The Religious Policeman

I recently came across this site.

Explore Saudi Arabia

It's an educational site for English-speaking children, full of fascinating facts about Saudi Arabia.

Here's an example from the FAQ

Q: What rights do women have?
A: Women have the same rights to education as men and are increasingly taking up jobs in the community working in a wide range of professions from teaching and medicine to business and public relations.

A 2003 directive by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques says that it is important that women are now granted the same rights as men in all areas of public life. Women have always played a strong role within Saudi society and several women were recently appointed as advisors to the Al-Shura Council.

Just goes to show, it all depends on the question you ask. Try "What rights do women not have?", or "Do women have the same rights as men?"

However, let us not quibble. One of the sections promotes school twinning, whereby a Western and a Saudi school establish links. This is a Good Thing. The more we see of each other, the more we will understand each other, and the greater is the chance that we will live in peace and harmony.

But wouldn't it be great if they went the whole way, and had Exchange Visits? And did it for the teenagers, not just the younger ones? Talk about culture shock! We Saudis wouldn't go for it, imagine our girls, unveiled, being approached by young boys in the streets of Stockport, Cheshire! And young English boys coming back to the UK, having learnt the elaborate courting rituals of the Saudi male, flicking pieces of paper at girls with their telephone numbers on!

It's actually a nice site. Look at the videos. You'll see the 18/8 dance on Video 3. Then go thru all the videos, playing "Spot the Woman".