I don't know whether this report on Saudi mufti statement, is true or not .
Saying that extremists must be kept out of Mosques, it is very strong .
But definitely sheikh al Sudais praising security forces, is an important step .
Often non Muslims ask why our muftis and imams do not excommunicate extremists .
And it is difficult to let them understand that we do not create or modify rulings just like that .
There has always been strong condemnation against terrorism, but of course it was not highlighted by Western press .
There were always speculations on the reason why bin laden, never brought attacks on Arab lands, and many thought this happened cause he had been given money from local rulers .
In my humble opinion, he was just smart enough to understand, that bringing blood on Muslim soil, that would have turned people against him .
Touching with their own hands, the cruelty of his jihad, would have surely kept them away from him .
Egoistically speaking, it is good if they have a taste of the sufferance and discomfort that extremism has on our lives, same as it happens here in the West .
That should push our brothers and sisters in Muslim lands, to speak and act in more an effective way against those who hijack Islam.
Showing posts with label Saudi Arabia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saudi Arabia. Show all posts
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Monday, 27 August 2012
Exposed
Perhaps this incident will force Aramco to review its IT and computer systems policies, especially policies that allow multiple users access to both unclassified and classified information at the same time. Aramco should also reconsider the policy which allows expatriate employees to run information systems and then divulge such information following their exit from the country.
In my opinion, such policies expose our companies’ systems to hackers.Muhammad Mashat Al-Madinah newspaper translated on Saudigazette
There is an interesting shadow of thought in the concept expressed by the columnist .
And it is in the fact that he considers foreigners as the only medium through which a crime can be perpetrated .
Having learned today that a terror plot was uncovered, the theory of the bad expats, is slightly untrue .
There is some ignorance in this way of thinking and also the inability to analyse facts .
But with time and education some flaws will be cured .
In my opinion, such policies expose our companies’ systems to hackers.Muhammad Mashat Al-Madinah newspaper translated on Saudigazette
There is an interesting shadow of thought in the concept expressed by the columnist .
And it is in the fact that he considers foreigners as the only medium through which a crime can be perpetrated .
Having learned today that a terror plot was uncovered, the theory of the bad expats, is slightly untrue .
There is some ignorance in this way of thinking and also the inability to analyse facts .
But with time and education some flaws will be cured .
Saturday, 18 August 2012
Marrying the CIA
She was relieved by his response: I didn’t marry the CIA. I didn’t marry the State Department. I married Carol Ann Fleming.
charlotteobserver
Difficult to think it was exactly like this .
Marrying someone who's been hiding the truth for some time, doesn't exactly feel that comfortable .
But I'll leave it like that, same as all the extraordinary things which were part of Carol life .
I started to follow her blog when I was living in the Gulf .
At the time she was working for some local television .
I was imagining she hadn't been an ordinary diplomat, rather an agent of influence, as this has been the role of her blog in those days, together with all the other bloggers on the state department galaxy .
Nevertheless she contributed to give to the world, and without putting lipstick on it, the true image of Saudi Arabia and Arabs in generals, which is not that of terrorists or camel travelers, a stereotype still trendy, here in the West .
Carol is a great woman who has lived many lives .
May Allah be with her always and protect her path .
charlotteobserver
Difficult to think it was exactly like this .
Marrying someone who's been hiding the truth for some time, doesn't exactly feel that comfortable .
But I'll leave it like that, same as all the extraordinary things which were part of Carol life .
I started to follow her blog when I was living in the Gulf .
At the time she was working for some local television .
I was imagining she hadn't been an ordinary diplomat, rather an agent of influence, as this has been the role of her blog in those days, together with all the other bloggers on the state department galaxy .
Nevertheless she contributed to give to the world, and without putting lipstick on it, the true image of Saudi Arabia and Arabs in generals, which is not that of terrorists or camel travelers, a stereotype still trendy, here in the West .
Carol is a great woman who has lived many lives .
May Allah be with her always and protect her path .
Thursday, 16 August 2012
OIC conclusion
While here in Europe we are wondering about future wars in the M.E., whether we should participate or not and which sort of impact this will have on our economic problems, the emergency meeting of Islamic countries carried on in Jeddah, and it ended with interesting outcomes .
In their final communique' they stressed on the importance of the Palestinian issue, the commitment toward Muslims in Myanmar and the concern for the situation in Mali .
Of course Syria was central to the conference and the attention of the media was appointed on the suspension of its membership .
In my humble opinion the real development, was the strong condemnation of terrorism, which in this particular moment is extremely important, and the call that H.M. King Abdullah made, for the creation of a center having the role to sort out differences among Muslim sects .
Examining this under a practical point of view, Muslim leaders, and the Saudi in particular, realized that giving green light to Israel for a strike on Iran, would somehow prevent them from being in charge of the Syrian situation .
And that, at a later stage, would reduce the power of control they currently have in the M.E.
So sitting close to Ahmadinejad, was not only a move to reassure Muslims on the issue of unity .
Rather they must have reached some sort of agreement, which for now will keep Iran on the safe side, if Americans can convince Israel, and will push them to help not only to end the Syrian matter, but also to make things more stable on other fronts like Yemen for example, where they are very active .
Again this proves that Bandar bin Sultan was appointed exactly for this change of direction, towards diplomatic ways, other than using his strong hand .
In their final communique' they stressed on the importance of the Palestinian issue, the commitment toward Muslims in Myanmar and the concern for the situation in Mali .
Of course Syria was central to the conference and the attention of the media was appointed on the suspension of its membership .
In my humble opinion the real development, was the strong condemnation of terrorism, which in this particular moment is extremely important, and the call that H.M. King Abdullah made, for the creation of a center having the role to sort out differences among Muslim sects .
Examining this under a practical point of view, Muslim leaders, and the Saudi in particular, realized that giving green light to Israel for a strike on Iran, would somehow prevent them from being in charge of the Syrian situation .
And that, at a later stage, would reduce the power of control they currently have in the M.E.
So sitting close to Ahmadinejad, was not only a move to reassure Muslims on the issue of unity .
Rather they must have reached some sort of agreement, which for now will keep Iran on the safe side, if Americans can convince Israel, and will push them to help not only to end the Syrian matter, but also to make things more stable on other fronts like Yemen for example, where they are very active .
Again this proves that Bandar bin Sultan was appointed exactly for this change of direction, towards diplomatic ways, other than using his strong hand .
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Hacks
DUBAI | Wed Aug 15, 2012 1:24pm BST
(Reuters) - The blogging platform of the Reuters News website was hacked on Wednesday and a false posting saying Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal had died was illegally posted on a Reuters journalist's blog, the company said.
Reuters News did not report the false story and the fabricated posting on reuters.com has been deleted.
Reuters had no immediate information on who was behind the hacking.
So far I've read a couple of reports today, on the possible death of H.R.H., may Allah grant him a speed recovery, which supposedly was on Tuesday, and it was some Arabic site .
Unfortunately in few years I've been on Arab lands I was lazy enough not to learn the language, other than what is related to religious matters, so I must rely on online translators .
This statement from Reuters, about their site being hacked with fabricated news, sounds just as fake as the news itself .
The fact though, that at least in this case, unlike prince Bandar accident, media are speaking now of "an official source inside the Ministry" denying the claim, that speaks volumes of the impact the episode had .
Of course we will never know anything but gossips, about what really happened, but if Reuters was so easy to hack, that would be just cheap .
This is another mediatic attack in few days, which is not possible to explain only like a war of nerves with enemies from outside .
There must be some further development within the Kingdom .
And the timing was perfect, as today the OIC meeting is in full swing .
For this and other events, Saudi Arabia is paying for its lack of transparency .
So far I've read a couple of reports today, on the possible death of H.R.H., may Allah grant him a speed recovery, which supposedly was on Tuesday, and it was some Arabic site .
Unfortunately in few years I've been on Arab lands I was lazy enough not to learn the language, other than what is related to religious matters, so I must rely on online translators .
This statement from Reuters, about their site being hacked with fabricated news, sounds just as fake as the news itself .
The fact though, that at least in this case, unlike prince Bandar accident, media are speaking now of "an official source inside the Ministry" denying the claim, that speaks volumes of the impact the episode had .
Of course we will never know anything but gossips, about what really happened, but if Reuters was so easy to hack, that would be just cheap .
This is another mediatic attack in few days, which is not possible to explain only like a war of nerves with enemies from outside .
There must be some further development within the Kingdom .
And the timing was perfect, as today the OIC meeting is in full swing .
For this and other events, Saudi Arabia is paying for its lack of transparency .
Monday, 13 August 2012
Message in a bottle
Syrian officials were not invited to the meeting. This led the Iranian envoys to raise objections. “The Syrians are still part of the OIC, and they therefore should have been invited to the preparatory meeting,” one of the diplomats quoted the Iranians as saying. However, there were few backers of this Iranian view.
OIC to expel murderous Syrian regime
It was a sort of message for Iran, rather than a punishment for Syria :
we make the rules . Either you are with us or against us .
The Syrian issue will be solved in few weeks or months, paying a high price, namely the growth of al Qaeda .
Iran is next .
They were invited as I said earlier, to show a gesture of good will, but letting them understand the conditions .
In my humble opinion Saudi Arabia made a technical mistake, which is, to trust the Americans and themselves, believing that after most of the M.E. is fixed and reshaped, everything will be like before, and Gulf countries will be left managing things alone .
Wrong .
One who understood this, is Vladimir Putin, who is very well aware of the fact that he is on the list .
Later there will be a big battle between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and things might turn wild for al Saud .
OIC to expel murderous Syrian regime
It was a sort of message for Iran, rather than a punishment for Syria :
we make the rules . Either you are with us or against us .
The Syrian issue will be solved in few weeks or months, paying a high price, namely the growth of al Qaeda .
Iran is next .
They were invited as I said earlier, to show a gesture of good will, but letting them understand the conditions .
In my humble opinion Saudi Arabia made a technical mistake, which is, to trust the Americans and themselves, believing that after most of the M.E. is fixed and reshaped, everything will be like before, and Gulf countries will be left managing things alone .
Wrong .
One who understood this, is Vladimir Putin, who is very well aware of the fact that he is on the list .
Later there will be a big battle between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and things might turn wild for al Saud .
Sunday, 12 August 2012
Planning for the future
Today I was reading a couple of articles (1 2) highlighting some issues related to Saudi Arabia participation to the London games .
While al Arabiya writer proves him/herself a little bit shortsighted, because an investment on a medal is not a bunch of lost money, rather a possible come back, if well planned, Amani Al-Awami, confronts the problem in its context .
The games must not be just a unique experiment to please international observers who pressured Saudi Arabia for participation .
It must be a start, on which to conquer other goals for the benefit of all Saudi citizens .
So the construction of schools and training centers, must be encouraged .
This way, also the backward mentality of those who offended Wodjan, will vanish , because they will be more educated and tolerant .
This doesn't mean the traditions of the Kingdom will be changed, rather they will be more effective for the development of the people and the country .
In order to do so, it needs time, planning and money .
Saudis have achieved so much in recent years, that I have no doubt they will be able to accomplish this as well .
While al Arabiya writer proves him/herself a little bit shortsighted, because an investment on a medal is not a bunch of lost money, rather a possible come back, if well planned, Amani Al-Awami, confronts the problem in its context .
The games must not be just a unique experiment to please international observers who pressured Saudi Arabia for participation .
It must be a start, on which to conquer other goals for the benefit of all Saudi citizens .
So the construction of schools and training centers, must be encouraged .
This way, also the backward mentality of those who offended Wodjan, will vanish , because they will be more educated and tolerant .
This doesn't mean the traditions of the Kingdom will be changed, rather they will be more effective for the development of the people and the country .
In order to do so, it needs time, planning and money .
Saudis have achieved so much in recent years, that I have no doubt they will be able to accomplish this as well .
Saturday, 11 August 2012
العريفي Superstar
Mohammad al-Arifi, a popular televangelist who has more than two million followers on Twitter, posted comments Friday criticizing Saudi minister of social affairs Yousef al-Uthaymeen who was quoted by al-Yaum daily in 2009 as saying there are only 600 families under the poverty line in the country.
“Either the newspaper is lying to the minister or the minister is lying to us,” al-Arifi said. “The country is full of poor people.”
The tweet by al-Arifi was re-tweeted more than 5,000 times, causing a wave of strong criticism of the minister.
al arabiya
One of the reasons I left Catholicism, which is also the same factor pushing Italians towards atheism, is the excessive role held by the Church in politics .
In a country where religion and state are split, the religious authority should limit its presence to the spiritual guidance of the citizens .
But the Vatican barely does that, as we can clearly acknowledge Italy's current moral decay .
In a Muslim country, where the religion is source of law, or at least its main reference, things do change .
Politics and religion are naturally interconnected : just, in my opinion the political leadership should be in a prominent position .
Religious authorities must not be submitted to political power, but they must exercise their role quietly .
They must give their advises and be a source of inspiration for the government .
Dr. Muhammad is very dear to my heart, but like all human beings, he is limited .
When he has these outbursts, that makes problems to himself and to the believers .
Often his lectures and statements are cut and pasted by anti-Islamic groups and used to prove Islam is a bad religion .
This is particularly detrimental for Muslims in the West .
It takes much effort, when colleagues or friends confront us with videos in which he says apparently odd things, to explain them what he meant .
We have to go back to Islamic history, to consider the context, to lay out the general principle first .
Yet people are not convinced .
In this particular case, given that many of his followers consider him as a demi-god (and that is wrong in Islam), he did a great damage to the cause .
Even if the statement had been true or just recent, all he obtained was sparking rage among his fans .
That is not to raise awareness . That is simply to make a show .
I am sure he is in good faith when stumbling upon this sort of accidents, but since he is such a popular scholar, he should pay more attention to what he says and how .
Otherwise he will be remembered as a "televangelist", and he is much more than that .
May Allah forgive us our sins and guide us to and through His path .
“Either the newspaper is lying to the minister or the minister is lying to us,” al-Arifi said. “The country is full of poor people.”
One of the reasons I left Catholicism, which is also the same factor pushing Italians towards atheism, is the excessive role held by the Church in politics .
In a country where religion and state are split, the religious authority should limit its presence to the spiritual guidance of the citizens .
But the Vatican barely does that, as we can clearly acknowledge Italy's current moral decay .
In a Muslim country, where the religion is source of law, or at least its main reference, things do change .
Politics and religion are naturally interconnected : just, in my opinion the political leadership should be in a prominent position .
Religious authorities must not be submitted to political power, but they must exercise their role quietly .
They must give their advises and be a source of inspiration for the government .
Dr. Muhammad is very dear to my heart, but like all human beings, he is limited .
When he has these outbursts, that makes problems to himself and to the believers .
Often his lectures and statements are cut and pasted by anti-Islamic groups and used to prove Islam is a bad religion .
This is particularly detrimental for Muslims in the West .
It takes much effort, when colleagues or friends confront us with videos in which he says apparently odd things, to explain them what he meant .
We have to go back to Islamic history, to consider the context, to lay out the general principle first .
Yet people are not convinced .
In this particular case, given that many of his followers consider him as a demi-god (and that is wrong in Islam), he did a great damage to the cause .
Even if the statement had been true or just recent, all he obtained was sparking rage among his fans .
That is not to raise awareness . That is simply to make a show .
I am sure he is in good faith when stumbling upon this sort of accidents, but since he is such a popular scholar, he should pay more attention to what he says and how .
Otherwise he will be remembered as a "televangelist", and he is much more than that .
May Allah forgive us our sins and guide us to and through His path .
Back in time
Later on the same four planes commanded by the same crew flew back to Rome via Benghazi, Libya which was also under Italian rule. The raid in reality didn’t accomplish the intended goal. Bahrain and Dhahran were barely scratched, but the Italian radio announced that the oil installations were totally damaged.
This long-range raid raised many questions in the American and British intelligence departments. The Italian Air Force pilots and planes have the capability to fly 15 hours and cover 3,000 miles and be able to carry heavy loads of fuel, bombs and ammunition.
Saudi oil well and the Italian air raid
While reading this piece of history I was missing (in my times, educational programs rarely mentioned the M.E.), my mind flew back to the cables according to which, when the prime minister in charge was Berlusconi, high sums of money were paid to the Talibans to keep our soldiers safe .
War is definitely not our thing .
Saudi oil well and the Italian air raid
While reading this piece of history I was missing (in my times, educational programs rarely mentioned the M.E.), my mind flew back to the cables according to which, when the prime minister in charge was Berlusconi, high sums of money were paid to the Talibans to keep our soldiers safe .
War is definitely not our thing .
Air spaces
Despite saber rattling in the media, analysts said on Saturday that it was highly unlikely Israel would cross Saudi air space in a potential attack on Iran.
A recent UPI report that Saudi Arabia warned Israel that it would intercept Israeli fighter jets that crosses its border has created a stir, even though Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak reportedly said that he never got such a message from the Saudis.
So far the Saudis have stayed quiet on issue.al Arabiya
There is quite a good number of reasons why Saudi Arabia cannot openly support Israeli actions at the moment .
First of all, that would be detrimental in the eyes not only of their people, but of the entire Arab world .
And in the eventuality of a spring on its soil, that will be the drop that would cause the vase overflow .
Arab citizens are very well aware of undercover relations held by their governments, Saudi in particular, with Israel, and that is also the reason why the Palestinian problem is still far to be solved .
But despite being very patient and loyal to their rulers, such a blatant move would make them raise more than an eyebrow .
Then, in the overall reshape of the M.E., on which all superpowers are working, the Saudi role would be diminished in favour of Israel, the other great ally of America, and within the Arab chessboard as well .
Also, public support for just one player, wouldn't give them the many chances they have, while playing under the soil, to act on different fronts, which is what prince Bandar Bin Sultan is supposed to be doing right now, from Iraq to Yemen .
We will see anyway, if there is a serious will to solve issues diplomatically, at the emergency conference in Riyadh next week .
A recent UPI report that Saudi Arabia warned Israel that it would intercept Israeli fighter jets that crosses its border has created a stir, even though Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak reportedly said that he never got such a message from the Saudis.
So far the Saudis have stayed quiet on issue.al Arabiya
There is quite a good number of reasons why Saudi Arabia cannot openly support Israeli actions at the moment .
First of all, that would be detrimental in the eyes not only of their people, but of the entire Arab world .
And in the eventuality of a spring on its soil, that will be the drop that would cause the vase overflow .
Arab citizens are very well aware of undercover relations held by their governments, Saudi in particular, with Israel, and that is also the reason why the Palestinian problem is still far to be solved .
But despite being very patient and loyal to their rulers, such a blatant move would make them raise more than an eyebrow .
Then, in the overall reshape of the M.E., on which all superpowers are working, the Saudi role would be diminished in favour of Israel, the other great ally of America, and within the Arab chessboard as well .
Also, public support for just one player, wouldn't give them the many chances they have, while playing under the soil, to act on different fronts, which is what prince Bandar Bin Sultan is supposed to be doing right now, from Iraq to Yemen .
We will see anyway, if there is a serious will to solve issues diplomatically, at the emergency conference in Riyadh next week .
Tuesday, 7 August 2012
Why Ahmadinejad will go
The question on everybody's lips these days, is why King Abdullah invited president Ahmadinejad, and also what are the expectations from this emergency summit .
I think that if we make a guess on why the Iranian leader accepted, maybe we may have a full picture .
The answers in my opinion, are mainly in prince Bandar recent appointment .
Many commentators saw it, as installing a hard hand man in a key position to quickly solve issues, which on the long run might be detrimental to Saudi Arabia both domestically and in foreign politics related environment .
In my opinion the new chief of the Saudi agency, was precisely chosen for opposite reasons, that is, to try a more effective diplomatic path, that actually the kingdom is not practicing because they were not having the right people in key positions .
And Ahmadinejad knows it, which is why he promptly accepted .
Not that Islamic conferences are problems solving, but they are a chance to meet protagonists in an attempt of mediation .
And actually the Iranian president is not exactly in a favourable position .
When Israel decides to go for a strike, that will be the end for him and his people .
So he most probably wants to see, if at least a compromise on Syria can be found, and that would give him a break for some time .
We'll see what happens .
I think that if we make a guess on why the Iranian leader accepted, maybe we may have a full picture .
The answers in my opinion, are mainly in prince Bandar recent appointment .
Many commentators saw it, as installing a hard hand man in a key position to quickly solve issues, which on the long run might be detrimental to Saudi Arabia both domestically and in foreign politics related environment .
In my opinion the new chief of the Saudi agency, was precisely chosen for opposite reasons, that is, to try a more effective diplomatic path, that actually the kingdom is not practicing because they were not having the right people in key positions .
And Ahmadinejad knows it, which is why he promptly accepted .
Not that Islamic conferences are problems solving, but they are a chance to meet protagonists in an attempt of mediation .
And actually the Iranian president is not exactly in a favourable position .
When Israel decides to go for a strike, that will be the end for him and his people .
So he most probably wants to see, if at least a compromise on Syria can be found, and that would give him a break for some time .
We'll see what happens .
Wodjan and the others
Clerics and scholars, in the Arab Muslim world, are held in high esteem .
Despite Islam being the only religion, among the monotheists, relying solely on God and giving no divine power whatsoever, to human beings, the people of knowledge are often followed like demi-gods .
This is the reason why, rulers and governments, are highly dependent on them : they can be a strong gathering force and determine the destiny of countries .
One of the most influential in Saudi Arabia, and controversial abroad, is dr. Mohamed al Arefe .
He is known as a pillar of Wahabi Islam, assuming such movement really exists .
He is a very well educated man and a citizen of the world .
He often travels to Europe, confronting himself with people of different cultures and religions .
He holds tv shows and those who follow him, help him in orgasing his agenda and mediatic presence on the internet .
Last year, when I had understood that I can hardly re-adjust to the life out of the M.E., I contacted him, asking for help to find a way to go back .
And dr. al Arefe was so kind in reading and answering to my emails, but in the end, I had to surrender to the fact, that it is quite difficult nowadays to find a job in Arab lands .
I was reading his comments on the issue of the Saudi female athletes, which are Islamically very correct .
Muslim ladies must be covered to protect themselves and their bodies' shapes can't be revealed .
Moreover there can't be any type of contact with non-maharam males (from within their more direct family circle) .
And all this, is difficult to achieve in an Olympic competition .
But it is a fact, that many in this world are convinced that Muslim women, specially in the M.E., are oppressed by the veil first .
Those who are not familiar with the Arab world, would hardly believe that a girl is happy to wear her hijab to please God , and that this practice is not incompatible with the modern world .
This is what Wodjan and other girls participation to the games showed to the globe : that they are happy with their religion and culture .
Now I am not asking to dr. al Arefe to change a ruling .
In Islam it is not permissible and not necessary as well .
But I would like him to find a way for those girls to show their happiness .
That is why reforms in this religion are needed, whereas I am not calling for changes .
Reform means to adapt, to practice the universality in time and space of Islam .
It is the same concept we need outside of Muslim lands : we need an interpretation which help us to live a perfect life, a fully Islamic life .
This is where Arab scholars have failed, up to now .
But I am positive that enlightened minds like Sheikh al Arefe, will soon find a path .
Despite Islam being the only religion, among the monotheists, relying solely on God and giving no divine power whatsoever, to human beings, the people of knowledge are often followed like demi-gods .
This is the reason why, rulers and governments, are highly dependent on them : they can be a strong gathering force and determine the destiny of countries .
One of the most influential in Saudi Arabia, and controversial abroad, is dr. Mohamed al Arefe .
He is known as a pillar of Wahabi Islam, assuming such movement really exists .
He is a very well educated man and a citizen of the world .
He often travels to Europe, confronting himself with people of different cultures and religions .
He holds tv shows and those who follow him, help him in orgasing his agenda and mediatic presence on the internet .
Last year, when I had understood that I can hardly re-adjust to the life out of the M.E., I contacted him, asking for help to find a way to go back .
And dr. al Arefe was so kind in reading and answering to my emails, but in the end, I had to surrender to the fact, that it is quite difficult nowadays to find a job in Arab lands .
I was reading his comments on the issue of the Saudi female athletes, which are Islamically very correct .
Muslim ladies must be covered to protect themselves and their bodies' shapes can't be revealed .
Moreover there can't be any type of contact with non-maharam males (from within their more direct family circle) .
And all this, is difficult to achieve in an Olympic competition .
But it is a fact, that many in this world are convinced that Muslim women, specially in the M.E., are oppressed by the veil first .
Those who are not familiar with the Arab world, would hardly believe that a girl is happy to wear her hijab to please God , and that this practice is not incompatible with the modern world .
This is what Wodjan and other girls participation to the games showed to the globe : that they are happy with their religion and culture .
Now I am not asking to dr. al Arefe to change a ruling .
In Islam it is not permissible and not necessary as well .
But I would like him to find a way for those girls to show their happiness .
That is why reforms in this religion are needed, whereas I am not calling for changes .
Reform means to adapt, to practice the universality in time and space of Islam .
It is the same concept we need outside of Muslim lands : we need an interpretation which help us to live a perfect life, a fully Islamic life .
This is where Arab scholars have failed, up to now .
But I am positive that enlightened minds like Sheikh al Arefe, will soon find a path .
The 7000 lives of Bandar bin Sultan
My first contact with the Arabs of the Gulf, happened something like fifteen years ago .
It was on the internet and came through Saudis .
They are people with extremely strong and complex personality, hard to give trust, specially out of their circles .
But once gained their confidence, they are the best ally (wali) one can hope for .
There is quite of lot of talks these days, about prince Bandar bin Sultan .
First there was the story of his appointment as chief of the Saudi spy agency, and few days later, about the possibility of his assassination .
If true, that would be maybe the tenth time or more, in few years, that media have announced such an event .
Just it is most probably not true, as it was denied unofficially by an article appeared on Arabnews, in less than a week the bomb was thrown by fake counter-information press, which often engage in this sort of operations .
Prince Bandar fame, is surrounded by a good number of legends, mostly of negative taste, and in my opinion all very far from truth .
If one wants to try to understand him, then we have to refer to his story of late accepted member of the Saudi royal family .
Bandar, according to reports, is the illecit son of prince Sultan .
His mother was definitely not a royal .
Who is familiar with tribal mentality and royal dynamics of the Arab world, can imagine how hard it must have been for him, to be welcomed among the elite .
The Arabs of the Gulf are very sectarian and closed minded people .
They would hardly accept adopted children, let alone boys coming from outside marriage relations .
Moreover Bandar has very dark skin .
That is the sign of a slave, something that many in the Gulf of today, still accept reluctantly .
So when we read that he took his own way by going to the US for studies, then we must see it in this perspective .
Same goes to all the stories circulated about his flamboyant personality .
They must be understood and filtered, considering the tendency Arabs have to gossip, and the hostile environment he must have faced at home .
The real Bandar, is the one speaking in this interview, in which we can have a glimpse on a fine politician, having the pulse of what is happening in his kingdom and abroad, a man with a deep sense of history and politics .
That is the prince whose ability was recognised by the king, when he sent him as Ambassador to the US and left him in place for very many years .
That is the same Bandar, which is needed now, to fix the Middle East chessboard actually in transition, and re-establish on strongest bases, Saudi Arabia position, within the Arab world and in the global context .
Of course his famous strong hand, is necessary to make a balance in different issues, internal and external .
Those contexts in need of stability, like Yemen, Bahrain, Iran, Syria, as well as domestic ones, and international relations, not only with their historic ally, that is America, have to be rebuilt and rebranded, confirming the primary role that Saudia Arabia has .
For that, a man who has coscience, of what is going on around the world, is in high demand .
Prince Bandar is definitely the right man in the right place .
It was on the internet and came through Saudis .
They are people with extremely strong and complex personality, hard to give trust, specially out of their circles .
But once gained their confidence, they are the best ally (wali) one can hope for .
There is quite of lot of talks these days, about prince Bandar bin Sultan .
First there was the story of his appointment as chief of the Saudi spy agency, and few days later, about the possibility of his assassination .
If true, that would be maybe the tenth time or more, in few years, that media have announced such an event .
Just it is most probably not true, as it was denied unofficially by an article appeared on Arabnews, in less than a week the bomb was thrown by fake counter-information press, which often engage in this sort of operations .
Prince Bandar fame, is surrounded by a good number of legends, mostly of negative taste, and in my opinion all very far from truth .
If one wants to try to understand him, then we have to refer to his story of late accepted member of the Saudi royal family .
Bandar, according to reports, is the illecit son of prince Sultan .
His mother was definitely not a royal .
Who is familiar with tribal mentality and royal dynamics of the Arab world, can imagine how hard it must have been for him, to be welcomed among the elite .
The Arabs of the Gulf are very sectarian and closed minded people .
They would hardly accept adopted children, let alone boys coming from outside marriage relations .
Moreover Bandar has very dark skin .
That is the sign of a slave, something that many in the Gulf of today, still accept reluctantly .
So when we read that he took his own way by going to the US for studies, then we must see it in this perspective .
Same goes to all the stories circulated about his flamboyant personality .
They must be understood and filtered, considering the tendency Arabs have to gossip, and the hostile environment he must have faced at home .
The real Bandar, is the one speaking in this interview, in which we can have a glimpse on a fine politician, having the pulse of what is happening in his kingdom and abroad, a man with a deep sense of history and politics .
That is the prince whose ability was recognised by the king, when he sent him as Ambassador to the US and left him in place for very many years .
That is the same Bandar, which is needed now, to fix the Middle East chessboard actually in transition, and re-establish on strongest bases, Saudi Arabia position, within the Arab world and in the global context .
Of course his famous strong hand, is necessary to make a balance in different issues, internal and external .
Those contexts in need of stability, like Yemen, Bahrain, Iran, Syria, as well as domestic ones, and international relations, not only with their historic ally, that is America, have to be rebuilt and rebranded, confirming the primary role that Saudia Arabia has .
For that, a man who has coscience, of what is going on around the world, is in high demand .
Prince Bandar is definitely the right man in the right place .
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