Killjoy

by

Add this to their list of achievements: interrupting a nasheed concert for kids in Dahran Mall. Just look at how the policeman stole the mike from the performer’s hand. Impressive.

UPDATE: For those who asked about context, here is a story from yesterday’s al-Watan. The Commission spokesman said they interrupted the concert because the families area was very crowded. The concert was later continued. Does that change how you feel about the incident?

35 thoughts on “Killjoy”

  5. So are children smiling and having fun now against the law in Saudi?

    Heaven forbid they hear something that makes their religion by force sound beautiful to them…

    btw that security man with the beard looks as if his face would simply crack and fall apart if he found enjoyment which resulted in the minutest of smiles in anything.

    • No need for personal attacks on people. Though strangely, we’re missing a lot of context here. Why would the Hay’ah interrupt an Islamic nasheed concert? What happened after this? Was the whole thing canceled?Did they move on to the next performer?

      Anyway Ahmed, you ridicule the conservatives for being petty, then post something even pettier.

      • Are you kidding? I don’t know if you’re trying to be funny (i suspect not) but its rather ironic to first criticise somebody for a “personal attack”, and then call Ahmed petty.

        And that’s NOT a personal attack on you! There’s a difference between a comment and an attack.

        The problem with this video IMHO is the 2nd man – he doesn’t try to reason with the singer, he doesn’t speak with him like the first man does, he just yanks the microphone away. It’s aggressive and disrespectful.

        I hope the concert did continue, regardless – that doesn’t change the fact this man has behaved poorly.

  7. Rowdy Saudi,
    si I noticed, but even with lipsynch is a concert, if not is just background music. I really think they tried to prevent the joy, not the fact of being or not a live performance.

  8. Here comes the hero ¬_¬ , no no no no…seriously, What about the KIDS?!! -to watch such violent scene- what kind of image would be stuck in their little heads??? loving [Nabeena el3’aly\نبينا الغالي] is a bad thing?!!!!

  10. This is an insult to our intelligence and to yourself Ahmed.
    It’s a sign of intellectual bankruptcy for you to use a 27 seconds clip to make a case against anybody!
    If you run out of subjects to write, just stop. That, if you really respect yourself and your readers.

  11. I got to this post after the update, but read the comments before reading the update or watching the video.

    That said, in answer to Ahmed’s question, yes that context (assuming it is true) does make me view the scene differently, and assume that the audience was informed, and so understood as well. It is heavy handed but not violent appearing to me. The heavy handedness is in having a uniformed officer appear. We don’t see how he removed the microphone only that it is gone from the singer’s hand–hard to know if it was a slick “pickpocket” move or a violent wrenching.

    As written now the post reminds me of the art of leading the interpretation in one direction then widening the context and allowing for different perspectives.

    Since I am missing some cultural context, if anyone wants to clarify how normal or not this would be in the Saudi context as the way to change venues or stop a singer I’d be happy to learn.

    • It was clearly a very sly pickpocket maneuver, the singer never expected it and you can see his hand doesn’t even move for a second after he realizes he lost his mic.

      • Thanks Mohamed S. That would have been my first guess. I would also assume the singer was wise enough to comply, or that is was handled awkwardly but not such a big deal.

  13. Come On Guys !!
    Even If there was more than we have seen in this clip … The way of intervention is barbaric and have nothing to do with Islamic values and ethics …

    I feel sorry for Islam if it represented by these TOWARDS…

  14. for all those who have argued to know context… please tell me, in what context you deem this responsible actions? in what context do you think this is acceptable? in what context do you think the time and efforts of this man, be put down in this manner acceptable? tell me, in what context dose this action that reflects on these children minds make this ok?

    for all those who called for context, I feel sorry for you to have to sit there thinking of an excuse!!

  15. For Sam…please leave GOD out of this. If there was a regulation violation of some sort or another (and I am sure there are many to choose from) it would have been better for all present, the children especially, to have discreetly pulled the power at source and have dealt with the matter back stage.

  16. Presumably the compare was on a stage or other raised platform? The power cables led back to a plug of some sort? For backstage read at the back of the mall/ at the power source/in some mall room or office. Thanks.

  17. to Tortured Expat
    all i sayd was .. nothing ..

    i didn’t say they were applying the law of allah or anything .. i just ” prayed ” somehow !! .. for this country to be awaken of it’s ” awakeness ” al-sahowa ?! << that's there " logo " or something -_-

    plz read my comment again b4 addressing me or what it seems to be accusing me of supporting those idiots !!

  18. sorry guys … the link in the post above is not my site .. the link in this post is .. << not advertisement or anything .. just clearing a misunderstanding

  19. I always want context, because without it is too easy to misinterpret, or have an exaggerated interpretation of, any action, statement, situation, observation, etc.

    Also, the clip now is different than the first one I viewed and commented on, which had an interruption after the uniformed man walks on, and then a frozen frame with a circle showing the singer’s empty hand. This one is much clearer that the uniform slickly took the mike from the singer’s hand, and he didn’t protest.

  21. ((((they interrupted the concert because the families area was very crowded. The concert was later continued))))

    i believe the mall has its own security to orgnize the crowd and inform Omar alsaedi to stop for a while….
    why then that muttawa came up to the stage??
    do they really think us that STUPID

  22. I think it’s a shame that people cannot enjoy themselves at a venue like this without it being interrupted and having people think there is something shameful or wrong with it. Whenever people seem to be having fun here, someone else seems to think it is wrong, and that’s very sad.

  23. More context questions–the uniform looked more like mall security than haya to me. Any Saudis able to enlighten us on this?
    If the concert went on, as it seems it did, this was just a heavy handed way to do crowd control. Any explanation?

  24. Great, the country goes one step forward,
    and a 10-step back, i have two questions on my mind now, how could we ever fix this, and is it time to immigrate somewhere else where its easier to live your life (without strict religious code enforced on you)

  25. If this was a concert then presumably there would have been another way for crowd control rather than going to such extremes to pull the microphone out of the performers hand. Its such a shame that the police resorted to this type of reaction to make a statement it seems like a really low blow.

  26. Posts like this remind me how Islam haters here in America attack Islam with a few seconds taken out of context. May Allah (swt) guide us all. Ameen!

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