tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66137972011-08-16T20:13:13.657-07:00The diary of a Saudi man, currently living in the United Kingdom, where the Religious Police no longer trouble him for the moment.<br><br><strong> In Memory of the lives of 15 Makkah Schoolgirls, lost when their school burnt down on Monday, 11th March, 2002. The Religious Police would not allow them to leave the building, nor allow the Firemen to enter.</strong>alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.comBlogger3991100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1149274282847768462006-06-02T20:44:00.000-07:002006-07-12T23:51:39.786-07:00

Khalas: (Arabic): enough, no more, finished, that's it, the end.It is with very mixed feelings that I write this, my last post. The Religious Policeman has been commenting on Saudi Arabia, off and on, for two years. This is post number 400. Therefore, in the course of two years, I have written the equivalent of a very thick book.A number of commentors and emailers have also, over that time, very

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1149249393890519392006-06-02T04:46:00.000-07:002006-06-02T04:56:33.906-07:00

Where would the Religious Policeman be without "Uwe", its soccer correspondent in Germany? As the build-up continues to the 2006 World Cup (stop yawning, you lot), Uwe has told me about a "Miss World Cup" competition held a few days ago in a small town in Germany, won by Miss Togo.But here is Miss Saudi Arabia. How wonderfully Haram! And yes, as far as I can judge, she is a genuine Saudi.

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1149180349504000862006-06-01T09:39:00.000-07:002006-06-01T09:47:31.950-07:00

I may be able to resist Mme. Nicotine these days, but I can never resist a camel photo. And as for a whole album of silly, surrealistic ones....Camel photo albumThanks, "b_e"!...........

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1148919293506683482006-05-30T08:57:00.000-07:002006-05-30T08:55:05.483-07:00

"Every man who is high up loves to think that he has done it all himself; and the wife smiles, and lets it go at that. It's our only joke."So speaks the knowing wife, in J.M.Barrie's play of that name. Written in England in 1908, it preceded the Women's vote. It tells of a time when women were powerful in the home, but not in society at large.It took the efforts of thousands and thousands of

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1148930121209161522006-05-29T11:44:00.000-07:002006-05-30T05:51:10.913-07:00

....I'm not going to be "conned"!Like many blogs, I fell for the Iranian color-coding the Infidels story, and its subsequent retraction, and duly ate humble pie.I managed to steer clear of the Two Saudis on the School Bus story, because for me it didn't ring true as some sort of dastardly crime.And this one is definitely someone trying to stir up trouble and give the Muslim Offense Level a real

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1148726026395030182006-05-27T03:17:00.000-07:002006-09-10T03:14:59.300-07:00

We never forget our first love. I was reminded of that, on a day when the Saudi press is relatively quiet. Not a lot happening. Nothing to tremble the Muslim Offense Level meter. Not even an unctious story about thirty royal hangers-on saying farewell to the King as he is driven all the fifty miles from Makkah to Jeddah with a bag of candy and his favorite comic.Then this story caught my eye.With

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1148589741934508412006-05-25T13:01:00.000-07:002006-09-10T03:10:24.516-07:00

Maybe, just maybe, there is a glimmer of light on the horizon. Maybe our Modernizing Father Figure has had a little word in the shell-like of baby brother Prince "Nasty" Nayif, Minister of the Interior.Prince Naif Curbs Power of Virtue CommissionInterior Minister Prince Naif yesterday curbed the powers of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in handling issues such as

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1148587242451952792006-05-25T12:39:00.000-07:002006-09-10T03:11:06.903-07:00

I've added two new links over at the right.Saudi Arabian Women's Rights is a blog site run by a group of Australian students. It is designed to raise awareness of the lack of these rights, and to campaign for improvement. There's a petition over there that you can go and sign.Alien Memoirs is a nice blog run by Aya, a Saudi student who is currently studying in the USA. It's good to see a sane,

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1148407567265858302006-05-23T10:40:00.000-07:002006-05-24T08:25:02.330-07:00

Subject: Turki bin Faisal al Saud (Nicknames "Prince", "Ambassador")Date: 23 May 2006STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL1. Principal, you may remember that I have already written to you on a number of occasions about our student Turki.2. I initially advised you against admitting him to our school.Whilst his family is extremely rich, its wealth was acquired by dubious means. There are many reports of the family

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1148337433063457442006-05-22T15:08:00.000-07:002006-05-22T15:38:43.876-07:00

....Oh Modernizing Father Figure!....Oh Engineer of Economic Reforms!....Oh Grower of the Grecian Feline!We thank you most sincerely for your economic reforms, especially charging the rest of the world more for their gas so that you can cut the price of ours!Campaign to collect 1m messages of thanksRiyadh: There was a tremendous response from both citizens as well as expatriates to the campaign

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1148284327428072492006-05-22T00:51:00.000-07:002006-05-22T13:18:41.276-07:00

The Suburban screeches to a halt, tyres squealing, black clouds of rubber rising with the dust. Four pairs of spindly, hairy legs emerge, four dirty thobes, four ridiculous sticks, four long straggly beards that have never ever known the scented seductiveness of shampoo, deep inside which are the small dried-up memories of meals long forgotten.But enough of the niceties. There's men's work to be

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1148136375554495652006-05-20T06:16:00.000-07:002006-05-23T14:09:56.656-07:00

That's a lazy title. I've got a mountain of work to get thru this weekend, so I'm going to post two articles that more or less speak for themselves, with the very tenuous connection of the title, and let you get on reading them for yourself.When Edward Lear wrote his nonsense poems, he obviously had Saudi Arabia in mind when he spoke of the "Land where the Bong Tree grows". But how about the "

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1147972070884785522006-05-18T09:53:00.000-07:002006-05-18T15:24:07.100-07:00

From: Royal Press SecretaryTo: Editors of all Saudi NewspapersDate: 20, Rabi al-Thani, 1427Subject: His Majesty's views on women in newspaper photographs. World Food Program donation. Risk-Free Fund. Taboo items. "Modernizing Father Figure".1. It is clear that certain foreign newspapers and agencies have deliberately chosen not to understand His Majesty's very clear views on this subject, when he

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1147955125446834382006-05-18T06:14:00.000-07:002006-05-18T09:01:26.526-07:00

To counter rumors that this blog is in fact the idle musing of a cute but middle-aged rodent, I am now pleased to report the publication of an authoritative account.I believe it was Descartes who originally said in Latin "Wikipedia, ergo sum" ("I am in Wikipedia, therefore I am"), and indeed there he is , so it must be true. And if we go to the same source, what do we also now find?The Religious

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1147865150011663142006-05-17T04:04:00.000-07:002006-05-17T06:50:28.980-07:00

King Abdullah has come to the rescue of our tumbling Stock Exchange. But first, he has other important matters to consider....And may I say, Your Majesty, how nice your pussy is looking this morning!It's not just me, is it? There is a black pussy cat on his chin, isn't there? Now if it were possible to fail an "Ink Blot Test", I'd be the person to do it. But look here, surely someone else sees a

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1147800498778191592006-05-16T09:42:00.000-07:002006-05-17T05:09:13.903-07:00

What is it with Arab leaders and Grecian 2000? That thought crosses my mind every time I see Saddam Hussein's hair on TV, and of course our own beloved King Abdullah's mustache and beard. How does he avoid getting it on his lovely white thobe? What induces him to trim his beard to look like a rear view of an overweight black cat, and then apply a mixture of Propylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, Stearyl

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1147632529036399002006-05-14T11:39:00.000-07:002006-05-17T02:43:30.466-07:00

Many thanks to some Commentors who flattered me by asking whether I was indeed Terry Pratchett, the author. Apparently they felt that our writing styles were similar. I had to confess that I was not. Indeed, if I were, then with all the books I had published, I would be too busy going thru my bank statements to have any time to blog. But they did excite my curiosity, and this weekend I went out

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1147513813265350422006-05-13T04:50:00.000-07:002006-05-13T07:27:33.930-07:00

Thanks to "Uwe", the "Religious Policeman's" soccer correspondent in Germany, who has brought and translated a number of stories from Germany, including the one about the ...erm...display of national flags in Munich.He now informs me that, according to the German newspaper, "Bild Zeitung", the Saudi Arabian team bus for the forthcoming World Cup will have this slogan on the side....The Green

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1147521612431018372006-05-13T04:48:00.000-07:002006-05-13T15:07:33.096-07:00

Thanks to "Khesh" for pointing me to this article in the London "Sunday Times".Saudi's 180mph road racers cause carnageTONIGHT it is a couple of Porsche 911s but it could be a Ferrari, aLamborghini or a supercharged American racer. A group of young men have gathered on an empty road on the fringes of the desert to watch the latest craze in the oil-rich Middle East — illegal road racing. Two cars

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1147435661030550882006-05-12T04:42:00.000-07:002006-05-12T08:34:00.940-07:00

A bit like the previous story of the Saudi lady in Munich Airport, this one from the "Arab News" doesn't seem to make much sense. Is there some deeper, darker motive?Grifters Deprive Saudi of SR200mJeddah police retrieved SR10 million from a gang of African grifters who convinced a man they had magical powers that could turn him into a high-ranking official, Al-Madinah daily reported

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1147380708802556112006-05-11T12:11:00.000-07:002006-05-12T01:36:36.866-07:00

(from our Muslim Offense Level correspondent)I understand from sources close to the MOL (Muslim Offense Level) Adjudication Office that an increase in the level is being contemplated. There is clear evidence that the entire Muslim Ummah has been grievously offended, and yet no apology has been received. However the Unbelievers will not be officially notified for some weeks, for reasons that will

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1147252924964521592006-05-10T01:24:00.000-07:002006-05-10T06:55:30.103-07:00

(continued....)"And I know which end you'd go for each time, Bedu-boy!" AbdulAziz was tempted to say, reflecting the city-dwellers' prejudice about night-time recreations out in the desert, but he kept the thought to himself. Instead he smiled benignly, as befits someone of Royal Breeding.Encouraged by the response to his last inspiration, he pressed on. "I've had yet another Good Idea!". Ibrahim

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1147118491033384672006-05-08T11:48:00.000-07:002006-05-08T14:43:49.176-07:00

Following my earlier post featuring this airplane, where I asked the question "Would you entrust your life to something called the Flying Camel?", one of the commenters replied that they would, if I would. Which was very kind of them, because then I would have a companion to reassure me, and a forearm to grab tight hold of whilst keeping my eyes closed and reciting a continuous prayer.In modern

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1146926082446500632006-05-06T06:24:00.000-07:002006-05-06T09:28:06.850-07:00

Following the earlier post with photos, "John G" has passed on the URL to his album of photos taken while he was a youthful expat in Saudi. I love looking at these photos that people have taken, because they also bring back memories for me as well. Because the sad thing is that photography is very much frowned upon in the Kingdom. There is a great difference of opinion amongst our learned

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1146868463148026472006-05-05T15:22:00.000-07:002006-05-05T15:34:23.166-07:00

Following on from the miracle fish, we now have a miracle egg.(Thanks again, "xtmprszntwlfd", I'll forgive your silly name on this occasion because of the title of your email - "Allahu eggbar"! And we'd have missed this, but for you reading the "Borneo Bulletin"!)Egg shell found with 'Allah' inscription Miracles of Islam in this modern world are found everywhere. A staff member at the Ministry of

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1146743261734676072006-05-05T10:24:00.000-07:002006-05-05T02:45:27.930-07:00

Thanks to several correspondents who have written to me about this. I know that a lot of you in the States and the West are getting very concerned about gas prices rocketing up. Whereas in Saudi Arabia, we have the cheapest gas on the planet. 90 halalas per liter. That's about 87 US cents a gallon. So while you in the States are paying $3 a gallon or more, and in the UK are now paying up to 1

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1146761980267825882006-05-04T09:51:00.000-07:002006-05-04T09:59:40.313-07:00

Thanks to "Beachhutman" for pointing me in the direction of these wonderful old photos. Carefree Western expatriate times in the Eastern Province, just after WWII. Look at the Flight Attendant with her flowing locks, and the "Flying Camel". (Would you entrust your life to something called the Flying Camel?)Happy days, before they invented Religious Policemen.

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1146738706093008412006-05-04T03:14:00.000-07:002006-05-04T04:13:22.720-07:00

Thanks to "John Bradley" for pointing me in the direction of this Reuters article:Outspoken Saudi bloggers wary of "official" groupOutspoken bloggers in ultraconservative Saudi Arabia said this week they fear that a new "official community" of Saudi bloggers was an attempt to threaten their freedom and anonymity. It refers of course to OCSAB, the self-styled "Official Community of Saudi Bloggers"

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1146589748671343732006-05-02T09:38:00.000-07:002006-05-02T10:48:05.150-07:00

Thanks to "Brian P" for alerting me to this item from the "Green Truth".It's what we call a "Saudi Seduction Scene".According to the report, the man allegedly snuck into his maid’s quarters after his wife had gone to sleep and attempted to rape her.The Filipina maid is obviously flattered by his attention, but doesn't want to seem too eager at this stage.The Filipina managed to escape his

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1146480676387957422006-05-01T02:22:00.000-07:002006-05-01T04:00:33.603-07:00

The A's have just got back from another long weekend, taking advantage of what the British call the "May Day Bank Holiday", which is a bit of a swizz really because we didn't see one Maypole, nor any Morris dancers, nor even a winding procession of the starving and down-trodden proletariat. However there were lots of banks closed, but that seems to be normal over here. The only banks that seem

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1146135847930491642006-04-28T03:45:00.000-07:002006-04-27T23:38:46.500-07:00

When we were talking about The Work Ethic the other day, I did make the suggestion that we could reduce Saudi unemployment, not to mention Saudi fecklessness, at a stroke by only employing Saudis as drivers for Saudi families. Hey, Presto, 1.25 million instant jobs.However I am a hopeless idealist, and simple solutions in Saudi Arabia usually end up being simplistic. And everything in Saudi

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1145997127662209192006-04-25T22:21:00.000-07:002006-04-26T00:00:47.726-07:00

....for our Saudi World Cup Soccer team in Germany. I know it's the next-door country, but I feel just like that little Dutch Boy, sticking his finger into the dyke (you in the corner, why are you sniggering?) and every time one leak gets plugged another one sprouts up like a Gorgon's Head because I'm going frantic here and mixing my metaphors dreadfully....First we had the "Skin Issue", expanses

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1145957439379405892006-04-25T02:22:00.000-07:002006-04-25T03:24:34.773-07:00

....to airarabia of Sharjah in the Emirates, for:- supporting the Cartoon genre- poking gentle fun at us- acknowledging "South Park" in spite of its Mohammedan irreverence- demonstrating that even Arabs enjoy a bit of whimsy and humor- making me smileHint: Every time you "Refresh", you get a different destination. And they are animated. There goes your lunch break! But if you still have some time

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1145873847071988032006-04-24T02:05:00.000-07:002006-04-24T12:10:35.743-07:00

....two of my favorite interests. But enough about me, there are far more important concerns. Remember this item about the Saudi soccer team? How the off-the-field preparation for the World Cup involved dealing with the "Skin Issue"?"We do have a photo exhibition in the pool area which shows a lot of skin and it goes without saying that it will be removed by then," Michel Prokop, the hotel's

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1145646507909450542006-04-21T11:42:00.000-07:002006-04-22T00:49:32.150-07:00

When God created Saudi Arabia, he also presented us with three gifts:- The Holy Mosques at Makkah and Madinah, for our spiritual needs- The Oilfields, for our material needs- The Indian Subcontinent, so that we had people to sweep out the former and pump out the latter.Perhaps as a result of this, we have developed certain fixed ideas about what we will and will not do for a career. Generally,

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1145638740411915782006-04-21T09:17:00.000-07:002006-04-21T09:59:00.560-07:00

Better news today for journalist Rabah Al-Quwayi, who went into the police station to get a crime number for his vandalized windscreen, and came out with….Well, actually, he didn’t come out.“They said they had closed the case of vandalizing my car and opened a new one that said they doubted my belief in Islam based on writings I posted on the Internet,” said Al-Quwayi. At the police station he

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1145528323008127672006-04-20T02:46:00.000-07:002006-04-20T04:23:10.513-07:00

22 December 2005Britain secures £10bn contract from Saudis for EurofighterBritain's aerospace industry received a massive boost yesterday after the Government announced a deal worth an estimated £10bn to supply Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia.The biggest beneficiary of the huge arms deal will be BAE Systems, which has a 37 per cent stake in the pan-European consortium that

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1145469589882957102006-04-19T09:35:00.000-07:002006-04-20T07:21:35.010-07:00

....that I, in my capacity as the Muslim Ummah's official keeper of the "Muslim Offense Level", downgraded the level to "Condition Blue - Somewhat Offended". Although the color does clash a bit with the green of the blog, it is now appropriate because:There have been no further major provocations by Unbelievers in recent weeksWe have now trained the Unbelievers to apologize unconditionally

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1145438482410100482006-04-19T01:41:00.000-07:002006-04-19T09:08:53.060-07:00

The problem with democracies is that you don't know who is going to be the next ruler of your country. Instead you have ballots every now and then, it's just like playing Bingo, and it's all a surprise. But with our system, we can see who's coming down the line, there's a certain horrible inevitability about the whole thing. When King Fahad was on the throne, we knew that next in line was

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1144943230089281402006-04-13T08:43:00.000-07:002006-04-14T03:05:59.796-07:00

As we approach June, I apologize in advance to those who don't follow "The Beautiful Game", but I may become slightly obsessed with soccer. That's because the World Cup in Germany is almost upon us. Here we see the Saudi team, not a bad bunch of lads really, thankfully most are clean-shaven; not only does that lower their wind-resistance, but a large and sweaty beard is the most disgusting thing

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1144756571697962522006-04-11T04:00:00.000-07:002006-04-12T00:20:28.983-07:00

Many of us have been there, at school. You're not in with the "In Crowd". In fact you're barely in with the "Out Crowd". But you detest the "In Crowd" with every fiber of your being. Except now, one of them is handing out invitations to their party, and you're not invited. Which makes you desperate to go to the party, even though you despise them.Marx knew all about this, and one of the tenets of

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1144746285862897182006-04-11T01:42:00.000-07:002006-04-11T06:18:27.143-07:00

We've been talking about fish a lot recently. Not least the special "Allah" commemorative fish, limited edition, personally autographed by Him. And as several readers have pointed out, the fish also has a special significance as a Christian symbol. I understand that this sign was marked at the entrance to the Rome catacombs where the underground Christian church would hold its services, in the

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1144668380966729712006-04-10T03:45:00.000-07:002006-04-10T07:37:51.916-07:00

In response to popular demand from the Comments section, I'm publishing some more fan mail that I've received. Thankfully, this time, it's not in block capitals, and is relatively polite, although obviously deeply disappointed...I have visited your Web site several times. While we both share the same sentiment regarding the restrictions of Saudi Arabia, the difference is that I, as a Muslim,

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1144590518731003132006-04-09T06:34:00.000-07:002006-04-09T11:14:09.613-07:00

I don't know about you, but I think I've had all the surprises I can take for now. But there's more. Just when we'd thought we'd seen the last of the "Allah Fish", another one pops up, (Thanks, "Sohan"). According to the "Gulf News"It should have been an everyday expedition for the Pakistani fisherman as he sought his catch in the Arabian Gulf. But what started as a routine voyage rapidly turned

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1144503843169488962006-04-08T05:51:00.000-07:002006-04-08T07:32:16.506-07:00

OK, so we've done movies. (Especially the "Spaghetti Western"!) What else do Westerners do for fun? Well, there's the Surprise. Like the Surprise Party. Or the ordinary Party where a Surprise walks through the door, like this "Whipogram". Here the Birthday Boy or whoever is being chastized by a very severe-looking lady with some sort of whip, to the amusement of everyone standing around. It all

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1144499275398562562006-04-08T04:59:00.000-07:002006-04-08T05:27:55.483-07:00

What would a Blogger's life be like, without hate mail? So it was really nice to get this one from "queen.oman@gmail.com". (Slightly edited with my "delete thingy" - I can be a bit of a prude)F*CK U PIG BURN IN HELL ENJOY UR LIFE TEMPORARLY BUT REMEMBER ABOVE UR F*CKING HEAD THERE'S A GOD WHO SEES AND HEAR WUT UR F*CKING EYES CAN'T SEE AND WUT UR F*CKING EARS CAN'T HEARSTAY IN UR DARKNESSI'LL

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1144405920059343252006-04-07T02:55:00.000-07:002006-04-07T04:53:15.063-07:00

I'm a great watcher of movies. So you can imagine how much, for that reason, I enjoy being in the West, and how Saudi Arabia is some form of deprivational torture. This article about movies in Arabia estimates that"in Saudi Arabia it was only possible to see 5% of all the films produced worldwide" (and only on television).....and that's the trashiest, oldest, 5%. The sort of stuff that in the

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1144344762096582352006-04-06T09:24:00.000-07:002006-04-06T11:01:12.346-07:00

Remember the “Fake Sheikh”, the “Pseudo Saudi”, whom I wrote about earlier? He’s the undercover reporter for the UK’s “News of the World”, who convinced Princess Michael of Kent and England soccer manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, among others, that he was “the real thing”, and got them to come out with all sort of indiscreet comments, which were duly printed to their great embarrassment. Real name

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1144239292582876352006-04-05T05:00:00.000-07:002006-04-05T05:28:21.270-07:00

So. FarewellThen Gene PitneyAnguished voiceof Teenage Angst.Although much older,you spoke to meacross the decades.You came froma Town Without Pitybut made itall the way to Meccain my own country.You, too, knew that life wasHalf Heaven - Half Heartacheand thatIt Hurts To Be In Loveso,like you,I decided thatI'm Gonna Be strong.Keith's Mum thought thatyou were Fab and Groovyand I thought you were

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1144230967324351992006-04-05T02:48:00.000-07:002006-04-05T04:24:22.503-07:00

.....so not much time for blogging. However a couple of things caught my eye.The first is a new TV program that Al Jazeera TV are going to be broadasting thruout the Middle East (Thanks, "Stewart"), including, of course, Saudi Arabia.Al-Jazeera buys Welsh sheep showA Welsh-language children's show featuring musical sheep is to be shown on Arabic TV channel al-Jazeera....The series will be shown

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1143843417968894762006-03-31T13:46:00.000-08:002006-04-02T05:06:57.783-07:00

The scene is again the Ministry of Finance, Ibrahim's office. AbdulAziz, the royal relative, MBA from the US Business College, is sitting upright, looking very pleased with himself. Saeed, the Bedu, is lying back in his chair, yawning and picking bits of wax out of an ear. Ibrahim, the manager, is slumped forward over his desk, looking depressed. An Indian guy, in light brown overalls, is

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1143802968176505182006-03-31T01:27:00.000-08:002006-03-31T03:27:14.226-08:00

I like Happy Endings. Not the contrived Hollywood-style happy ending, because they're usually unrealistic, or not true to the book. For example, in the "Hannibal" book, Claris is so impressed with Hannibal's food preparation and cooking skills, that they end up as an item together in South America. In the movie, she instead dials 911 and it seems like the entire 101st Airborne Division is flying

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1143624162923348652006-03-29T00:01:00.000-08:002006-03-29T08:00:03.243-08:00

Great excitement in Liverpool, England. There has been a Miracle!Muslims flock to see 'miracle' fish HUNDREDS of Muslims are descending on a Liverpool house to witness what many are calling a miracle.Two fish are causing huge excitement among the faithful, who say they are each inscribed with holy names.Worshippers are convinced two Oscar fish bear the names of Allah and Mohammed in their

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1143405525629934502006-03-26T12:04:00.000-08:002006-03-26T23:10:53.846-08:00

The Scene: Ibrahim’s office in the Ministry of Finance. Ibrahim is approaching retirement and looking forward to life on his farm, breeding camels, and harvesting dates. With him is young AbdulAziz, recently returned from college in the USA and “connected”, meaning that his uncle is a Prince; and Saeed, whose Bedu family live in a cluster of black tents off the Dammam road, a bit rough but quite

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1143364574208792052006-03-26T00:52:00.000-08:002006-03-26T01:23:32.046-08:00

Yesterday's March was a washout, and that wasn't just the weather.Hundreds join free speech rallyHundreds of people have peacefully demonstrated in London's Trafalgar Square to stand up for free speech, rally organisers have said.Mr Risdon said 600 people had taken part, while police said 250 people were at the rally at its peak.My guess was two to three hundred, and the police figure is the

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1143275517974135712006-03-25T00:06:00.000-08:002006-03-27T09:39:44.173-08:00

The Royal couple are in Saudi Arabia at last. Obviously Camilla is getting the "Honorary Male" protocol, hence no need to wear an abaya, and a head covering that reveals large amounts of blond hair. The Muttawa would go bananas if they saw her, but of course they'll be kept well away.Prince Charles, who has a particular interest in architecture and the preservation of historic buildings of

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1143273610237239232006-03-24T23:39:00.000-08:002006-03-25T00:01:55.606-08:00

The March will be starting in a few hours.I have publicly expressed support for this march; indeed, my message of support was published on their site.However, I do now have to say that I am disappointed with the organisers for this recent announcement.At the outset, we said that displays of the Danish cartoons would be welcome on Saturday. No, let me rephrase that: At the outset, I, Peter Risdon

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1143112383901215342006-03-23T02:55:00.000-08:002006-03-23T04:29:01.836-08:00

The Little Sisters of Mercy escape from their convent by abseiling down an outside wall........gleefully set off explosives in the shopping plaze parking lot........solicit "charitable donations" from unsuspecting shoppers....Surprise!....as they hi-jack a shopper's car.... ....and go on a "drive-by" spree, looking for Protestants....Thanks to "Beachhutman" for pointing me to the original video (

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1143105400085460922006-03-23T00:58:00.000-08:002006-03-23T03:07:06.960-08:00

The "Ugly Jew".Where would we be without the "Ugly Jew" motif in our Saudi cartoons? Let's face it, he's an enduring figure.Here he is in a cartoon from "Die Brennessel", the Nazi humor magazine, 2nd January 1934, doing what he is very good at, controlling the world's media.And here he is in a cartoon from the "Saudi Gazette", the Saudi daily newspaper, 23rd March 2006, doing what he is also very

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1142928374849956142006-03-21T00:05:00.000-08:002006-03-23T02:45:35.056-08:00

Apostasyn 1: the state of having rejected your religious beliefs or your political party or a cause (often in favor of opposing beliefs or causes) [syn: renunciation, defection]2: the act of abandoning a party or causeThat, of course, is the Western definition of "Apostasy". You know, all balanced and objective. The Islamic definition, however, is "someone who leaves Islam". But what, you ask, is

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1142855076280348332006-03-20T03:43:00.000-08:002006-03-20T05:18:41.616-08:00

From the Merriam-Webster DictionaryUn·der·stand·ingFunction: noun1 : a mental grasp : COMPREHENSION2 a : the power of comprehending; especially : the capacity to apprehend general relations of particulars b : the power to make experience intelligible by applying concepts and categories3 a : friendly or harmonious relationship b : an agreement of opinion or feeling : adjustment of differences c :

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1142756038231522662006-03-18T23:57:00.000-08:002006-03-19T00:19:30.610-08:00

Mrs. A says that after we’ve been out shopping for a while, I develop a Shopping Face. She says my expression goes blank, my eyes glaze over, and I withdraw into a deep and secluded part of myself. When that happens, the only cure is a cup of coffee or, better still, a drive home.She’s mostly right. Except that in my imagination, it’s not necessarily a secluded place; it could be a mountaintop

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1142595287763530562006-03-17T02:58:00.000-08:002006-03-17T04:07:52.266-08:00

As you can see, there's a new advert for the March for Free Expression in London in a week's time. Click on it (or the version above) and it'll take you to the official website.Apologies to all the Legomaniacs and flag experts out there, but if you don't know what it represents, it's a set of Lego (a Danish product) characters in front of the Danish flag.Sadly, a group of British Muslims have

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1142514163469456882006-03-16T04:36:00.000-08:002006-03-16T05:02:43.570-08:00

Can I just make that clear? The reason I'm saying that is that I've just received this email message (certain names deleted to protect the innocent).Sri Lanka ****** selling sadiqi in Jubail Camp too much sadiqi many times fiting men friday drinking sadiqi too much. ******* *. ******** *** **. The basic meaning of this is that there is a certain Sri Lankan gentleman selling "sadiqi" (or "sid", an

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1142507011472291412006-03-16T01:25:00.000-08:002006-03-16T03:48:02.520-08:00

There's Baboon Trouble down in the south-west of the Kingdom.INVASION OF THE BABOONSThe increasing numbers of baboons in the southwestern area of the Kingdom is turning into a real menace for the residents of the area, said an official of the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD).Saeed Jama a, a public relations officer at NCWCD in Riyadh stated that residents in

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1142459690290631032006-03-15T13:35:00.000-08:002006-03-15T13:59:07.340-08:00

A bit of a technical experiment, this.I get asked quite a lot to post more kitten photos. What I've decided to do is instead to post some short (10 second) movies I made. They feature a feral cat who used to hang around our yard in Riyadh. To be precise, she used to turn up whenever she was pregnant, have her litter, wean them, and they would then all disappear back to their real territory,

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1142422683365600012006-03-15T03:28:00.000-08:002006-03-15T04:27:11.483-08:00

Finally, the British police have acted against some of these twisted specimens who demonstrated the loving and compassionate side of our religion.Five held over cartoon protestsFive men have been arrested over their alleged role in protests against cartoons satirising the Prophet Muhammad, Scotland Yard said.The five were alleged to have taken part in the 3 February demonstration which took place

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1142357217564059252006-03-14T09:07:00.000-08:002006-03-14T14:53:35.960-08:00

....must come down. And that's usually the case with share prices that outrun their true value. Most countries with mature stock markets have already learnt that lesson. Our stock market is immature, and we're only just beginning.Back on the 25th of February, it was all good newsSaudi Stock Index Gains 1,193.52 Points in a WeekThe Saudi stock market continued to attract the limelight last week

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1142181088838079492006-03-12T07:22:00.000-08:002006-03-13T00:09:55.210-08:00

As promised, here is the story of the Busous War, the 40-yar war fought over the dishonoring of a female camel, as relayed from generation to generation, and as recounted to me by my Grandfather as I sat at his knee.It all started with an ugly one-eyed Viking chief called Olaf. "One-eyed Olaf the 'orrible" as he was widely known, but when speaking to him it was just less of a mouthful to call him

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1141916463601064702006-03-09T06:33:00.000-08:002006-03-10T00:00:28.770-08:00

It was late at night on the sixth day, and God had just one more thing to do before turning in for some well-earned rest. For the first time coining the phrase "TGIF", She congratulated herself on inventing the Day of Rest. Now just to finish that parking lot.....But as She looked at that vat of black semi-liquid and the piles of sand and grit that She was about to mix, She thought "What's the

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1141831400670740302006-03-08T06:17:00.000-08:002006-03-08T07:47:55.936-08:00

I probably mentioned before that I like "strong women". Mrs A is strong. Mrs A (Senior) is formidable. The so-called "second sex" have an equal share of the planet with the males, and bear an unequal share of its pain. They have every right, therefore, to tell us exactly what they think of us, and what we are doing wrong. We men need it.For this reason, I especially enjoyed these clips (here,

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1141817221941922052006-03-08T02:34:00.000-08:002006-03-08T03:29:29.493-08:00

....but I've won two awards in the 2006 Saudi Blog awards. Although it has perhaps not followed the most rigorous process, and there are lots of "in jokes" involved, it's all we've got in the way of awards in Saudi Arabia, so I'm making the most of it.I was awarded:Most Controversial Blogger1st Place: The Religous Policeman with 121 votes2nd Place: Farah with 97 votes3rd Place: Jo with 33

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1141737128744234042006-03-07T04:54:00.000-08:002006-03-08T02:10:22.640-08:00

I get a number of emails from people saying that they can't open the "Comments", can I help? Well, asking me to help with a technical issue is a bit like asking Kenneth Lay's advice on where to invest your pension fund, although I do tell them that it's something to do with Java, which up until six months ago I thought was just an island. If there's someone out there who has successfully overcome

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1141571791925594512006-03-05T06:57:00.000-08:002006-03-05T09:11:13.396-08:00

He's coming again!Prince Charles to visit Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India.Britain’s Prince Charles is to visit Egypt, Saudi Arabia and India later this month and a major theme of his tour will be the promotion of greater tolerance between faiths, royal officials said on Thursday.Although the visit is artfully placed between those to Egypt and India, there is no doubt where his preferences lie. It will

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1141513862795324752006-03-04T14:59:00.000-08:002006-03-04T15:23:48.906-08:00

....but this time, against Jews, and exclusively by Jews.It's the Israeli Anti-Semitic Cartoons Contest, thanks to "Gerald" for pointing this out to me. As someone at that site commented, "This is a fantastic idea: A people or religion that can laugh at itself is a confident, strong and self secure. It can show the Islamic world that humor and self deprecation is a healthy psychological exercise.

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1141511956883819502006-03-04T14:31:00.000-08:002006-03-04T14:39:16.910-08:00

...."Revenge is a dish best enjoyed cold."?When people wonder why the citizenry of Saudi Arabia don't retaliate againsat the Muttawa, it's all a matter of choosing the right time and place. Thanks to "Lehihamra" for spotting this one.You see, they only have a legal role when accompanied by the police. On their own, they just have an advisory role. But when you come across them in the Souk, and

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1141392513695678592006-03-03T03:48:00.000-08:002006-03-03T05:48:38.286-08:00

.... to go back into the Riyadh International Book Fair. The throb of the Toyota trucks' exhausts recedes into the night air, the "Imam University Gang" have finally left. It's time to get back to some civilized discussion about books, perhaps even meet the authors, just as happens in the real world.....And indeed, Wednesday was the day for women writers. We could actually get to meet women

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1141254587337164902006-03-01T13:25:00.000-08:002006-03-02T00:44:13.026-08:00

Remember the movie, "The Wild One", with Marlon Brando? Nice quiet town, nice law-abiding people, all going about their peaceful business. Until their worst nightmare comes true. A gang of unruly bikers, the "Black Rebels", rides into town. Nasty people, you wouldn't want your daughter mixing with them. Then there's all sorts of threats, violence and mayhem, until they are eventually thrown

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1141300037609935582006-03-01T13:22:00.000-08:002006-03-02T03:48:53.736-08:00

Here's an opportunity for anyone up to the age of 25 to write an essay on Civil Rights in the Middle East, with the chance to win a $2000 prize.It's sponsored by the American Islamic Conference, which, in my view, is doing exactly what Muslims everywhere should be doing....The American Islamic Congress (AIC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to building interfaith and interethnic

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1141148878080337502006-02-28T20:57:00.000-08:002006-03-01T01:43:01.783-08:00

Thanks to "Michael" for reminding me that today is the fifth anniversary of the destruction of the Afghan Buddhas.Although Afghanistan is not Saudi Arabia, it's dear to Saudi hearts, because so many of our young men used to go to there to do "internships" with the Taliban. It was a sort of "wet dream" for the ultra-Wahabbi long-beards who thought that Saudi Arabia was "going soft". They could go

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1141158686939848782006-02-28T12:07:00.000-08:002006-02-28T12:31:27.026-08:00

Sometimes I receive emails from expatriates telling me of their experiences in Saudi. I've published one from"David" below, unedited apart from the occasional explanation. It's not particularly unusual. I've seen better, I've seen worse.My story is just one slightly sad story out of hundreds of sad stories, as you know a hell of a lot sadder than mine.I worked for one of the minor princes, as it

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1141055031000610322006-02-27T07:09:00.000-08:002006-02-27T09:01:47.536-08:00

I can now officially report that the MOL (Muslim Offense Level) has been downgraded to "Condition Yellow", meaning "Elevated". To quote the official wording, we have moved from:HIGHMeaning - We are extremely offended by a particular individual or countryNon-Muslim response - That individual or country must apologizeConsequence of non-compliance - Individual; Fatwa, assassination, or both. Country

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1140868122244986842006-02-25T03:15:00.000-08:002006-02-25T05:03:02.490-08:00

A Saudi female reporter for the "Arab News" tells us this story of a recent shopping trip.I was on my way to get an ice cream when I happened to pass a cassette shop and decided to go in. At the time my daughter had developed an obsession with a particular song that was being played repeatedly on the music channel and I resolved to buy it for her. Ice cream can itself be a serious temptation, as

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1140791174758129412006-02-24T06:19:00.000-08:002006-02-24T06:28:32.746-08:00

From the major Saudi oil facility at AbqaiqExplosion, shooting at vast Saudi oil facility(Reuters, reporting Al Arabiya TV)An explosion was heard at Saudi Arabia's huge Abqaiq oil facility in the Kingdom's eastern oil province on Friday, Al Arabiya television reported.The Dubai-based station quoted witnesses as saying shooting was heard in the area, also known locally as Baqiq and site of one of

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1140688143702046002006-02-23T01:18:00.000-08:002006-02-23T12:14:46.626-08:00

A "prominent Arabist intellectual" called Zogby says that our problem in Saudi Arabia is all to do with Public Relations....Zogby Says Saudis Need Better PR Strategy in US....and he has a solutionThe Kingdom needs to hone the communication skills of “smart Saudi women” to put across its message effectively to the American audience ....Pointing out that Saudi Arabia should review its communication

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1140541937542942092006-02-21T09:05:00.000-08:002006-02-21T10:48:11.070-08:00

"NahnCee" put me onto this article from the BBC today.Saudi paper 'shut' in cartoon row A newspaper in Saudi Arabia has stopped publishing after printing some of the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. That's interesting. It's only been going two months. It's a youth paper.Shams (Sun) has been suspended as part of an investigation into its decision to publish the cartoons that have caused anger

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1140366658627997702006-02-19T21:44:00.000-08:002006-02-20T06:03:03.136-08:00

It is three in the morning in the den of the King's Palace. King Abdullah and Prince Naif (Minister of the Interior) have been making quite a night of it. The "Cartoon Controversy" has meant that Prince Naif was able to get hold of a very large shipment of Carlsberg Lager at a knock-down price. He can't resist a bargain, and brought along quite a few bottles the previous evening. All that King

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1140269010063687352006-02-18T04:27:00.000-08:002006-02-19T05:46:24.263-08:00

OIC Calls for Emergency MeetingThe motorcades screech to a halt, lights flashing; burly bodyguards jump out and usher their charges into the conference hall. They have been summoned here from their palaces, their holiday villas, awakened from their beds, rushed here in their private jets. This is THE big meeting of the OIC, the Organization of the Islamic Conference. So are they finally going to

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1140183324198682482006-02-17T05:33:00.000-08:002006-02-18T04:27:19.496-08:00

Who cares, when we are......Don't mess with Muslims. We burn clowns.

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1140176267700479422006-02-17T03:16:00.000-08:002006-02-17T03:43:37.923-08:00

I had at one time written to say that we don't have exchange visits of Saudi students to the USA. One reader wrote to correct me very gently (although, for an Arab male, being corrected, and by a woman at that, is still a "loss of face". ;-)) and wrote an account of one such visit that she had been involved in. I've reprinted her letter here, with minor editing for brevity. It's a wonderfully

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1140111150820023882006-02-16T09:04:00.000-08:002006-02-17T05:46:59.623-08:00

"Oh no", you say, "not another photo-opportunity for some cute animals". Well, sort of. But there is a valid reason. Not that they are the sort of animals that we Muslims go in for. But I quite like them. They have a kind of good-natured, slobbish appearance to them. A bit like that old school friend you bump into, the one who never quite made it in life, but who is lot of fun for a night out

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1140040484452838442006-02-15T09:32:00.000-08:002006-02-15T14:33:04.340-08:00

....on allowing women to drive in Saudi Arabia.... ....and that decision was not to make a decision.Muhammad Al-Zulfa, a member of the Shoura Council said yesterday that he was hopeful the government would step in to lift the ban on women driving after the consultative body refused to debate his proposal to end the ban.The trouble is, the government has very deftly been passing the buck on this

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1140023755608997362006-02-15T09:04:00.000-08:002006-02-15T14:21:28.750-08:00

....I can't resist an idolatrous celebration of a Christian Saint's Day.Actually, these parakeets are fortunate enough not to live in Saudi Arabia, but across the Causeway in Bahrain, where there are no Religious Policemen to prevent such outdoor displays of affection. They actually live in the garden of my friend Mahmood of "Mahmood's Den". When they are not energetically trying to start a

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1139957597014945252006-02-14T13:22:00.000-08:002006-02-14T23:52:17.950-08:00

Thanks to "Dana" at "Angry Toy Robot" for showing me this exchange of emails. He had been on the website of the Saudi Embassy in Washington, seen some of their quotes on the Cartoon Affair, and filled in one of those response thingys with his reaction. Here is the correspondence.************************************************************State = ** Name = Dana Zip = ***** Country = USAComments: "

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1139949298843459582006-02-14T11:00:00.000-08:002006-02-14T13:04:00.926-08:00

....of making you talk.A long-time friend of this blog, fellow shawarma addict and regular Boston to Bahrain commuter, the author of the "Cerebral Waste" blog, has managed to pin me down and get me to answer some questions, in this interview.It was actually a post on this blog that was my inspiration for the "Muslim Offense Level". There was a particular entry for the British that went like this:

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1139782552438919312006-02-12T13:37:00.000-08:002006-02-12T14:15:52.570-08:00

The Abu Hamza trial in Britain has now reached its conclusion.Muslim cleric jailed for inciting murderAbu Hamza, the radical Muslim cleric, was jailed for seven years yesterday after an Old Bailey jury found him guilty of incitement to murder, stirring up racial hatred and possessing a document useful to terrorism.The big question, now, is why he wasn't arrested three years ago, when police found

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1139775073193843982006-02-12T09:47:00.000-08:002006-02-12T12:14:52.446-08:00

Whatever will we talk about when we've stopped talking about cartoons? Whatever did we talk about before we talked about cartoons? The Saga goes on and on. We are still at MOL Condition Orange. There has been no proper apology, and an apology may no longer be enough. Here is the Imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Sheik Abdul Rahman al-Sudais, giving us his take on the situation (Thanks, "Peter")

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1139065482768483772006-02-04T07:00:00.000-08:002006-02-04T07:04:42.843-08:00

Regulars will have noticed that my blogging has been infrequent of late. A hectic work schedule, away from my computer, means that I can only check in from time to time. It gets worse next week, and I won't be back for about 10 days. I'll keep an eye on comments, and attempt to reply to emails, though.Now, where did that camel wander off to?

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1139060379000996862006-02-04T03:17:00.000-08:002006-02-04T06:38:42.193-08:00

From: Royal Press SecretaryTo: His MajestyDate: 4th February 2006Subject: CartoonsI was perhaps too pessimistic at the end of my previous memo. Things have in fact turned out better than we might have expected.As I reported, a number of other European newspapers did publish the cartoons. In two of those cases, the owners of those papers sacked the offending editors, thus demonstrating that jobs

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6613797.post-1139051848106405972006-02-04T03:14:00.000-08:002006-02-04T03:17:28.143-08:00

Inge from Denmark, who also wrote the previous post, responds here to some of the comments and questions she received, and also gives her view from where she lives on the "Islam / Western Divide".I have read with great interest the many comments to the couple of e-mails that I sent to Alhamedi.Now I would like to say a few things about how Denmark traditionally has looked upon religion, at least

alhamedihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01039353271132085878noreply@blogger.com0