
Stories from America's old wild west days where families would take picnic lunches to go to town to watch a hanging!!
"SUNDAY.....SUNDAY....SUNDAY.....ACHMED MEETS ALLA....tickets at Ticketmaster!"

All that excitement brought to us by the 3rd world......They treat their women like sheesh...in Saudi women can't drive & bare arms are considered "offensive"
"Midnight at the oasis take your camel to bed"
In  Saudi Arabia , no Saudi citizen works & they all get an allowance from the King.......I worked with a fellow that used to service the pipeline by truck.....Sounds like the place to be if you don't mind a dry country.(NO BOOZE)....Camps they have booze but it must stay there!........So if your considering operating a sand farm, thats the place to be!......Kiss your freedoms good-bye!
Heres a pic of Uncle Sam presenting a new utensil set for the Matching Tablecloth & Napkin outfits
they wear!


Bolding stuff that needs to be corrected.

Re: Saudi women driving.  The ban was lifted almost a year ago.  They can drive now.

Re: bare arms.  That too is also changing.  The only place that they are really stringent about it is in the capital city.  More leeway is found in the port city of Jeddah.  Eventually it will spread across the country.  Just remember though that some women DO wear the traditional coverings by choice.  The same thing happened with Afghan women and burquas.

Re: working.  No, that is not true.  Saudi citizens DO work.  The only people that get stipends are the royal family, and they all work, including some of the women.  True, the women are discouraged from doing jobs that aren't supposedly suitable for them (they're usually teachers, OB/GYNs, nurses, etc.), but they can and do work.  The only thing that the government DOES hand out are basic necessities: healthcare, jobs, training for said jobs, and interest free loans so they can get housing.

Re: Alcohol.  Up until the 40's, alcohol was legal in Saudi Arabia for foreigners.  It wasn't until the King's stupid son had some poisonous alcohol that he passed around a party (that killed seven people, including a few women) that the King banned it for good.  Though it is banned, it doesn't mean it is followed.  Many Saudis truck in alcohol or bring it back with them after a vacation in another country.

Good to know, Jessica.

Still, I'd have to agree with Shacks that Saudi Arabia is a very backwards country -- although not that backwards by Islamic standards, admittedly.

Good to know, Jessica.

Still, I'd have to agree with Shacks that Saudi Arabia is a very backwards country -- although not that backwards by Islamic standards, admittedly.


Yeah, they do a lot of stuff I don't agree with, but you can't blame the religion for the people that interpret it so badly (the same could be said for the way the extremists over here interpret the Bible).

Since the topic of women covering up was brought up, I thought this relevant.  There is a passage in the Koran about covering up to preserve modesty in women ("And say to the believing women they they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; they should not display their beauty and ornament except what must ordinarily appear. --Sura XXIV, 31), but nowhere does it state that they have to wear the veil, the head covering, the cloak, gloves, and long stockings that the Ulema (men of religion) want them to wear.

Women's rights in Saudi Arabia have been a subject near and dear to my heart since I read Jean Sasson's books.  If you want to be outraged, read the "Princess" trilogy by her.  The woman whom the books were based on (a princess from the Saudi royal family) pretty much states that she doesn't blame her religion for the way women are treated, but the men of religion who run the country (yeah, there is a king, but even he is subject to the Shari'a courts).  It's sort of like how over here and how Christians think they run the country. :P

Bolding stuff that needs to be corrected.

Re: Saudi women driving.  The ban was lifted almost a year ago.  They can drive now.

Re: bare arms.  That too is also changing.  The only place that they are really stringent about it is in the capital city.  More leeway is found in the port city of Jeddah.  Eventually it will spread across the country.  Just remember though that some women DO wear the traditional coverings by choice.  The same thing happened with Afghan women and burquas.

Re: working.  No, that is not true.  Saudi citizens DO work.  The only people that get stipends are the royal family, and they all work, including some of the women.  True, the women are discouraged from doing jobs that aren't supposedly suitable for them (they're usually teachers, OB/GYNs, nurses, etc.), but they can and do work.  The only thing that the government DOES hand out are basic necessities: healthcare, jobs, training for said jobs, and interest free loans so they can get housing.

Re: Alcohol.  Up until the 40's, alcohol was legal in Saudi Arabia for foreigners.  It wasn't until the King's stupid son had some poisonous alcohol that he passed around a party (that killed seven people, including a few women) that the King banned it for good.  Though it is banned, it doesn't mean it is followed.  Many Saudis truck in alcohol or bring it back with them after a vacation in another country.


One thing that gets me is that Christians aren't even mentioned in Saudi Arabia.

I'm sure that there's a few Coptic Christians there that hide their identity.

One thing that gets me is that Christians aren't even mentioned in Saudi Arabia.

I'm sure that there's a few Coptic Christians there that hide their identity.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Saudi_Arabia

The short of it is that a lot of foreign workers are Christian, but they can't practice their faith.  There are very few Saudi Christians, though.

Saudi Arabia has become more constrained since King Fahd had his stroke and was replaced by his brother.  Fahd was very pro-western.  I'm told that if you want to let your hair down a bit you spend a few days in Bahrain.

Saudi Arabia has become more constrained since King Fahd had his stroke and was replaced by his brother.  Fahd was very pro-western.  I'm told that if you want to let your hair down a bit you spend a few days in Bahrain.




I recall reading about one of the other kings of Saudi Arabia that was very forward thinking in women's rights, but sadly, he was assassinated in the early 70s.

I recall reading about one of the other kings of Saudi Arabia that was very forward thinking in women's rights, but sadly, he was assassinated in the early 70s.


That was Faisal.  Fahd was his successor.  They were both pretty hip.  So was the Shah of Iran.

Yeah, they do a lot of stuff I don't agree with, but you can't blame the religion for the people that interpret it so badly (the same could be said for the way the extremists over here interpret the Bible).

Since the topic of women covering up was brought up, I thought this relevant.  There is a passage in the Koran about covering up to preserve modesty in women ("And say to the believing women they they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; they should not display their beauty and ornament except what must ordinarily appear. --Sura XXIV, 31), but nowhere does it state that they have to wear the veil, the head covering, the cloak, gloves, and long stockings that the Ulema (men of religion) want them to wear.

Women's rights in Saudi Arabia have been a subject near and dear to my heart since I read Jean Sasson's books.  If you want to be outraged, read the "Princess" trilogy by her.  The woman whom the books were based on (a princess from the Saudi royal family) pretty much states that she doesn't blame her religion for the way women are treated, but the men of religion who run the country (yeah, there is a king, but even he is subject to the Shari'a courts).  It's sort of like how over here and how Christians think they run the country. :P


Well, I'm not one to usually defend Christianity, but you gotta admit...  These Wahhabists take it way beyond what the Evangelicals do.

I just find it disgusting that we're allied to such a despicable country.

What became of Shacks?
???

Well, I'm not one to usually defend Christianity, but you gotta admit...  These Wahhabists take it way beyond what the Evangelicals do.

I just find it disgusting that we're allied to such a despicable country.


Yeah, but you just can't blame the religion though.  Blame the religious folk who translate (translate it to their own needs) the Koran.  Jordan, Kuwait, the Emirates, and several other Middle Eastern countries whose primary religion is Islam aren't as harsh as Saudi Arabia.

"God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts." :)


What became of Shacks?
???


Probably (hopefully) banned.

Yeah, but you just can't blame the religion though.  Blame the religious folk who translate (translate it to their own needs) the Koran.  Jordan, Kuwait, the Emirates, and several other Middle Eastern countries whose primary religion is Islam aren't as harsh as Saudi Arabia.

Very true.  Turkey is relatively moderate as well.  It's a shame that Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran are all pretty crazy though.

Probably (hopefully) banned.


I found Shacks pretty funny actually...    :-\\

I think Shacks got nailed for the alter boy stain glass window.

I think Shacks got nailed for the alter boy stain glass window.

Is that an altar boy or an altered boy?
:P