I was talking with a Syrian classmate/friend of mine this morning, and he assured me on some viewpoints I had in mind for a while but I wasn’t sure about.
When someone visits Riyadh for the first time, he could be fascinated with how a huge city this is. A city that was built to be XL at everything; huge streets, two high skyscrapers and one of the biggest universities in the world. However, deep down, Riyadh is a weirdly divided city. When you get to know people and experience the lifestyle of this city, which is unstylish at all, you will come to understand what my earlier description was all about.
Before going into some details, I want to make it clear that whenever I use the word “conservative” in this post, I don’t use it as opposite to the word “liberal” but as opposite to who I like to call “anti-conservative”. Anti-conservatives are people with no traditions; no principles, no values, and all what concerns them in life are the little stuff. Those people who I’d like to call “empty souls“.
The majority of population of Riyadh is extremely conservative. This is no wonder if we kept in mind that this city was the starting point and the main center of Wahhabism. Those people are in control of almost everything in the city, from shopping malls to social events.
In contrast, the remaining minority is extremely anti-conservative. I don’t know how this kind of people could grow up in such an environment and educational system, but they exist, despite all the odds. And yes, they are minority, but you can easily recognize them.
In this city, you have the chance to run into the extremist fundamentalists, and the in the same time you have the chance to run into the empty souls; the smuttiest boys and the sluttiest girls. Sure, there are some people in between. But to me, these people are not interesting enough to write about. They are just so… ordinary.
My friend, born and raised in Saudi Arabia, agreed with me on the above, but he was arguing that some freedom could be dangerous to this city. He says that if the conservatives loosen up a little, the chaos and confusion will be overwhelming. Maybe, but freedom does not come without a price, and I think no matter how expensive it is, it will be worth it.
Saudi Jeans 
Well, Ahmad I have a question!
What is the oppisite of “Liberal”, then?
In my point of view, there are more categories in the community (Although I’m not a big fan of categorizing)than the ones you’ve singled out…There are the Reliogous Extremists, Religous conservatives, conervatives, oridnary, religous liberals and the liberals…Although I agree that the *Anti conservatives* have no triditions, but I disagree with you on the definition that they dont obtain values or principles…Some of them may be like what you described! But those are considered “Shallow Folks” to me…not under “Anti Conservatives”!
What do you think?
It is not a problem of naming or labelling. You can call them whatever you want and I can call them whatever I want. (btw, this is like the Arabian/Persian Gulf thing)
I’ve just gone through many of your posts and I find much discordance between one another. I see you rant and rave about things which could be improved upon in the Kingdom but fail to relate them to your true opinions at heart. For example, you have a strong opinion of “extremists” and “empty souls,” but find distaste in anything in between? Where does that leave room for your own individualism?
Referring back to the “Scrubs” post – If the University were to outline and enforce its traditions, principles, and values, for its students to wear scrubs, even by vague definition, wouldn’t that infringe upon the same freedoms you wish to be privileged to, but speak so warily of? I’m just attempting to understand the resolutions you wish to see happen while at the same time tying together seemingly random rants and raves.
But I do commend your enthusiasm and attempt to communicate to the world major and minor problems seen through your eyes. As an American born Muslim, your posts have enlightened me in many ways.
hey ahmad may i ask what is this ‘Arabian/Persian Gulf’ thing that you’ve just mentioned?i am not wholly familiar about the intricacies of Saudi society, although i have some experience of living in a GCC country for some years. And may I also ask- What is freedom worth to Saudis in general in your society?
why should there be a price? and if that is the ‘freedom’ you want, why dont you move out?
Just go back into the history of your country until when Islam was current of the day and not royalism.
Then define this freedom? what do you mean by freedom? freedom; to do anything right and wrong? or Freedom to do everything your religion allows you?
Freedom regardless of which system you look at it, whether in London, or New York. You can not do “anything” you want. You can not say anything you want.You are limited even in those systems. So freedom in the sense that you guys dream, and think exist in the west. Or like you see it in the dictionary, than sorry to say, it doesnt.
Every system has limits on what it allows its subjects to be free in doing. Similarly, Islam has limits on things it allows as “freedom”. Now i am not refering to Islam in the sense that it is practiced in Saudi. Because I do not consider saudi a Islamic system for the least bit.
Dont waste your energy asking for western freedom because you are asking for things that you do not fully know the extent or cost of.
Educate yourself about your religion, and ask for those freedoms, and then you have Allah and His Prophet SAW behind you.
Hayhatta…stay cool man. You expressed yourself like Saudi Jeans really got into your VAGUS NERVE!
It is great that you folks have the freedom to post your opinions on the Internet. And it is also good to see that you are thinking about the problems of your communities and try to find new ways and solutions…
This is exactly the kind of freedom we (in the West) do have and don´t want to give up. Religion for us can guide or lead us in our way of living but has more of an advisory role, meaning that people can choose if they want to follow the religious rules or not. And I have met a lot of people that say of themselves that they are not religious but in their behaviour and in their actions show that they do follow the same ethics and values that are being given to us by the Bible or even the Q’ran. What I want to say is: can´t you find a way to at least tolerate each other’s views and ways to follow God’s rules, tolerate and accept that there might be more than one way? Why is it that Sunni and Shia have to choose violence in their struggle for the right way?
I personally do not agree with ur vision of anti-conservative, its too offensive :s
A-German-in-US, I totally agree with what you said