Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Bigger Than Life

Bigger than life images of the King can be seen all over the city of Jeddah. 


I try to focus on the positives about living here in Saudi Arabia.  Admittedly there are many things I must suck up, overlook, or ignore - otherwise it would drive me crazy.  Yesterday's post was about Saudi National Day, celebrating the birthday of this country.  Today I felt that I had to share an astounding article written by a young Saudi female university professor named Bayan Perazzo entitled "Why I Refuse to Celebrate Saudi National Day."  

On her Twitter account, Bayan describes herself as "a liberal feminist and excellent driver stuck in the wrong country."  She is a PhD candidate in International Law and Human Rights, holds a Master's Degree in Middle Eastern Politics and Islamic Law, and a Bachelor's degree in Sociology.  It is because of Saudi women like Bayan that I continue to have hope, as many here in Saudi Arabia do, that one day, among other things, this country will treat its women and foreign workers with the respect they deserve. The sheer gumption and courage this articulate young woman shows by speaking out like she does in a country that does not have freedom of speech and denies women their rights will amaze you.  This article will educate you and wow you.  Do yourself a favor and read it.  Your brain will thank you for it.  Follow Bayan on Twitter: @BintBattuta87 

CLICK HERE to read "Why I Refuse to Celebrate Saudi National Day."  

To read more thought provoking articles by Bayan, CLICK HERE.  




3 comments:

William Kendall said...

Thank you for providing the link to Bayan's post. She is a remarkable woman.

Jerry Mc Kenna said...

I expected to disagree with the article, but I found I agreed with everything she said (and I was familiar with enough of it).

One thing I will mention, for a society that censors images of various kinds, why in the world do they have huge images of the king?

Judy said...

Thank you for the link to that article, and it is indeed educational.