'Societies' like these have always appalled and fascinated me - like N. Korea or brainwashed Christian poly-amorous groups, or like the fiction book The Handmaids Tale (apparently based on life under the Taliban). The mental gymnastics that goes on and how they came to be are incredible (and it seems they often have the covert blessing of the western imperialists, since it's even easier to control.).
After speaking with a few friends who are either ex-pats, visitors, or natives of Qatar, Bahrain, Dubai and so on, as is often the case, these 'religious rules' apply primarily to the common man, meanwhile the elite and connected do as they please. Also it seems prostitution and drug abuse and all other manner of issues run rife, which kinda defeats their propaganda that they're defending their values against the depravity of the west.
I watched a bit of the documentary yesterday, and will probably watch the rest tonight (i shared it yesterday) but i've seen quite a few more which feature similar events like public beheadings and harassment by the 'religious police', working for 'public decency'. And so it reminded me of one i watched a good while ago but was made in 2007. For me, it exemplifies the bizarre hypocrisy and downright perverse nature of some of the ruling class - the same everywhere, huh?
It was strange how long it took me to find, and i do find that suspect, which is stupid because there have been so many scandals involving the Saudi royals.
The following is a documentary which goes 'behind the scene's, though of course they had permission from the authorities and so one can appreciate the staged nature of the contents; yet it's actually incredibly revealing at how twisted some of the thought processes are - "you can't see yourself" comes to mind: we have the first female pilot, who can't drive to work. And these professionals are the exception, not the norm, and seem to be from the wealthier families. But more interesting is the visit to prince Al-Waleed and an introduction to his all female 'management' team, who, if we compare/contrast with the expectations of the average Saudi female, the hypocrisy stinks and it's creepily perverse.
That said, there are similarities, i think, between their cognitive dissonance, and say the vulgarity of the west or the lies of a pharmaceutical rep being quizzed on ethical matters.
I used to wonder why they didn't rise up against the regimes, but when you consider the overt surveillance on communications in those countries, and therefore the ease with which you can be persecuted, it's not that surprising. That said, there have been a number of leaked videos/documentaries which show that there is a contingent of people who do try, it's just that we rarely hear about it. Though of course they are risking lives.
Here are a few screenshots:
al-Waleed - who throughout flicks his head scarf like Beyonce flicks her weave about. Asked how he chooses his staff - well, he gives some random criteria that i don't believe actually applies. I could be wrong in my conclusions about the whole thing but it doesn't sit right with me.
The selected all female staff - he says he's keen to promote females in the workplace.
In front is the head of management - when asked how she got her job: "Through a friend." She wears quite a low cut top, considering...
I believe this is the OBGYN, she nervously talks about the progression of the regime and how in Saud they have their own barbies..
Added:
Al-Waleed bin Talal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Al-Waleed Bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al Saud (Arabic: الوليد بن طلال بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود, born 7 March 1955)[4] is a Saudi business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is a member of the Saudi royal family.
Waleed was listed as one of Time magazine's Time 100, an annual list of the hundred most influential people in the world in 2008.[5] Waleed is a nephew of the late Saudi King Abdullah, a grandson of Ibn Saud, the first Saudi king, and a grandson of Riad Al Solh, Lebanon's first Prime Minister.
Documentary:
Saudi Solutions (VPRO Backlight)
vpro international
Uploaded on
Nov 23, 2007 (90 minutes)
How to combine modernity and fundamentalist Islam. "Saudi Solutions" is a unique and revealing documentary about
the lifestyles and attitudes of ambitious career women in conservative Saudi Arabia -- the only country in the Arab world where women are obliged to cover themselves inabayas and aren't allowed to drive cars.
Because of the strong influence of fundamentalist Islam on society, filming is severely restricted in Saudi Arabia. With unique access to the Kingdom, Backlight had the opportunity to film the daily routines of Saudi working women.
This documentary features
a top gyneacologist, a TV news anchor woman, a photographer, and a university professor. It also introduces t
he wealthy Prince Al-Waleed, who passionately promotes the acceptance of women into the workforce. He kindly invites Backlight to
his luxury desert camp, but
there are no women to be found—only thousands of men. [This absence of even platonic affection with females, as commented by a friend who has visited strict areas of the M.E, results in Saudi men holding hands with each other and the like - not a problem of course, just a reaction to the absence of any female company]
https://youtu.be/FWD4KzSpj_g
(i lost my original post through stupidity!)
