I do not have too many clear ideas what people from Saudi Arabia are able to read, excepting the literature accepted by the religious authorities. When it is not always possible to travel directly in all the countries I would like to, being so deprived with a direct contact with places and people, I am always looking for alternative ways of "reading" these countries. Internet is a good medium, as there are a couple of blogs from the Middle East I could have some second hand understanding. Or movies. Or some translated books.
In the case of Banat al-Ryadh, I found not only a book about Saudi Arabia, but also one wrote by a woman. About the life of four young girls from Ryadh. As I predicted from the very beginning, a bit of public diplomacy and PR is present, but not as an obvious propaganda. For example, the fact that young people from Saudi Arabia are often travelling, are familiar with the Western/American culture parts of the worlds they are working or going often for schools. They are fluent in English and even marry Christian women (but a Muslim woman cannot marry a Christian man). In this case, no reason to consider them terrorists or wrongdoers.
The book - addressing issues as premarital relationships, the game of playing with religious restrictions, the dating, arranged marriages, the restrictions suffered by women - was initially forbidden in Saudi Arabia. But later on, published with a cover signed by the writer and governmental official Dr. Ghazi al-Gosaibi.
I will not do any kind of literary analysis of the book. Nothing too sophisticated or created according to my English translation. From other reviews I understood that the language is interesting equally, as a mix between English, and local Arabic. Some aspects related to the daily dating, with long conversations and a kind of non-physical sensuality remainded me of the old Arabic poetry I've read. Of course, now you have the most sophisticated cell phones the rich boys - and in this book most part of the characters are belonging to the so-called "velvet society" - are buying for their fiancees. But, these high-tech pros spending hours in chatrooms - men and women alike - they are still accepting that women put only their fingerprints on the marriage contracts, could consider homosexuality a hormonal disease, to not allow women to do directly businesses or give no chances to divorced women. Or, as in probably all Muslim societies, are trying to escape the surveillance of the "Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" - the religious police. But, as everywhere, women are preoccupied with the astrological maps or the interpretation of dreams or are focusing their efforts to get married as soon as possible. With the difference that, in comparison with our Western customs, as a woman, not getting married, or getting divorced could dicrease the chances of marital success of the other women from the family. Or, if you are a shi'a, you rather will be considered "impure".
The mapping of the Middle East was intersting from my point of view: Lebanon is considered as a kind of enlighted place - the best books are bought from there, women are doing there "reconstructive surgery", not cosmetic that are not allowed by Islam. Dubai is the hot spot for business, for women as well. The music and arts - as theatre - is represented by famous Egyptians.
It is a literary effort for making a country well known and understood. I will always believe that the "normality" means a society where men and women are able to freely chose their own life and future.
