MaxedOutMama
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
New Air
For some perspective on what has and has not happened in Lebanon, this post at Across the Bay is a great place to start.
For some perspective on the incredible social change that is being initiated across the region, please see this Arab News column:
For some perspective on the incredible social change that is being initiated across the region, please see this Arab News column:
As human beings, we should be free to practice our own faith and live our own lives, as long as doing so does not harm anybody and does not break the law.and:
Which makes me raise the question: Is there a written law in Saudi Arabia or in Saudi Basic Law that says a Saudi woman must cover her face in public? I do not know if such a law exists. When I asked several Saudi lawyers, the answer was “No.”
I wish I could tell these people that one of the observations made by the second National Forum for Dialogue is that the people of Saudi Arabia come from different backgrounds and ideologies and that there are those who follow all four schools of Islamic thought and that all should be respected. However, I doubt they would do much beyond mocking me and the forum’s recommendations.Also worth a read is this Arab News editorial entitled "The Winds Of Change":
What is necessary now is that the rest of the world give the Lebanese the space to make up their own minds about what they want. What happens next must be their decision. The only role the outside world has is in preventing a recurrence of violence, and the best way to do that is by keeping out. That means that that the US, France and everyone else saying what ought to happen must adopt a hands-off policy. The lesson of Lebanon’s civil war is that when outsiders begin interfering, Lebanon suffers.It is theirs, they claim it, and now the debate in these societies will increasingly be channeled into areas that are within their control and contribute to their future. This editorial compares the Beirut protests to the orange revolution in the Ukraine and the velvet revolution in Georgia. Or read even this police brief about a traffic accident involving a women driver in Jeddah (still illegal):
Winds of change are blowing though the region: Elections in Iraq, a successful rebellion against the old establishment in the Palestinian Parliament, constitutional changes on the cards in Egypt and now people power in Lebanon. Until a few weeks ago, change was seen as driven from outside, by the Americans. Those who still think that are clearly wrong. The Americans may have done some of the initial driving but it is now being driven from within. The Middle East is ready for change and wants a change but not only between Palestinian and Israeli.
An old woman caused a car accident when she was driving her car from one province to another. In her50 s, she drove the car to return to her husband. While driving at high speed she lost control and ran down a vehicle driven by a Sudani. Police arrived on the scene and concluded that the blame for the accident was 50 percent each. Unsurprised at the woman driver, the policemen commented that women driving in that province had became quite normal.Less than two years ago, the news that a 17 year old caught in one of the terrorist bombings had loaded some of the injured into a car and driven them to a hospital for help was quite controversial.
