One of the wives of a Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia, presumably she’s a Princess, has been complaining recently that women should be allowed to drive cars in that middle eastern kingdom. She made the point that whilst they are allowed to drive when not in their own country, in their own ‘back yard’, driving is a male ‘thing’ and women should have chauffeurs. The article went on to state that although a Saudi woman could actually pilot a plane, she would have to be transported to the airport by a male!
It had completely escaped me that women are not allowed to drive over there. Of course there are many other things they are not allowed to do, but of course the driving ban is one of the less onerous aspects of female discrimination in that country which, in my opinion, needs to drag itself into the 21st century – I mean how much longer are they going to hang onto those bits of Sharia law which suit them, and which the Princes ignore when they want to indulge in a good old bit of western hedonism?
Some statistics – women make up 70% of those enrolled at university in Saudi Arabia (presumably because they’ve nothing else to do to occupy themselves) but only make up 5% of the working population. A women’s testimony in a court of law is regarded almost as an opinion whereas a male’s testimony is regarded as fact. Law states that women are forgetful, therefore their testimony cannot be relied upon. As they do not participate in public life they cannot really observe anything, or if they do observe something, they cannot understand what they are seeing. I could go on about this particular subject but it’s so ridiculous that I would bring my blog into disrepute!
Even in their own homes, the males and females have separate entrances, and when a woman wants a hotel room, the authorities have to be informed about her stay. Hands and feet are regularly chopped off for mundane criminal activities and of course, heads are no more respected, with regular public decapitations for the more serious crimes. It's obviously not a coincidence then that the country's coat of arms (picture above) features two swords?
Recently a woman was sentenced to 200 lashes for being gang raped. Yup – she was the one who was attacked and traumatised beyond comprehension but because she had been seen in a car, prior to the attack, with a man who was not her husband, the rapists escaped but she was sentenced to 200 lashes. Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.
Then we have the Princes and the businessmen who conduct themselves as if there are no morals on earth, at all. I know from reputable sources about the Arab yacht owners who fly in a brood, gaggle, or whatever the term is for a group of prostitutes. They are flown, first class, usually from London, to the port where the yacht is berthed (usually somewhere in the Med) and then the ‘fun’ starts. That’s the Friday. On the Saturday they are flown back and a new ‘group’ arrives for that evening!
And as for business, nothing happens without a few million handed over to the Princes who own most of the businesses in the kingdom (I refuse to use a capital ‘K’). I know this from my previous employer where my director had to ‘cow-tow’ to the Prince in charge of telecommunications just to be allowed to bid for a project – not win it – just bid for it!
The ongoing case where British Aerospace (BAE as it’s now called) reportedly handed over hundreds of millions of dollars to the Princes to win a major arms contracts, is still making the news. The Americans are now involved and are investigating the company for bribery. There was no denial that the money was paid. Apparently the contract allowed for a ‘couple of hundred million for consultancy fees’. Who was the consultant – one of the Princes of course!
I love this dissident statement on the web about BAE and the House of Saud, as the ruling family are called ……..BAE Systems is dedicated to producing innovative and high-specification ways of killing and maiming people. Satisfied BAE customers include Saddam Hussein in Iraq, General Pinochet in Chile, and the House of Saud. Are you a feudal Middle Eastern dictatorship that tortures your political opponents - and innocent British citizens? BAE Systems says: No problem! We just want your cash.
I love it.
And why does the western world put up with this crap? Because the Saudis have all the oil.
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