Even though the Riyadh bloggers meetup did not turn out the way I wanted, but at least I did not end up sitting alone on that Thursday night. I had the pleasure to meet Talal Al-Bakr and K.M.B, both great guys, and we had a great time and good conversations. Apparently Herbaz was there too, but he did not recognize us. Anyways, I’m thinking about making this meetup a monthly occasion, but I’m still not sure if we should move the meetup day from the weekend to a weekday. What do you think?

Few months ago, Hassan posted this:

Most of Saudi bloggers, especially those who write in English, criticize their own people and government very harshly. There is no doubt some of their criticism is correct and realistic, and it plays a major role in the reforming our society. However, such criticism reaches the whole world, in the absence of what could give a good image about our country, because we don’t have any website to talk about the good aspects of the Kingdom. I get embarrassed when a foreigner asks me for info and photos on Saudi Arabia; where can I find anything good to give him? Do you support the idea of such a website? Or is it just that there is not anything good about our country?

There is, of course, some good things about our country. And when I find these good things, I write about them. The difference is: bad things get in people’s nerves. I know it is not easy for anyone to criticize one’s self, but in the end of the day, someone has to do it. How about you? What do you think?

It is interesting to see how the local press covered what happened in the Riyadh International Book Fair. I was really amazed by the way that Al-Riyadh newspaper, a sponsor of this event, dealt with the two panels I attended. Reporting on the first panel, they completely ignored the chaos at the end of it. However, they reported what happened on the second panel with more details, and described those who caused the chaos as “extremists.” Probably this has something to do with the fact that the moderator of the second panel is Turki Al-Saudairi, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper.

Now, some comments on my posts on the panels did not like how I saw what happened. I want to say that I’m not a reporter who is supposed to cover events and let people make their own opinion. What I use the word “extremist” to describe someone, that’s my opinion, and I’m not asking anyone to take my side. If you don’t agree with me, that’s totally ok, and you can have your say in the comments area.

Anyway, I leave you with some more links: Hussein Shubukshi said what happened at these panels is a “shame”. Al-Hayat newspaper, as well as the columnists Abdullah Al-Keaid and Turki Al-Dakheel, also described the people who ruined the event as “extremists.” And Finally, from the infamous Al-Sahat forums, here is the take of one of the sheikhs who talked in the panels, and also the view of another member of Al-Sahat.

* All links in this post are to Arabic pages. I apologize to those who can’t read Arabic.

Last night, I attended another one of the cultural activities accompanying the Riyadh International Book Fair. It was a panel on the censorship on media, and the speakers included Dr. Mohammed Abduh Yamani, the former minister of information and one of the country’s prominent intellectuals, Dr. Mohammed Al-Romaihi, the general secretary of the Higher Council of Culture in Kuwait, and one of my favorite writers, and Nahed Ba-Shatah, a columnist that I linked to her writings on several occasions. The announced program also included Abdul-Rahman Al-Rashed, manager of Al-Arabiya channel but he was not there for unexplained reasons. The panel was moderated by Turki Al-Sudairi, the editor-in-chief of Al-Riyadh newspaper. Like the two activities I attended before, the forces of darkness were present in the hall, and again, they ruined the whole thing.

First, Dr. Yamani talked about his experience with censorship as a minister, and then it was Dr. Al-Romaihi’s turn to talk. He made some really interesting points, but what I liked the most was his last remark. He said, “the more our education system fails to achieve its goals, the more we need censorship,” and I think it is very clear that education in our region is a major failure. Few minutes before Dr. Al-Romaihi finished his remarks, one of the sheikhs from the first row interrupted, telling him that time was up. Dr. Al-Romaihi did not take it very well, and asked the sheikh: “Are you the moderator of this panel or what?” It was really embarrassing. When these rude lunatics are going to learn how to be polite?

Next, Al-Sudairi said that due to the limited time available, they won’t be able to take all the questions by the audience. Here, the same shiekh started shouting at him, saying that he is acting some kind of censorship, and that he should not be on the podium. Al-Sudairi promised the angry sheikh that he will be given enough time to speak his mind, and that’s what actually happened after Ba-Shatah finished her presentation.

From this point, and except for two comments from the female participants, logic was totally lost from the hall. A sheikh named Ahmed Al-Farraj said they should have had a religious scholar on the podium, because censorship is a part of “the prevention of vice,” and that this era of media revolution and openness requires even more censorship. Another sheikh sitting next to him said that the moderator of the panel should be censored. “All programs in the media, and the people behind them, and the minister of information should be presented to a Sharia court,” he added, because he thinks that they have violated Islamic laws.

Nuha Al-Nasser said the answer is in dialogue and not censorship, while Laila Al-Uhaideb asked if we can depend on heads of newspapers to raise society’s awareness on censorship. Right after Al-Uhaideb finished her short comment, another sheikh asked to speak, and attacked her, accusing her of calling for sex education in her writings. He also attacked other female writers such as Maha Al-Hejailan and Samar Al-Megrin. At the end of his speech, he asked the government to increase censorship on media, and to sack Iyad Madani, the current minister of information, “because he is not capable for such position.”

It was clear that the panel was going in the wrong direction, and it would only get worse if the moderator gave another chance to the extremists and their propaganda, so he announced the end of the panel, even though they had more than 30 minutes left. However, that was not the end for the forces of dark, who continued their demagogic behavior. They went to the podium, surrounded Dr. Yamani, and started talking loudly with him. Dr. Yamani looked very angry when he left. The idiots! The man is old enough to be a father of all these stupid sheikhs, yet they showed not respect to him.

After leaving Dr. Yamani, they headed to Al-Sudairi and Dr. Al-Romaihi, but I could not see what was going on between them. Few seconds later, I heard them roaring: Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar, which was really scary because I was afraid that one of them might just blow himself up and kill us all, but thank God that did not happen.

This sucks! Those lunatics are just ruining it for everybody. They come to every panel and lecture, do their ugly thing, and then leave happily as if they were making a victory of some sort. They are so rude and impolite, and they don’t even know how to listen. I was planning to attend more panels and lectures, but if these creatures are going to come and make their crappy show every time, then maybe I’ll just stay home and read a good book instead.

As Farah puts it, the first Saudi Blogging Awards were so “adorably put” by our Jeddawi friends Rimyoleta and Dotsson. For some reason, Saudi Jeans was NOT even mentioned when the awards were announced for the first time. But later on, after some protests (or was it by popular request? ;-), SJ was nominated for the News Flash Award, and I was nominated for the King of the Saudi Blogosphere Award. The idea is very nice, and I’m thinking of officially supporting it as a part of the much-delayed-but-very-soon launch of SaudiBlogs.org. Now, go vote (not necessarily for me, but that would be nice, btw ;-), and may the best wins.

I have to say that I’m kinda disappointed with the response I received regarding the Riyadh bloggers meetup that I called for. I don’t know if this is because they don’t want to come, or simply because they did not hear about it. So, I’m asking you that even if you are not coming, but you still like the idea, to spread the word by posting about it on your blog. The meetup will be on Thursday March 2, 2006, starting at 20:00, and the place is Dr. Cafe, King Abdullah Rd. Thanks.

Last Wednesday, Riyadh International Book Fair was opened. I was looking forward to this event for two reasons: a) because I will get the chance to buy some books that are not usually available here due to censorship and other factors, and b) because the organizers of the book show, the Ministry of Higher Education, have been talking for months about making this fair an exceptional event.

I went there on Thursday morning, and the place was crowded. As usual, a large number of visitors were flocking at the small spaces of a few publishers, while most of the rest publishers were doing nothing but removing the dust off their untouched books. The locations of the famous publishing houses such as Dar Al Saqi, The Arabic Cultural Center, Dar Al Jamal, the Arab Establishment of Research and Publishing, and Dar Al Mada, were the main spots of attraction to readers. Meanwhile, most of other publishers’ locations, especially Saudi book publishers, were almost empty.

I purchased 8 books; four of them were novels while the other four were non-fiction. It was surprising for me that Dar Al Saqi did not provide any of the Saudi writer Turki Al-Hamad’s novels; not even his latest book Reeh Al-Jannah, a novel about the 9/11 suicide bombers. Al-Hamad’s books are usually banned in Saudi. The best-seller Banat Al-Riyadh by Raja Al-Sanea was not available too, which leaves me wondering if it was banned.

Other activities of the book fair include a gallery for Saudi artists, lectures, panels, and workshops on several topics and cultural issues.

Last night I went to a panel on cultural diversity, and I have enjoyed a very good discussion. The panel was done the Saudi style, with the only female speaker Dr. Khairia Al-Saggaf talking from another room, where we could not see her but only listen to her voice. This made Dr. Warner Dawm, the German speaker, says he wishes Dr. Al-Saggaf was sitting with them on the same podium. She did not comment on that, but one of the audience later told the German guy to respect our culture and traditions. I did not think he was being disrespectful, and I’m glad that he did not apologize.

There was a lot of extremists in the audience, who insisted that anyone different from us is an infidel, and that we have to deal with him on this principle. I liked it when Dr. Faisal Al-Muammar, the moderator of the panel, stopped the same man from talking in an offending manner about Shiites, describing them as rafidha. Shiites were the subject of a hot debate at the end of the panel, when Dr. Khaled Al-Dakheel said that Shiites are part of us. This was the point where the panel went out of control. Before Al-Dakheel was able to complete that sentence, a Sheikh from the first row interrupted and told Dr. Al-Dakheel that Shiites are not Muslims, and that he has to say this.

Al-Dakheel was surprised by the rudeness of the man and refused to say that. Here, tens of extremists sitting on the left side of the hall started shouting, and told Al-Dakheel to shut up. To bring that chaos to an end, the moderator had to announce the finishing of the panel. As soon as the panel ended, a large group of the long-bearded-short-thobed guys gathered around Al-Dakheel. I could not hear what they were telling him, but I saw him later leaving with one of the organizers from a side door.

Few minutes after the beginning of the panel, Dr. Mohammed Al-Zulfa, member of Shoura Council who called for the right of women’s driving, came and sat next to me. I could not talk to him, even though I really wanted to do that. But after the panel was ended, the same people who were gathered around Al-Dakheel came and stood around Dr. Al-Zulfa and started talking to him. They were telling him to stop calling for women’s rights, and that he has no right to talk about such issues because they should be only tackled by Sheikhs and scholars. Al-Zulfa refused to obey, and asked what’s the difference between him and these sheikhs. “Is it something with my clothes? I can change my clothes, you know,” he told them.

The organizers were telling the people that they have to leave because they are closing the gates now, but the extremists kept on shouting. “Do you want to face God on judgment day with women’s driving next to your name?” one of the sheikhs asked Dr. Al-Zulfa who did not reply (I have recorded a short .3jp video of the incident. I will try to upload it soon).

Anyways, I will be attending a lecture on the development of Saudi novel today’s afternoon, a panel on the effect of censorship on media on Sunday, some poetic readings and panel on cultural identity on Wednesday, and some more readings and a panel on education and its form in reform on Thursday (you’ll be there and you’d like to meet me? Just drop me a line: saudijeans at gmail dot com). The Riyadh International Book Fair will last for more seven days, and if you are in town I advice you not to miss this event. Probably it is not as exceptional as the organizers promised, but it is still worth a visit.